Elias Begelman Papers
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Abstract
Elias Begelman (1912-1959) served in the International Brigades as a volunteer in the Abraham Lincoln Briagde in Spain from January 1937 through October 1938, during which time he saw heavy action and served as translator and interpreter for Brigade headquarters. The collection includes letters Begelman wrote from Spain; letters from Artur Dorf to Leona Beal, Begelman's wife, during World War II; a typescript about a battle in Spain; and a letter from Begelman's commander during World War II.
Historical/Biographical Note
Elias Begelman (1912-1959) was born in Riga, Latvia and grew up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. Telling his mother he was going to Chicago, Begelman joined the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and went to Spain in January 1937. He saw heavy action on several fronts, and also served for a stint as translator and interpreter for Brigade headquarters (he spoke eight languages). He returned to the United States in October 1938. Begelman later served in World War II.
Alternate spellings for Begelman found in this collection are Biegelman and Begilman. During the Spanish Civil War, he sometimes adopted the name Eli Simms, and addressed his brother as Michael Simms in letters to him. After the war Elias Begelman went by the name Ellis Beal; this was the name used by his wife, Leona.
Arrangement
Folders are arranged alphabetically.
The files are grouped into one series:
Missing Title
- I, Spanish Civil War and World War II
Scope and Content Note
The collection consists of letters from Begelman to his brother, Michael Simms, discussing the progress of the war in Spain and family situations back home (certain of these letters are copies of the originals typed by Begelman's wife, Leona). Also included are a five-page typescript by Begelman about capturing the town of Quinto; International Brigade documents; letters from the Friends of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in New York to Simms; and a letter from Begelman's commander during World War II disputing "a file on his case which prevents him from ever being sent overseas." The collection also includes are a series of letters from Artur Dorf to Leona Beal while Dorf was serving in World War II. Dorf was a German anti-fascist who spent two and a half years in Spain as political commissar of the Sanitary Service of the International Brigades, and was subsequently held for several years in concentration camps in France and in North Africa.
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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 Elias Begelman Collection was donated to Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives in 1974 and 1975 by Leona Beal, Begelman's wife. This collection came to New York University in January 2001 as part of the original acquisition of ALBA collections, formerly housed at Brandeis University.
Separated Material
Photographs from the Elias Begelman Collection have been transferred to the non-print section of the ALBA collection in the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives (ALBA Photo #36).
