I hope someone with contacts in Oslo can help me.
I am trying to contact a Professor Elling Kvamme in Oslo for help with the WWII matter already discussed a lot here. , I would like to find out if Professor Kvamme is still alive. His daughter is the filmmaker Elsa Kvamme This picture of him was taken a year ago at a gathering of Buchenwald survivors. Professor Kvamme, now 93 heads the Buchenwald Survivors group.
Elling Kvamme was arrested by the Nazis on 30 November 1943 and deported to Buchenwald . In Buchenwald, Professor Kvamme was forced to work as a pathologist, using the dead to test Nazi theories of racial superiority. Imagine my horror as a pathologist and a Jew at reading abut this!
My interest, however, does not arise because I am a pathologist. My interest arises because of an effort I am making to get an amazing group of Buchenwald pictures and letters placed in the public domain. My father was the first medic into Buchenwald, arriving before Patton with other GIs who found the camp after encountering prisoners who had been liberated by a communist led revolt in the camp during the Nazi’s last days. Robert Schwartz and the other GIs entered the camp without Patton’s permission and were actually ordered to leave so the great general could stage his entry. Worse, my Dad took a lot of pictures, disobeying Patton’s orders that the only photography be done by the official Signal Corps or by sanctioned photographers like Margarette Bourke White.Margarette Burke White was one of the greatest American photographers and photographed the camp for Life after entering with General Patton. Looking at ther pictures, I can barley imagine how much more shocking the place must have been four days earlier when my father, Robert Schwartz, MS captain USA MC, arrived commanding his small company of medics?
The pictures and writings are remarkable because the prints are captioned on the back with my Dad’s comments. Some are actually inscribed to me and I still have the Argus C3 he used!
My Dad’s pictures are also unique in that the negatives for some of them are still there. Sadly, my brother, Hugh Schwartz, has obstructed the release of these from my father’s estate for almost six years. Given that the photographs were developed under battle field conditions it is amazing that they still exist. If nothing is done, the images will fade away before the few survivors, like Professor Kvamme have a chance to see them.
In full disclosure, I am engaged in a legal action to force the release. In addition, my brother has harassed the Administration with protests about comments on this issue on my web site THE-Ave.US. I recently obtained this email correspondence through an FOIA request and can only say how much I admire the efforts of our Administration to deal with a family fued that should no have been their problem.
I am hoping that pressure from the survivors may help get this body of work released. So, if any of you know Professor Kvamme or his daughter I would greatly appreciate an introduction. Perhaps you have ocntacts in Olso who might helo me find the Professor or his daughter?
— Stephen M. Schwartz Pathology
— Stephen M. Schwartz Pathology