DENVER -- A unique family view of history is now part of the University of Denver Penrose Library.

Andrea Sears-Van Nest has donated her parents' entire collection of photos, letters, newspaper clippings and documents for historians and the public to view.

This collection highlights the roles Vera and Edwin Sears played in the years around World War II.

Edwin Sears was a law professor at the University of Berlin, where he also served as a secretary to Albert Einstein in the late 1920s.

In 1939, Edwin and Vera Sears emigrated to the United States, narrowly escaping Nazi concentration camps.

Once in the U.S., Edwin Sears became a professor at the University of Denver and eventually opened his own law firm.

Vera Sears was an accomplished professional dancer who became a director of a children's dance school.

Sears-Van Nest spoke of their lives while showing the various family documents inside the Penrose Library.

"I feel their story is one of such optimism because they made it. They were able to come to this country and find some joy again," said Sears-Van Nest.

After the war, Edwin Sears returned to Germany and served as one of only a few Jewish prosecutors during the Nuremburg Trials.

Sears-Van Nest believes there is much current generations can learn from studying history. She hopes this collection can provide insight to some issues we face today.

"I think all of this is very timely. How do you treat people for one thing who come over to this country? To me it's what makes this country," said Sears-Van Nest.

In the coming months, this archive will be available to the public for viewing one-on-one. And, the University of Denver Penrose Library Special Collections staff hopes to create digital files for anyone to view online.

For more information, contact the University of Denver Penrose Library.