Carl Trost Papers
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Abstract
Carl Trost was a young activist in the Nathan Hale Branch of the Young Communist League in the Bronx with several friends who volunteered to fight with the Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. One of these was Sanford "Pretty" Sperberg (born Leib Sparberg in Roumania in 1916), who sailed to Spain on the SS Georgic on May 15, 1937 and kept in touch with Trost by letter, describing his shipboard experiences, his early days in Spain in Spain (with comments on anarchist activity and other political news), and his battlefield experiences with the Lincoln-Washington Battalion. Anther friend serving in Spain was Carl Geiser, a member of the national committee of the Young Communist League. Geiser notes in a 1987 letter to Trost that Sperberg was fatally wounded near Quinto. The collection consists of three letters written to Carl Trost by Sanford Sperberg en route and from Spain, and one letter written by Carl Geiser to Herbert Prine from Spain. Also included are several documents relating to Sperberg and his family, a letter about Sperberg from Carl Geiser, and a cloth badge of the Young Communist League.
Historical/Biographical Note
Carl Trost was a young activist in the Nathan Hale Branch of the Young Communist League in the Bronx with several friends who volunteered to fight with the Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. One of these was Sanford "Pretty" Sperberg (born Leib Sparberg in Roumania in 1916), who sailed to Spain on the SS Georgic on May 15, 1937 and kept in touch with Trost by letter, describing his shipboard experiences, his early days in Spain in Spain (with comments on anarchist activity and other political news), and his battlefield experiences with the Lincoln-Washington Battalion. Other friends serving in Spain were Irving Weissman, Milton Herndon, Lou Cohen, and Carl Geiser, a member of the national committee of the Young Communist League. Geiser notes in a 1987 letter to Trost that Sperberg was fatally wounded near Quinto.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in one series: 1. General Files, 1930-1987.
Files are arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of three letters written to Carl Trost by Lincoln Brigade volunteer Sanford Sperberg en route and from Spain, and one letter written by Carl Geiser to Herbert Prine from Spain. Also included are several documents relating to Sperberg and his family, a letter about Sperberg from Carl Geiser, and a cloth badge of the Young Communist League.
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Donors
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
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. For more information, please contact the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu or 212-998-2630.
Provenance
The Carl Trost Papers were donated to the Tamiment Library, NYU by Bonnie Scott in August 2011.
