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Klein, Kurt (32554510): Difference between revisions

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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Kurt Klein grew up in Walldorf, Germany, in a Jewish family threatened by the Nazi regime. In 1937 he left for the United States alone. Like many young refugees, he had to establish himself in a new country while trying to help family members still trapped in Europe.
Kurt was born on July 2, 1920 in Walldorf, Germany where his father worked as a grain broker. In 1937 he left for the United States alone. He finally in November 1942, the State Department wrote to Kurt informing him that his parents had received clearance to leave. He they married in Paris on September 1945. He of which was Gerda Weissmann who he married in 1946. He worked as linotype machine operator. Like many young refugees, he had to establish himself in a new country while trying to help family members still trapped in Europe. Klein entered the U.S. Army and was selected for military intelligence training at Camp Ritchie. His native German, knowledge of German customs, and experience as a refugee were transformed into military skills. He was assigned to the intelligence section of the 5th Infantry Division for its campaign into Germany. His wartime journey carried him back into the country he had escaped, now as a member of the U.S. Their meeting became the beginning of a lasting partnership, and they married after the war. Kurt Klein died in April 2002 while on a lecture tour in Guatemala.
 
Klein entered the U.S. Army and was selected for military intelligence training at Camp Ritchie. His native German, knowledge of German customs, and experience as a refugee were transformed into military skills. He was assigned to the intelligence section of the 5th Infantry Division for its campaign into Germany.
 
With the division, Klein questioned Germans and interpreted the people, documents, and circumstances encountered by the advancing American forces. His wartime journey carried him back into the country he had escaped, now as a member of the U.S. Army helping defeat the regime that had persecuted his family.
 
Near the end of the war Klein met Gerda Weissmann, a Jewish survivor of Nazi camps and a death march, shortly after her liberation. Their meeting became the beginning of a lasting partnership, and they married after the war. Together they devoted substantial effort to Holocaust education and to telling the story of persecution, survival, liberation, and renewal.
 
Gerda's wartime experience and liberation were later presented in the Academy Award-winning documentary ''One Survivor Remembers'', in which Klein's role in her liberation story was preserved for a wide audience. Kurt Klein died in April 2002 while on a lecture tour in Guatemala.
 
See the [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Kurt Klein|full story]].


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==

Revision as of 03:03, 1 September 2026

Kurt Klein
Kurt Klein
Personal details
Born1920
Died2002
NativityGermany
ReligionJewish
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN32554510
RankPrivate
Camp RitchieClass 5 (8 February – 9 April 1943)
Section9
EnlistedBuffalo, New York
SpecialtyMilitary intelligence
Unit / division5th Infantry Division
TeamIPW 3
Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.
Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.


Kurt Klein (died 2002) was a German-born refugee from Walldorf and a military intelligence soldier with the 5th Infantry Division. After returning to Germany in American uniform, he met and later married Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann.

Biography

Kurt was born on July 2, 1920 in Walldorf, Germany where his father worked as a grain broker. In 1937 he left for the United States alone. He finally in November 1942, the State Department wrote to Kurt informing him that his parents had received clearance to leave. He they married in Paris on September 1945. He of which was Gerda Weissmann who he married in 1946. He worked as linotype machine operator. Like many young refugees, he had to establish himself in a new country while trying to help family members still trapped in Europe. Klein entered the U.S. Army and was selected for military intelligence training at Camp Ritchie. His native German, knowledge of German customs, and experience as a refugee were transformed into military skills. He was assigned to the intelligence section of the 5th Infantry Division for its campaign into Germany. His wartime journey carried him back into the country he had escaped, now as a member of the U.S. Their meeting became the beginning of a lasting partnership, and they married after the war. Kurt Klein died in April 2002 while on a lecture tour in Guatemala.

Research notes

  • To 2nd Lt About Face

Gallery

Technical record

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 82
Nara ASN 32554510
Nara Name KLEIN KURT
Nara State 23
Nara County 29
Nara POE 2309
Nara DOE 281042
Nara Grade Alpha PVT
Nara Grade Code 8
Nara Branch Alpha BI
Nara Branch Code 0
Branch Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Nara Term or Enlistment 5
Term of enlistment Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Defer. Date 0
Nara Source 0
Nara Nativity N1
Nara Year of Birth 20
Nara Race J
Nara Race Description White not yet a citizen
Nara Education 4
Nara Civilian Occupation 444
Nara Marital Status 6
Nara Height (inches) 66
Nara Weight (lbs) 128
Class_ASN 32554510
Class_Name KLEIN, Kurt
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Sources

  • Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
  • Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
  • NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
  • 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
  • The Stories essay