To search the full text of this finding aid, type Ctrl and F on a PC. Mac users, type Command and F. A box will appear in the browser window. To search the full document, Open All must be selected first in the Detailed Description of the Collection.
Inventory of the Kronsberg Family Papers, 1910-2010
Inventory of the Kronsberg Family Papers, 1910-2010
Descriptive Summary
| Abstract: | Photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other papers of the Kronsberg family, particularly three brothers: Edward, Milton, and Macey. Materials relate to Edward's discount store chain; Milton's service during World War II at the German POW camp in Charleston, South Carolina; and the family's involvement in Charleston's first Conservative congregation, Synagogue Emanu-El. |
| Title: | Kronsberg family papers |
| Creator: | Kronsberg family |
| Date(s): | 1910-2010 |
| Extent: | 0.2 linear feet (1 slim document box, 1 oversize folder) |
| Repository: | Jewish Heritage Collection, Special Collections, College of Charleston Libraries 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424 Phone: (843) 953-8016 Fax: (843) 953-6319 URL: http://archives.library.cofc.edu |
| Call Number: | Mss 1078 |
| Language of Material: | Materials in English |
Biographical Note
Abraham Kronsberg (18??-1918) and Lena Jacobson Kronsberg (1880-1962), both from Baltimore, moved in 1895 to Tilghman Island, Maryland, where they owned and operated a general merchandise store. The couple had four sons: Edward (1903-1985), Meyer (1905-1983), Milton (1909-1997), and Macey (1911-2001). After Abraham died in 1918, the Kronsbergs moved to Baltimore to be near the Jacobson family.
Edward Kronsberg relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1920 to work in his uncle Joseph Bluestein's clothing store. In 1926, he opened Edward's 5c-10c-$1 Store on King Street and continued to establish discount department stores throughout the Lowcountry region. He was also responsible for the development of Pinehaven Shopping Center, the first suburban mall in the Charleston area. An avid fundraiser and philanthropist, Kronsberg served on over forty boards, commissions, and committees regarding commerce, culture, education, charity, religion, and fraternity. He married Hattie Barshay (of Charleston) in 1934. The couple had two sons, Avram (1936-2010) and Jonathan, and attended Brith Sholom and Synagogue Emanu-El.
Milton Kronsberg graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1932 and moved to Charleston the following year to work as a store manager for Edward's, Inc. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1944 to 1946, mostly at a German POW camp in West Ashley. After his honorable discharge, he resumed work at Edward's, Inc. as general manager of the distribution warehouse. In 1969, he was promoted to executive vice-president and transportation director. Kronsberg was involved in several organizations, including the Charleston Jewish Community Center, the Charleston Welfare Fund, Charleston Traffic Club, and the Charleston Exchange Club. He married Frederica "Freddie" Weinberg (1910-2002) of Staunton, Virginia, and they had two daughters and one son: Regina, Mickey, and Abram.
Macey Kronsberg graduated from John Hopkins University in 1933 and was employed as a social worker for Associated Jewish Charities in Baltimore, where he met Adele Jules (1909-2002). They were married in 1935 and a year later moved to Charleston, where Macey worked for Edwards, Inc. The couple had three daughters: Rachel Rose Kronsberg Levin (1936- ), Peggy Kronsberg Pearlstein (1942- ), and Sandra Kronsberg (1949- ). A staunch Zionist, Kronsberg joined Charleston's Orthodox synagogue Brith Sholom and was a member of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), Sons of Zion Society, and founded the Charleston district of the American Zionist Emergency Council. In 1947, he played an instrumental role in establishing Synagogue Emanu-El, Charleston's first Conservative congregation. The family left Charleston circa 1950 so Kronsberg could pursue a graduate degree in business administration. Macey and Adele Kronsberg retired in 1975 to Israel.
Collection Overview
Photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other papers of the Kronsberg family, particularly three brothers: Edward, Milton, and Macey. Materials include photographs of Edward's discount store openings and events, Milton's service in World War II, photographs from the German POW camp in Charleston, and photographs from the B'nai B'rith 20th Annual Institute of Judaism held in Wildacres, North Carolina. Also included are documents regarding the Kronsberg family's involvement in the establishment of Charleston's first Conservative congregation, Synagogue Emanu-El.
Collection Arrangement
Materials are described at the folder level.
Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person, family, or organization, by topical subject, by place, and by types of material.Names
- Edward's, Inc. (Charleston, S.C.)
- Synagogue Emanu-El (Charleston, S.C.)
- Kronsberg family
- Kronsberg, Edward, 1903-1985
- Kronsberg, Macey, 1911-2001
- Kronsberg, Milton, 1909-1997
Subjects
- Conservative Judaism--South Carolina--Charleston
- Jewish merchants--South Carolina
- Jewish soldiers--South Carolina--Charleston
- Prisoner-of-war camps--South Carolina--Charleston
- World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Jewish
Places
- South Carolina--Commerce
Types of Material
- Photographs
- Correspondence
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Articles
- Obituaries
Related Resources
Related Material
Related collections at the College of Charleston Special Collections include a 1996 oral history interview with Frederica "Freddie" Kronsberg (Mss 1035-097), a 2001 oral history interview with Avram and Edward Kronsberg (Mss 1035-255), and a 1943 letter from Macey Kronsberg to Rabbi Leon Feuer regarding the American Zionist Emergency Council on the Lowcountry Digital Library.
Inventory
Includes family trees, newspaper clippings, and materials pertaining to the dedication of the Kronsberg Park in Tilghman, Maryland. Also included are articles relating to Avram, Jr., Rose, and Macey Kronsberg.
Also includes pictures of relatives from the Goldstone and Jules families
Edward Kronsberg
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Kronsberg family papers, College of Charleston Libraries, Charleston, SC, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Materials were donated in 2007 by Mickey Kronsberg Rosenblum and Rose Kronsberg Levin.
Processing Information
Processed by Sarah Dorpinghaus, October 2011.
Encoded by Sarah Dorpinghaus, December 2011.
Reviewed, edited, and uploaded by Martha McTear, January 2012.
Funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the processing of this collection and encoding of the finding aid.
