WELCOME TO THE GLASS FILES!
In January 2014, we set out to celebrate my grandfather's legacy by making a web documentary, the first of its kind.
We ended up building a private media management system for families to organize and share their legacy, and connect their family story to History.
We invite you to experience this wonderful family adventure by
MY GRANDFATHER'S STORY
Five years before his passing, I began interviewing my grandfather, Walter H. Glass, about his life and journey to America.
In 1938, Hitler invaded Austria, and Walter was expelled from high school in Vienna for being Jewish. Forced to stay home, he played Chopin on the piano and read Hitler's "Mein Kampf". Walter immediately began his efforts to escape Europe.
After a failed attempt through France and narrowly escaping the horror of Kristallnacht, Walter boarded the RMS Aquitania against his father's wishes, and arrived in New York alone with 10 dollars in his pocket -- he had just turned 17. Walter eventually lost contact with his family; all his loved ones perished in the Holocaust.
Determined to build a new life, Walter enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, then went on to Harvard Law School. He postponed his graduation to enlist in the US armed forces, serving as a member of the Ritchie Boys.
In 1953, Walter commenced his 35 year career at General Electric as an international lawyer. His work had great personal meaning, because he believed the key to avoiding the disasters of military conflict lay in economic prosperity, facilitated by international links through trade.
THE STORY OF YOUR FAMILY
Speak with your grandparents, ask them about their lives, and you'll find that ALL families have these extraordinary stories, handed down from one generation to the next through anecdotes and legends that will make you cry in wonder even as you write them down.
Every family has a thread to weave through the tapestry of time, and there is infinite wisdom unique to every family.
We invite you to immerse yourself in the spellbinding experience of Family History by
Thank you!
My grandmother, Ann Glass, was instrumental in piecing together the stories of my family with her artfully preserved archives.
This site is dedicated to Ann.