Gender: girl
School:
School #8B
School #8 was a school for girls in Lodz. The students in #8b attended classes in the afternoon. Most students were between 9 and 15 years old, meaning that they were born between 1926 and 1932.
School #8b was located at Ulica Limanoskiego 26. The street name was changed to Alexanderhof when German occupation began in 1939. See
www.lodz-ghetto.com for a map of Ulica Limanoskiego and the rest of the Lodz ghetto.
Henia Obczas'S STORY
Stage 1: Identity
Student's Given Name:
Hena Obcas
Source: Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants
Status: Submitted 4/8/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
Birth Date:
1929-00-00
Source: Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants
Status: Submitted 4/8/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
Ghetto Street Address:
Alexanderhofstrasse, 28
Source: Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants
Status: Submitted 4/8/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
Alexanderhofstrasse, 28, 77
Source: Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants
Status: Submitted 4/8/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
User Comment:
Using the Fuzzy setting first, I found Hena Obcas, which is very similar to Henia Obczas, with only a few small letter differences. Out of curiousity, I did the DM Soundex search to see if there were any other girls who could be Henia. None of the names I found had a birthday that falls between 1926 and 1932 besides Hena Obcas, so I believe this girl is Henia Obczas.
The entry about her address stumped me a bit. A.G is either change of address or deportation. I am not sure whether she and her family were deported or not, because the second address provided for her is on the same street and the same building number, but it lacks an apartment number. What I have decided is she and her family either moved to a different apartment in the same building, or they were deported. If they were indeed deported on the date given for A.G, they would have been sent to Chelmno, and perished in the gas vans.
Expert Reviewer Comment:
Thank you for initiating research on Henia Obczas. I agree with your thinking that Hena Obcas, found in the Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants database, is very likely the same person. You made good use of the search options available to explore alternative spellings. (If you search only by last name Obczas, and then only by last name Obcas, you will find someone on the Obczas list who lived at the same address as the Hena Obcas. So you should continue your strategy of looking at variant spellings as you further your research.)
As you move into additional stages, you may be able to confirm your supposition about what happened to her and her family. Good luck!
Approver Comment:
I agree with the expert reviewer. Excellent research and you have described your process very well in the notes. When you get to the next stage, check the secondary sources to cross-reference the date associated with A.G. in the database Notes field. You may find clues as to what event would be associated with the date.
Stage 2: The Ghetto
Mother's Name:
Ita Obcas
Source: Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants
Status: Submitted 4/12/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
Sibling's Names:
Aron Dawid Obcas
Source: Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants
Status: Submitted 4/12/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
Iska Obcas
Source: Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants
Status: Submitted 4/12/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
Deported / Transferred:
1942-01-16
Source: Lodz Ghetto Inhabitants
Status: Submitted 4/12/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
Camp Deported/Transferred to:
Chelmno, Poland
Source: Secondary Sources
Status: Submitted 4/12/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
Place of Death:
Chelmno, Poland
Source: Secondary Sources
Status: Submitted 4/12/2012;
Confirmed
| Researcher:
kaw715
User Comment:
In the first stage, I thought that the date 16 Jan 1942 might be when Hena and her family moved, but researching further, I was not able to find any evidence that any of the Obcas's survived the Holocaust. I checked alternate spellings of their last name and still came up empty handed. Also, I was always a bit suspicious about the two addresses, since they were on the same street and the same building number. Because of all of this, I have come to the conclusion that 16 Jan 1942 is not a change of address date , it is a deportation date. This date is the first day that deportations to Chelmno began, which further leads me to believe that this is indeed a deportation date. On the 16 Jan 1942, all deportations were sent to Chelmno, and all the people perished in the gas vans. Therefore, it is safe to say that Hena, her mother, and her siblings perished at Chelmno.
Approver Comment:
I agree with this unfortunate conclusion. Simply not being able to find information about Hena beyond stage 2 does not mean that she died; however, correlating the date of the move or deportation with a deportation to Chelmno makes it more likely that she was deported to Chelmno, where she would have perished. Thank you for helping to complete Hena's life history. If you like, you may complete her bio now.
Stage 3: Labor Camps
No research performed on this stage
Stage 4: Auschwitz & Beyond
No research performed on this stage
Stage 5: Liberation & After
No research performed on this stage
Research contributed by the following user
