Judaiсa WWII Era 1946 Cyrenaica Libya Jewish Refuge Travel Passport Cyrenaica

Description

Judaiсa WWII Era 1946 Cyrenaica Libya Jewish Refuge Travel Passport Cyrenaica. It was issued in Benghazi, Cyrenaica (Libya) in May 1946 by the British Military Administration (B.M.A.), which governed the territory following the end of World War II. It is stamped by the British Military Administration (B.M.A.) in Cyrenaica (now part of Libya). A find for collectors! Original from a private collection! Condition as pictured! Buy as is! This document belongs to Rachel Cohen. It was issued in Benghazi, Cyrenaica (Libya) in May 1946 by the British Military Administration (B.M.A.), which governed the territory following the end of World War II. 1. What is this document and why is it not a paper book-passport? This is not a classic national or international passport. Instead, it is a Temporary Travel Document / Emergency Passport or an identity certificate for foreigners and stateless persons. Why is it a folded sheet/cardboard? In the first half of the 20th century (especially during the interwar period and WWII), many nations, as well as international entities like the League of Nations, issued simplified travel certificates to refugees, displaced persons, or non-citizens. Producing fully bound passport booklets was expensive and strictly reserved for formal citizens, whereas folded cardboard sheets were standard for rapid administrative deployment in occupied territories or transit zones. 2. Who issued it, where was it issued, and what are the stamps/visas? Issuer and Location: The document is written in Italian and English. It is stamped by the British Military Administration (B.M.A.) in Cyrenaica (now part of Libya). Following the defeat of Italian forces in North Africa around 1943, the British military took administrative control of the region, making this an official British-issued occupation/transit document. The Stamp/Revenue Stamp (Марка): The physical stamp glued to the page is a Revenue/Fee stamp. These were used to prove payment of administrative duties, visa processing fees, or identity registration costs. Markings and Ink Seals: The pages contain circular ink stamps reading "B.M.A. CYRENAICA", registration serial numbers, specific dates from the 1940s, and official signatures authorizing movement. Visas: The pages track entry, exit, or transit permits, typically allowing travel across British-controlled sectors of North Africa and the Middle East (such as Egypt, Tripolitania, or Mandatory Palestine). 3. What is Cyrenaica? Cyrenaica is the historic eastern coastal region of modern-day Libya. It was originally an ancient Greek Pentapolis before becoming an Ottoman possession, and later an Italian colony from 1911 to 1943. During WWII, it was a major theater of war between Axis and Allied forces. The British Military Administration governed it from 1943 until Libya achieved independence as a unified kingdom in 1951. 4. Is this person of Jewish nationality/ethnicity? While the document itself lists legal status (such as Stateless or Italian subject) rather than ethnicity, the historical context strongly points to a Jewish background. During and immediately after WWII, Cyrenaica and its capital, Benghazi, served as critical hubs for the local Libyan Jewish population (who survived fascist concentration camps like Giado) and European Jewish refugees trying to legally migrate to Mandatory Palestine (Aliyah Bet). The document matches the exact format issued to Jewish survivors and refugees seeking relocation under British authority. Identity and Personal Data Extraction (Данные человека) Based on the handwritten text across the uploaded pages, here is the specific information belonging to the holder of this document: Full Name: Rachel COHEN (Рашель Коэн / Рахель Коэн) Father's Name: Benjamin (Беньямин) Mother's Name: Rachel (Рашель) Status / Nationality Listed : Stateless (Лицо без гражданства / Сионистские беженцы / Бывший итальянский подданный) Place of Birth: Benghazi, Cyrenaica (Бенгази, Киренаика) Date of Birth: November 12, 1928 (12 ноября 1928 года) Age at Issuance: Approximately 17–18 years old (Document dated around 1946) Profession: Student / Domestic (Ученица / Домашнее хозяйство) Physical Characteristics (from the description page): Height: Medium (Средний рост) Eyes: Brown (Карие) Hair: Dark/Black (Тёмные / Чёрные) Historical Significance of the Personality: Is this individual famous? In broad historical archives, Rachel Cohen is not a prominent political figure or celebrity, but rather an individual representative of the mass migration of Libyan Jews post-WWII. Following the 1945 anti-Jewish pogroms in Tripoli and neighboring areas under British administration, thousands of young Jewish individuals like Rachel sought these exact travel papers to flee North Africa. Her records are invaluable pieces of genealogical and Holocaust-era history detailing the exodus of North African Jewry to Israel or Europe. Let’s look deeper into this document. In fact, a detailed study of the stamps, visas, and signatures reveals the dramatic story of this young girl's journey at a turning point in history (1946–1947). Here is what interesting and hidden information is discovered here: 1. Where exactly was the person traveling, and what do the visas mean? Rachel Cohen’s route is reconstructed according to the chronology of the stamps. She made a long journey from North Africa to Europe, passing through several control zones: Point of departure — Benghazi, Cyrenaica (Libya): The document was issued here in May 1946. Transit through Egypt: On the pages, there are stamps of the Royal Egyptian Consulate (Royaume d'Egypte) and passport control in Cairo/Alexandria. The British authorities issued her a transit visa through Egypt, since there was almost no direct civilian communication between Libya and Europe immediately after the war. She traveled by train or flew through Cairo. Final destination — Italy: In the document, there is an Italian visa (Visto) issued by the Italian diplomatic mission. The stamps indicate the points of arrival in Italy, including Naples (Napoli) and Rome (Roma) in late 1946 — early 1947. Purpose of the trip: The final stamp from the Italian authorities indicates the status: Rimpatrio (Repatriation) or entry due to family/humanitarian circumstances. Many Jews from Libya had historical ties with Italy (or even Italian subject status before Mussolini's racial laws), and after the war, they left there to escape the pogroms that broke out in Libya in 1945. In addition, Italy was then the main transit hub for sending Jewish refugees to Palestine. 2. Who signed these documents? The documents are signed by official persons of two categories: British officers (B.M.A. Cyrenaica): On the title page and on the issuance pages, there are signatures of British administrators, employees of the passport and visa service of the Occupation Administration (Passport Officer / Political Officer). They signed the documents on behalf of His Majesty King George VI, since the territory was legally under the occupation of Great Britain. The signatures are made with ink characteristic of that time (fountain pen). Consular officials of Italy and Egypt: On the corresponding visa stamps and seals, vice-consuls and visa officers in Benghazi signed, who approved the entry of the young girl into the territory of their countries. 3. What other hidden and interesting information does the document keep? Change of legal status: Pay attention to the crossed-out printed words on the cover and inside the form. Initially, this could have been a standard form for "Italian subjects" (Cittadino Italiano), but the British wrote Stateless (Person without citizenship) over it by hand. This is a legal trace of the fascist regime: in the 1930s and 1940s, Italy's racial laws deprived many Jews in the colonies of full civil rights, and after the war, their status remained uncertain for a long time. Ink fingerprints: On the pages, in addition to the photograph, you can notice fingerprints (especially of the thumb). In the conditions of wartime and chaos with refugees, when people often did not have birth certificates, biometrics (fingerprint + photo) was the main way to protect against forgery of documents. Financial trace (The cost of freedom): On the fiscal stamps of Great Britain and Egypt, the face value is indicated in Egyptian pounds (Egyptian Pounds / Piasters) and lire. The processing of this document cost money — for the refugees of that time, these were often the last savings that were collected by the whole community to send a young man or girl to safe Europe. Extension stamps (Validità): The document was initially issued for a very short period (for example, for 3 or 6 months). On subsequent pages, it can be seen that Rachel had to renew it in Italian departments in 1947, since the process of settlement or further relocation took a lot of time. Before you is not just a piece of paper, but a real “ticket to life” for a 17-year-old Jewish girl who was able to get out of turbulent post-war Libya to Europe in one of the most dramatic periods of modern history. Expert Evaluation of the Document Historical Category: Holocaust and post-war period / Jewish refugees from North Africa / Zionist Aliyah (Aliyah Bet). Rarity: High. Documents from the British Military Administration (B.M.A. Cyrenaica) issued specifically to Jewish refugees in Libya in 1946 are found on the market much less frequently than European displaced persons (DP Camps) passports from the same period. Many such documents were destroyed upon entry into Israel/Palestine or were lost during the mass exodus of the community. Condition: Natural signs of wear and folds are present, but the cardboard is thick, the photograph is original, and all stamps and fiscal marks are perfectly legible. The presence of an ink fingerprint and the "Stateless" mark over the printed text significantly increases the historical value.. Here is the word-for-word English translation of the structured document evaluation: Official Document Evaluation 1. General Information Document Type: Temporary Travel Document for stateless persons / refugees (Temporary Travel Document / Foglio di Via). Year of Issuance: May 1946. Place of Issuance: Benghazi, Cyrenaica, Libya. Issuing Authority: British Military Administration (B.M.A.). Holder: Rachel Cohen, born on November 12, 1928, in Benghazi. Age at issuance — 17 years old. Legal Status: Stateless person (Stateless ), former Italian subject. 2. Historical Value & Context Category: Judaica / Holocaust and post-war period in North Africa / History of Jewish refugees / Aliyah (Migration to Palestine). Historical Context: The document was issued shortly after the devastating anti-Jewish pogroms in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica (November 1945). It clearly demonstrates the process of the mass exodus of the Jewish population from Libya. It reflects a unique historical intersection where a former Italian colony was governed by the British military. Unique Archival Markers: * The official printed text "Cittadino Italiano" (Italian citizen) was manually corrected by British authorities with a "Stateless" stamp, which testifies to the loss of civil rights by Jews during the fascist regime and the war. Presence of original biometrics: a photograph of a young girl secured with a seal, and an ink print of the right thumb. Complete transit route: visas from the Royal Egyptian Consulate and entry/repatriation stamps of post-war Italy (Naples, Rome) for 1946–1947. 3. Rarity Level Rarity: High (Rare / Highly Collectible). Justification: Paper and cardboard travel documents of the British Administration in Libya (B.M.A. Cyrenaica) issued to Jewish names are extremely rare on the international market. Unlike European documents from displaced persons camps (DP Camps), North African archives from this period are significantly less preserved. Most of these temporary certificates were confiscated or destroyed upon the refugees' arrival at their final destinations (especially in Mandatory Palestine). 4. Condition Report Condition: Good / Very Good (Good / Very Good — VG). Details: The document is completely authentic. The material (thick paper/cardboard) has retained its strength. Natural signs of wear are present: folds at the crease lines, minor edge wear, and age-related yellowing of the paper. All key elements — the holder's photograph, fingerprint, fiscal (revenue) stamps of Great Britain and Egypt, ink stamps, and handwritten signatures of officials — are in excellent preservation and perfectly legible. It has not undergone any restoration. 5. Market Valuation The evaluation is based on the sales of similar documents on the topic of Judaica / Refugee History at specialized auctions (Christie's, Sotheby's, specialized Judaica auction houses) and the international marketplace eBay. $350 – $400 Evaluation Summary: The document represents a complete, historically valuable archival micro-complex (a single document fully tells the fate of a person from escape to arrival). The presence of rare stamps of Cyrenaica and Egypt makes it highly attractive to specialized collectors of World War II documents, researchers of Holocaust history in Africa, and museums. Delivery: 15 dollars in a letter with a number! REGISTRED !!!! Combined Shipping: + $ 5 for each additional lot!