Skip to main navigationSkip to main content
The University of Southampton
Special Collections

MS 333 Papers of Dr Noah Barou

Dr Noah Barou

Dr Noah Barou (1899-1955) was born in Poltava, Russia. He was involved in revolutionary activities as a student and was exiled. He studied in Germany, moving back to Russia in 1913. He became General Secretary of the Central Committee of Po’alei Zion and, after the revolution of 1917, he was one of three secretaries of the Ukranian Trade Union Congress. In 1922 Barou again left Russia and eventually settled in the UK. He was General Secretary of the Po’alei Zion World Federation, 1923-36, and was one of the founders of the World Jewish Congress and an active member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Arrangement of collection 

The collection covers the years 1936-58 although the majority of the material dates from 1951-52. Barou died in 1955 and so the papers from 1957-58 were generated and collected by his wife. The arrangement is broadly chronological; when an original bundle contained papers which dated from different months, or different years, they were filed by the latest date, assuming that the earlier papers had been required for reference at that time. Folders, therefore, sometimes contain papers from an earlier date.

About the collection  

The collection has been divided into four series. MS 333/1 contains Barou’s files of main papers and correspondence mainly in chronological order. MS 333/2 contains his correspondence with Gerard M.Lewy again roughly in a chronological order. This had been filed in a separate folder and so has been kept distinct. A separate series, MS 333/3, has been been created for printed and published material, newspaper cuttings, photographs and cartoons. The last series, MS 333/4, contains Mrs Sophie Barou’s correspondence after her husband’s death.

There are several key matters which occur in Barou’s papers, which contain material in English, German, French and Hebrew script. Principally, they concern the German-Jewish negotiations on restitution and reparations which opened in The Hague in March 1952. It was at this time that Barou was asked to become economic advisor to the Israeli delegation. His papers reflect the prior work Barou had done much work in a personal capacity, such as in the development of the Declaration’/’Erklärung’ by the German Federal Government, formally issued in September 1951. In addition, the papers provide details of the work of the World Jewish Congress and the Conference of Jewish Claims Against Germany, as well as relating to Israel. Barou’s involvement in trade negotiation between Germany and Israel is reflected in his correspondence with Gerard Lewy. Information can also be found on the Conference on German pre-war/external debts which begun in London in 1951.

Date range:

1936-58 

Former references:

A2034

Size:

3 boxes

 

 

 

Useful Downloads

Need the software?PDF Reader

Contact Us

Please contact us if you have any questions about the collection.

Visit Us

Find out how to book an appointment to view the collection.

Privacy Settings