Henry Cohen
Encyclopedia
Henry Cohen was the director of Föhrenwald
, the third largest Displaced Persons camp
in the American sector of post-WWII
Germany
in 1946. A native of New York City
and a child of Jewish immigrants from the Vilna area of Lithuania
, Cohen was a graduate of City College of New York
. During World War II
he served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army
, and was 23 years old when he was appointed Director of Föhrenwald
.
He later earned a master's degree
in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, then served as Director of Research of the New York City
Planning Department and Deputy City Administrator of New York City during the Administration of Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
. Later he was First Deputy Administrator of the New York Human Resources Administration during the John Lindsay
Administration.
After leaving the city government, Cohen became the Founding Dean of the Milano School for Management and Urban Policy at The New School
. He died in 1999 at the age of 77, leaving his wife, daughter, son, and two grandchildren.
of parents who immigrated from a shtetl
in the vicinity of Vilna. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson
High School in Brooklyn
, the City College of New York
and received a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
.
, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge
and crossing the Bridge at Remagen. Following the German surrender he was assigned to military administration.
By then, had an exclusively Jewish population, comprising 5,600 refugees who had survived the Holocaust.
Cohen was known for his efforts to ensure favorable living conditions for the camp's residents. This included providing for Jewish religious observance and supporting the activities of Zionist political parties
and youth movements
. He worked in conjunction with a democratically elected Camp Committee that granted a degree of administrative autonomy to its residents. The camp sponsored rehabilitation activities that included schooling for children, adult education and vocational training, and a thriving cultural life with musical and theatrical performances, and the publication of a weekly newspaper. Besides coping with the extensive demands of maintaining the camp's physical conditions, particularly sanitation, Cohen endeavored to contain the black market trade that was of particular concern to the American army administration in the sector.
among US army personnel, including expressions of such attitudes in official administrative reports. An incident in May 1946, involving GIs who reportedly threatened several Jewish camp residents visiting in the nearby town of Wolfratshausen, provoked a riot by several hundred camp residents, who surged forth from the camp, heading for the town. Cohen and his staff succeeded in quelling the riot, but nevertheless evoked the animosity of the American army. An operations report filed on July 23, 1946, by the 9th Infantry Division
Asst. Chief of Staff, accuses Cohen of incitement, though fails to mention any impropriety on the part of American soldiers. The recurring friction between the Army and Cohen prompted a campaign for his eventual removal from the director's post.
, then served as Director of Research of the New York City
Planning Department. He was Deputy City Administrator of New York City during the Wagner
Administration. Later he was First Deputy Administrator of the New York Human Resources Administration during the Lindsay
Administration.
.
Föhrenwald
The Föhrenwald DP camp was one of the largest in post-World War II Europe and the last to close . It was located in the section now known as Waldram in Wolfratshausen in Bavaria, Germany....
, the third largest Displaced Persons camp
Displaced persons camp
A displaced persons camp or DP camp is a temporary facility for displaced persons coerced into forced migration. The term is mainly used for camps established after World War II in West Germany and in Austria, as well as in the United Kingdom, primarily for refugees from Eastern Europe and for the...
in the American sector of post-WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1946. A native of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and a child of Jewish immigrants from the Vilna area of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Cohen was a graduate of City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and was 23 years old when he was appointed Director of Föhrenwald
Föhrenwald
The Föhrenwald DP camp was one of the largest in post-World War II Europe and the last to close . It was located in the section now known as Waldram in Wolfratshausen in Bavaria, Germany....
.
He later earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, then served as Director of Research of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Planning Department and Deputy City Administrator of New York City during the Administration of Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
Robert Ferdinand Wagner II, usually known as Robert F. Wagner, Jr. served three terms as the mayor of New York City, from 1954 through 1965.-Biography:...
. Later he was First Deputy Administrator of the New York Human Resources Administration during the John Lindsay
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay was an American politician, lawyer and broadcaster who was a U.S. Congressman, Mayor of New York City, candidate for U.S...
Administration.
After leaving the city government, Cohen became the Founding Dean of the Milano School for Management and Urban Policy at The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
. He died in 1999 at the age of 77, leaving his wife, daughter, son, and two grandchildren.
Early life
Cohen was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
of parents who immigrated from a shtetl
Shtetl
A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...
in the vicinity of Vilna. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
High School in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
and received a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
Army service
Prior to his appointment to the post in January 1946, Cohen served in the infantry of the U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
and crossing the Bridge at Remagen. Following the German surrender he was assigned to military administration.
Föhrenwald
He was 23 years old when he undertook the Directorship, aided by a multinational team from the UNRRA.By then, had an exclusively Jewish population, comprising 5,600 refugees who had survived the Holocaust.
Cohen was known for his efforts to ensure favorable living conditions for the camp's residents. This included providing for Jewish religious observance and supporting the activities of Zionist political parties
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
and youth movements
Zionist youth movement
A Zionist youth movement is an organization formed for Jewish children and adolescents for educational, social, and ideological development, including a belief in Jewish nationalism as represented in the State of Israel...
. He worked in conjunction with a democratically elected Camp Committee that granted a degree of administrative autonomy to its residents. The camp sponsored rehabilitation activities that included schooling for children, adult education and vocational training, and a thriving cultural life with musical and theatrical performances, and the publication of a weekly newspaper. Besides coping with the extensive demands of maintaining the camp's physical conditions, particularly sanitation, Cohen endeavored to contain the black market trade that was of particular concern to the American army administration in the sector.
Conflict with the Army
During his tenure, Cohen became aware of what he considered widespread anti-SemitismAnti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
among US army personnel, including expressions of such attitudes in official administrative reports. An incident in May 1946, involving GIs who reportedly threatened several Jewish camp residents visiting in the nearby town of Wolfratshausen, provoked a riot by several hundred camp residents, who surged forth from the camp, heading for the town. Cohen and his staff succeeded in quelling the riot, but nevertheless evoked the animosity of the American army. An operations report filed on July 23, 1946, by the 9th Infantry Division
U.S. 9th Infantry Division
The 9th Infantry Division was created as the 9th Division during World War I, but never deployed overseas. Later, the division was an important unit of the United States Army in World War II and the Vietnam War...
Asst. Chief of Staff, accuses Cohen of incitement, though fails to mention any impropriety on the part of American soldiers. The recurring friction between the Army and Cohen prompted a campaign for his eventual removal from the director's post.
Service to New York City
After returning to the USA, he received a Masters in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, then served as Director of Research of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Planning Department. He was Deputy City Administrator of New York City during the Wagner
Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
Robert Ferdinand Wagner II, usually known as Robert F. Wagner, Jr. served three terms as the mayor of New York City, from 1954 through 1965.-Biography:...
Administration. Later he was First Deputy Administrator of the New York Human Resources Administration during the Lindsay
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay was an American politician, lawyer and broadcaster who was a U.S. Congressman, Mayor of New York City, candidate for U.S...
Administration.
Later years
After leaving the city government, Cohen became the Founding Dean of the Milano School for Management and Urban Policy at The New SchoolThe New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
.