This collection contains a wide range of documents maintained by the Straja town hall from the early 20th century until after World War II. Of interest to those researching regional Jewish history may be the minutes of council meetings from the interwar period and register books rescinding Romanian nationality in the wake of anti-Semitic legislation. For details on these items, please see the JBAT entry for this collection, subfield "contains" and click on any title.

This collection contains six items from a secondary school in Czernowitz which existed at least from the 1850s to the interwar period. The school appears to have changed names several times over the years. Until the interwar period, Jewish students made up a significant portion of the student body. During World War II many documents from northern Bukovina were "evacuated" to southern Bukovina or elsewhere in Romania. This evacuation of documents was often incomplete and many documents have gone missing, which may explain how this collection ended up in Suceava and why it is so small, given that the dates span nearly a century. It is possible that other records for this school are held in archival repositories in Chernivtsi or even elsewhere in Romania. Please see below for details on the six items within this collection.

This manuscript can be found within the collection of the Rădăuți Girls School Nr. 2. Though not specifically referring to the Jewish population it offers a fascinating reflection of the shifting realities in Rădăuți from the pre-World War I period until the end of the 1930s. Written more as a diary, it records events affecting the school including the breakout of World War I, epidemics, and Romania's unification. There are also pages with the signatures of pupils in each class. It appears to have been attended exclusively by Romanians and thus, if it really was part of school Nr. 2 (and was not miscatalogued), then it must have functioned in some way as a separate body as the other records from this school demonstrate a diverse student body. More likely, it was part of school Nr. 1 and was miscatalogued in the Nr. 2 collection

This manuscript was created in 1883/1884 on the occasion of the 100th year anniversary of the German school in Suceava. Affixed to the first page is a booklet printed for the anniversary celebration. It recounts the festive events held for the anniversary and reprints the speech made by the school director, Michael Schwetz. This speech describes in some detail the founding of the school in 1784. Prior to this date there had been a small Romanian-Orthodox school and an Armenian-Orthodox school which trained the children mainly in religion. These schools were incorporated into the Stadtschule (city school) building, as it was called when it first opened, but they still operated separately, especially in terms of language of instruction. In 1815 a new building was constructed and new teachers were brought in, including, according to Schwetz ”a Jewish teacher for the Jewish children.” Later the Romanian-Orthodox school dissolved entirely and the students were incorporated into the German school. The Armenian-Orthodox school, on the other hand, separated and continued its classes in a different building as a private school. Schwetz then recalls various teachers over the years and also describes the high regard in which the school was held in the eyes of the entire southern Bukovina region. After Schwetz's speech a Romanian pupil wearing the national folk costume recited a poem praising the Habsburgs and other ceremonies honoring Maria Theresa, Josef I, and Franz Josef were held with poems being recited by four boys: a Romanian, Pole, German, and Armenian. The last page of the booklet is a fold-out page listing the names and religion of all the directors, teachers, and assistant teachers employed by the school from 1774-1884. Up until this time the staff was mostly German and Polish, though there are also Romanian, Armenian, and Jewish names. The booklet is available in full on this website. The handwritten part of the manuscript was probably recorded by the respective school director and reports on the ethnic make-up of the student body for each year, lists teachers, events in school life, and political events. The last pages of the book are set up as a staff register (not comprehensive) which includes the vital information for the teacher, their education, training, and past experience.

The German school of Suceava was founded in 1784. The earliest archival records for the school date from 1883 when, on the occasion of the school's 100th anniversary, a ”school chronicle” book was started which gave the history of the school and recorded events affecting the school as they occurred (this Schul-Chronik is listed in our catalog as a separate item). The next items in the collection are individual class registers from 1894. Beginning with 1900 there are class registers for every year, though there are some gaps in the grades. By the turn of the 20th century, the school had a significant Jewish student body, in general it was attended primarily by German and Jewish boys. So, for example, in 1915 one first grade class had 61 students, of whom 26 were Jewish, 23 were Roman-Catholic, 7 were Greek-Catholic (Eastern Catholic), 4 were Protestant and 1 was Romanian-Orthodox. Of these 53 claimed German as their mother tongue (all the Jewish, Protestant, and most of the Catholic students plus, unusually, the one Romanian Orthodox pupil), 5 Ruthenian (Ukrainian), and 3 Polish. The other first grade class also had 61 students, of whom 27 were Catholic, 26 were Jewish, 5 were Eastern Catholic, and 3 were Protestant. Of these 56 claimed German as their mother tongue, 1 Ruthenian, and 4 Polish. The school was closed in the 1920s as a result of the Romanization measures introduced by the Romanian government.

This collections spans 125 years and consists of many hundreds of register books or files. From 1826-1890 the collection is not complete (there are records for 1826; 1827; 1828; 1838; 1840; 1850; 1863; 1865; 1866; 1869; 1875; 1877; 1879; 1882; 1886. Beginning in 1890 there are generally class registry books for every year and every class. Whereas in 1826 the pupils did not include any Jewish families, by the 1880s they made up a considerable part of the student body alongside Germans, Poles, Romanians, and Ruthenians. In 1900 for example, one first grade class had 55 pupils of whom 24 were Jewish, 17 were Roman-Catholic, 10 were Greek-Orthodox, and 4 were Greek-Catholic (Eastern Catholic). Of these 32 claimed German as their mother-tongue, 16 Ruthenian (Ukrainian), 6 Polish, and 1 Romanian. In 1915, first grade class "A" had 78 pupils of whom 43 were Jewish, 20 were Roman-Catholic, 14 were Greek-Orthodox, and 1 was Protestant. Of these 64 claimed German as their mother-tongue and 13 Romanian. First grade class "B" had no Jewish students.

The school was attended by a diverse group of girls, included in the school-wide register book of 1925 are Germans, Jews, Poles, Romanians, and Ruthenians. The register records name, birth date and place, language, religion, class, grades, father's name, occupation, and residence. The records are fairly complete, with the exception of World War I years, each school year generally has every individual class record or a school-wide registry book (registru metricol). In 1915 first grade class "A" consisted of 61 girls of whom 35 were Jewish, 14 were Greek-Orthodox, and 12 were Roman-Catholic. Of these 47 spoke German as their mother-tongue and 14 Ruthenian (Ukrainian). First grade "B" had 64 pupils, of whom 28 were Greek-Orthodox, 25 were Roman-Catholic, 9 were Jewish, and 2 were Protestant. Of these 37 spoke Ruthenian as their mother-tongue, 19 German, 7, Polish, and 1 Bohemian (Czech).

This collection contains record books for the third public elementary school for girls in Rădăuți. There are some gaps in the years and not all class registers exist, but nevertheless it is a fairly comprehensive collection. Prior to World War I it was attended virtually exclusively by German and Jewish girls. For example, the second grade in 1914 consisted of 94 girls, of whom 49 were Catholic, 44 were Jewish and 1 was Protestant. Of these 90 listed German as their mother tongue and 4 listed Polish. In the interwar years the classes are often broken into Romanian and German sections.

The collection contains hundreds of class registers spanning 75 years for one of the three public elementary schools for girls in Rădăuți. The collection is comprehensive with few gaps in years or class registers. It appears that the majority of the girls attending this school came from Jewish families and the others from German families. For example, one second grade class from 1918 consists of 54 pupils of whom 30 are Jewish, 19 Roman-Catholic, 2 Protestant, and 3 Greek-Catholic (Eastern-Catholic). Of these 51 claim German as their mother tongue and 3 Ruthenian (Ukrainian). The other second grade class for that year consists of 56 girls, all of whom speak German as their mother-tongue; the religious breakdown is 28 Jews, 24 Catholics, 3 Protestants, and 1 Eastern-Catholic.

This collection contains hundreds of class registers spanning a period of approximately 70 years for one of the three public elementary schools for girls in Rădăuți. The collection is quite comprehensive, there appear to be no gaps in years and few in terms of classes. Information contained in the registry books can include name and age of the pupil, father's name and occupation, address, religion, mother tongue, grades, absences, and other comments. Like Rădăuți, the school was diverse but particularly in its early years it was primarily attended by girls from German and Jewish families. After World War I the student population appears to become almost exclusively Romanian.

This collection contains comprehensive registers by class for one of the three public elementary schools for boys in Rădăuți. Though there are some missing registers, most years are complete with separate books for grades I-VI. Beginning in the 1930s, the grades are divided into German and Romanian classes. Prior to World War II, it appears that the school was primarily attended by German and Jewish families. For example, in 1918 one second grade class consisted of 49 pupils of whom 31 were Roman-Catholic, 14 were Jewish, 3 were Greek-Catholic (Eastern Catholic), and 1 was Protestant. Of these 45 claimed German as their mother tongue (all the Jews and 30 of the Roman-Catholics), 3 Ruthenian (Ukrainian), and 1 Hungarian.

This collection is for one of the three public elementrary schools for boys in Rădăuți. Reflecting the diversity of the town, the pupils come from a mixture of backgrounds, though the majority are German and Jewish. For example, in 1918 one third grade class consisted of 52 pupils of whom 32 were Jewish, 16 were Roman-Catholic, 1 was Greek-Catholic (Eastern-Catholic) and 3 were Protestant. Of these students 48 claimed German as their mother-tongue (all the Jews, 13 of the Roman-Catholics, and 3 Protestants), 2 Hungarian, and 1 each Ruthenian (Ukrainian) and Polish (picture). This collection contains only 7 record books for the years, 3 for the years 1918-1919 and 4 for the years 1919-1920.

This collection is for one of the three public elementary schools in Rădăuți. Though it is catalogued as a boys school, in the first years at least it was attended by both boys and girls. This school was primarily attended by Romanian children, but reflective of the diversity of the town, there were also German, Jewish, and Ukrainian pupils. For example in 1903 one first grade class consisted of 46 pupils of whom 23 were Romanian-Orthodox, 15 were Roman-Catholic, 3 were Greek-Catholic (Eastern Catholic), 2 were Protestant, and 3 were Jewish. Of these 25 claimed Romanian as their mother tongue, 20 German, and 1 Ruthenian (Ukrainian). In later years it appears that the school became more exclusively Romanian. The collection is fairly comprehensive with few gaps in the years or class register books.

This Romanian elementary school was founded in 1906. Originally it was attended primarily by Romanian children, but beginning in the 1920s, the German schools were closed and many Jewish children began attending this school as well. The class registers are quite comprehensive, it appears there are no gaps in years or classes. A cursory look at class registers from second grade classes in 1923 show approximately half the pupils being Jewish. Of particular interest is the register for grade II-B of 1922 which was organized as an exclusively Jewish class and is labeled as such (call number as cited plus Dosar 4/1922).

As the main German school in Siret, this school had many Jewish students and teachers. Most of the items within this large collection are student registry books. The class register books contain the customary information for Habsburg schools: student name, birth date and palce, religion, mother tongue, father name, residence, and occupation, grades, and other comments. There are also registers containing exam information and registeries for staff. The staff registeries are replete with information including the teacher's name, birth date and place, religion (including whether secular or not), studies, languages, previous experience, and other comments.

The pre-World War I register books are sometimes divided into Romanian and German school sections. The Jewish children are generally in the German school section. Information provided in the pupil registers can include pupil names, mother tongue, second language, birth date and place, residence address, name and occupation of the parents, when they entered the school, and religion.

This high school was opened in 1872 and was known as the K. u. K. Staatsgymnasium of Radautz. After World War I, when Radautz became part of Romania, it was renamed ”Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi.” In the Austrian period students of all ethnic and religious groups attended the school, often travelling from other towns in the region. The collection contains matrikulation books from 1876-1918 without interruption. From 1927-1938 there are gaps and no record books, but a few documents relating to teachers. The matrikulation books contain the name and age of the student, place of birth, residence, religion, father's name, residence, and occupation, classes taken grades, and sometimes additional comments regarding behavior or absences.

The photograph collection consists of various photographs and postcards donated to the National Archives branch of Suceava. For information on individual items within this collection of potential interest to those researching regional Jewish history, please see the below.

The documents collection consists of various documents on a wide variety of topics that were donated to or collected by the National Archives Branch of Suceava. For information on individual items within this collection of potential interest to those researching regional Jewish history, please see the below.

The diaries were written by Demeter Hackmann, originally of Ciudeiu in Bukovina, commander of the K.u.K.(royal and imperial) Infantry regiment Hindenburg No. 69. In addition to recording day-to-day maneuvers and battles, the diary has hand-drawn color maps and lists of other officers, including many Jewish names. An obituary for Hackmann is affixed to the last page of the diary.