Henry Cohen (civil servant)

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For other people named Henry Cohen, see Henry Cohen (disambiguation).

Henry Cohen (June 5, 1922 – January 14, 1999) was appointed in 1946 the director of

Displaced Persons camp in the American sector of post-World War II Germany. A native of New York City and a child of Jewish immigrants from 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
.

He later served as research director of the

Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Later, he was First Deputy Administrator of the New York Human Resources Administration under Mayor John Lindsay
.

After leaving the city government, Cohen became the founding Dean of the

Milano School of Management, Policy, and Environment at The New School
.

Early life

Cohen was born on the

Vilna. He graduated from junior high school P.S. 149 and Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, then from the City College of New York, and received a master's degree in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
.

Army service

Cohen served in the U.S. Army infantry, fighting in the

Bridge at Remagen
. After the German surrender, he was assigned to military administration.

Föhrenwald

In January 1946, at the age of 23, he was appointed director of

Holocaust
.

Cohen worked 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 with a democratically elected Camp Committee that granted a degree of administrative autonomy to its residents. The camp sponsored rehabilitation activities that included school for children, adult education and vocational training, a thriving cultural life with musical and theatrical performances, and the publication of a weekly newspaper. Besides 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

9th Infantry Division
Asst. Chief of Staff, accuses Cohen of incitement and 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 US, he received a master's degree in Urban Planning from the

Wagner Administration. Later he was First Deputy Administrator of the New York Human Resources Administration during the Lindsay
Administration.

Later years

After leaving the city government, Cohen became the Founding Dean of the

Milano School of Management, Policy, and Environment at The New School.[1]

He died on January 14, 1999, in Greenwich Village at the age of 76, leaving his wife, daughter, son, and two grandchildren.[2]

References

  1. ^ ""The Anguish of the Holocaust Survivors", Camp Foehrenwald a talk by Henry Cohen". The Holocaust History - A People's and Survivor History - Remember.org. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  2. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2019-12-08.

External links
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