Seymour Herman Workoff Papers
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Abstract
Seymour Herman Workoff volunteered in the Spanish Civil War as part of the Washington Battalion and later with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. He died in the battle of Belchite, Hijar Del Pueblo, Spain in September 1937. Workoff was born in October 1917 and worked as an apprentice ship-fitter. The collection contains correspondence from Seymour to his brother Irving for the period of time of his service in the Spanish Civil War. The collection also contains a passport photograph of Seymour.
Historical/Biographical Note
Seymour Herman Workoff was born in New York City in October 1917. He was an apprentice ship-fitter living in the Bronx prior to his enrollment in the International Brigade. Workoff sailed to France on March 12, 1937 aboard the S.S. Ile de France. In late March, Workoff, along with 24 other American men, was stopped by the French police on a boat destined for Spain. The men were charged with trying to enter Spain to enlist in the army and were sentenced to 20 days in prison. After spending 3 weeks in prison in a small town near the border between France and Spain, Workoff successfully made it across the border into Spain. A story about the men's arrest appeared in the New York Times on April 1, 1937.
In Spain, Workoff became a member of the George Washington Battalion. He was a sergeant in a machine-gun company and fought along the Jarama front near Madrid. In July 1937, his battalion merged into the Abraham Lincoln battalion. Workoff died in September 1937 in the Battle of Belchite, Hijar Del Pueblo, Spain.
Arrangement
Folders are arranged Arranged chronologically within each series
The files are grouped into two series:
Missing Title
- I, Correspondence
- II, Subject File
Scope and Content Note
Series I: Correspondence, 1937, contains letters written by Seymour Workoff to his brother Irving for the period of his service in the Spanish Civil War up until his death. He writes detailed accounts of battles fought and of soldier life. The letters also document his three-week prison term in France before arriving in Spain. He addresses the letters to "George," a cover name he used for his brother.
Series II: Subject File, 1975, contains a Spanish Civil War Biographical Register filled out by Workoff's brother when the papers were accessioned by Brandeis University. The questionnaire contains a passport photograph of Seymour.
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Access Restrictions
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives for more information and to schedule an appointment, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Use Restrictions
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA), were transferred to New York University in November 2000 by the ALBA Board of Governors. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives. For more information, contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.
Provenance
The Seymour Herman Workoff Collection was donated to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives by Irving Workoff, in 1975. This collection came to New York University in January 2001 as part of the original acquisition of ALBA collections, formerly housed at Brandeis University.
