Milton Kohn
Milton Kohn (died 2001)[1] was one of the leading private collectors of Holocaust memorabilia, and at one point had the world's largest collection of Holocaust memorabilia.[2] His collection is now on display at the Florida Holocaust Museum in Tampa, FL.[1]
Background
Kohn was from Chicago. Kohn had studied engineering, was an architect and worked in American Ideal Cleaning Co.,[1] his family's cleaning business.[3]
In 1965, Kohn had developed a nervous tick[3] and when his doctor told him to find a hobby to alleviate his stress, he began collecting stamps.[2][3] However, Kohn's interest in Holocaust memorabilia grew when he saw that his uncle Adolph's name was on a partial list of victims cremated at Theresienstadt concentration camp on July 5, 1943.[2][3]
Kohn's wife Janet passed away in 1988.[1] They had two sons, Kerry and Lester, and a daughter, Judith.[1]
Collection
Kohn's collection had hundreds of items, but largely letters.[1][2][4] It included a Torah made into a banjo,[1][5] a collection of tattooed human skin,[3] and a bar of soap rendered from human fat.[2] Kohn made the cases by hand including the inscriptions.[3]
His collection was shown locally in synagogues as well as internationally.[2][6] The collection was shown in China, South Africa, Israel and in 12 European countries.[2][7]
References
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