Special Exhibition "Gerald Schwab"

Expelled from Germany in 1940, he returned with the US Army in 1944. We are pleased to invite you to the joint exhibition of the Museum of City History Breisach and the Blue House. This exhibition is dedicated to Gerald Schwab, who was born as Gerhard Abraham Schwab in Freiburg 100 years ago. His family roots lead back to Breisach, where his mother Paula Kleefeld and his father David Schwab were born and raised. The family managed to escape to the USA. From there, Gerald Schwab returned to Germany in 1945 to fight with the US Army for the liberation of Europe from the Nazis. At just 20 years old, he became a translator at the Nuremberg Trials before embarking on a university education and later serving in the diplomatic service of the USA. In 1945 and 1946, he visited his parents' hometown and documented the destruction of Breisach. The exhibition at the Museum of City History Breisach showcases his impressive photographs and also addresses his family roots and the life of Gerald Schwab. The team at the Blue House is grateful that Gerald Schwab entrusted them with photos and documents, which he also shared with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. Since 2003, he has supported efforts to establish the Blue House as a memorial and educational site. Cooperation partners for the accompanying program include the Carl-Schurz-Haus Freiburg, the Documentation Center National Socialism Freiburg, and the Municipal Cinema Breisach. (Blue House 2025)