Letter from Dr. Ernst Wolff to Eleanor Roosevelt
2/1/1945
Add to Favorites:
Add all page(s) of this document to activity:
Add only page 1 to activity:
Add only page 2 to activity:
Add only page 3 to activity:
Add only page 4 to activity:
Add only page 5 to activity:
In August 1944, during World War II, 982 European refugees arrived at an Emergency Refugee Shelter at Ft. Ontario, near Oswego, New York. They entered the United States outside of immigration quotas with the status of temporary "guests." They were required to sign a declaration that they would live under the restrictions of the camp and return to their homelands after the end of the war.
Dr. Ernst Wolff was a refugee who had served as a guide to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt during her visit to Ft. Ontario in September 1944. He took the opportunity after his brief meeting with Mrs. Roosevelt to appeal for her assistance in allowing the refugees to leave the camp by sending her his article "Storm in the Shelter." The article expresses the frustration of many of the Oswego refugees that they were unable to experience the freedoms of America.
Dr. Ernst Wolff was a refugee who had served as a guide to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt during her visit to Ft. Ontario in September 1944. He took the opportunity after his brief meeting with Mrs. Roosevelt to appeal for her assistance in allowing the refugees to leave the camp by sending her his article "Storm in the Shelter." The article expresses the frustration of many of the Oswego refugees that they were unable to experience the freedoms of America.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior .
National Archives Identifier: 176888907
Full Citation: Letter from Ernst Wolff to Eleanor Roosevelt; 2/1/1945; 1-5 Refugees (Pt. 1); Central Classified Files, 1907 - 1972; Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior , Record Group 48; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/wolff-roosevelt, October 1, 2023]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
