Oppenheimer Table Cloth

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Accession Number: NEKHC:2009.84

Object: Table Cloth

Physical Description: Black, red and white tablecloth with crossstitch patterns of animals sewn onto it. Stitching and cotton complete.

Information: This tablecloth belonged to Eve Oppenheimer, it originally belonged to Eve's parents. The family were living in Holland when they were deported by the Nazi regime ultimately to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Eve's parents did not survive Bergen-Belsen. The tablecloth became Eve's after it was later found in her uncle's attic.

Further Information:

Rachel Eve Oppenheimer, known as Eve, was born on 23 June 1936, in England. She was the youngest of three children to Friederike (Rita) and Johann (Hans) Oppenheimer. The family originally lived in Berlin, and in 1936, Eve's mother who was pregnant with Eve left Germany with her two sons to temporarily stay with Eve’s aunt and uncle, who lived in London. Eve was born in Britain, and held a British passport.

Eve’s father was not able to travel to England with his family, but left Germany for Amsterdam where he had secured work. The family joined together in Holland and lived there until the invasion of the Nazis, after which Eve and her family were deported first to Westerbork, and then to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. Eve and her brothers were liberated in 1945, her parents did not survive Bergen-Belsen.

This tablecloth had originally belonged to Eve’s mother, it was later found in Eve’s uncle’s house after the end of the Second World War. The pattern is black, red and white and is embroidered cross stitch of animals. The animals include a fox, a goose, a cat, an owl, a rabbit, a dog, a stag and mythical creatures such as a unicorn and a griffin. The black designs appear to be foliage.

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