The Biographical Information series contains a short biography of Eugene Tann prepared by his children Dorothy Collens and Lewis Tann in 2018. The biography traces Eugene Tann's birth and early life in Czechoslovakia, his immigration to the United States, and his career in the manufacturing industry in Detroit. The statement also provides background information about Tann's parents and siblings and what happened to them during the World War II.
0.3 linear feet — 3.9 MB (online)
The Tann Family papers (0.3 linear feet and 3.9 MB) contain correspondence between Eugene Tann and the family of his uncle William "Bill" Tann of Detroit with their relatives living in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The majority of the letters are dated from 1937-1947 and detail the experiences of European family members during World War II and the efforts of Eugene and William Tann to help them travel to the United States. The letters are written in Czech, Slovak and Hungarian and are accompanied by digital English translations created by Clara Garbon-Radnoti (Hungarian), and Zuzana Hodkova (Czech and Slovak).
The collection also includes biographical information about Eugene Tann and his immediate family.
The Tann Family papers have been divided into two series, the Biographical Information series contains a biographical statement about Eugene Tann written by his children, Lewis Tann and Dorothy Tann Collens and the Correspondence series that features both the original letters and the translations.
The Correspondence series contains the original correspondence between the Tann family written in Czech, Slovak and Hungarian. The materials also include digital copies of English translations of the letters. The letters are organized chronologically.
The majority of the letters were written between 1937 to 1947 and detail Eugene Tann's immigration to America, the deteriorating political climate for Jews in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary under Nazi influence, and attempts to obtain travel visas for European family members. Later letters written from 1945-1981 discuss the experiences of surivivors of the war, the aftermath of the war in Central Europe, and Eugene Tann's life in Michigan.