Номер объектаM1998/023:001
НазваниеTouha
Создатель Karel Gutmann (author)
ОписаниеPoem called Touha, translated as 'My Longing' or 'Yearning', written by Karel Gutmann in Theresienstadt. Karel, a Czech Jew, was deported to Theresienstadt (Terezin) in 1942 and murdered in 1943. His daughter, Terry Pekarek, kept the poem; she has inscribed something in Czech on the envelope.
Rough translation:
My LONGING and YEARNING
I can hardly find words again,
how I long for the feelinq of home.
I always loved "SUSICE" of mine, the beautiful
surroundings with poetry dreaming-
My"Ottawa" sparkling golden, such quiet river,
Your boisterous flow - as with happy words
This beautiful town, always clean-
You have your friends here always:
if summer or winter.
Who once comes to take a deep breath
gives in again to the cry of the heart
and loves to return to our shores
because this is part of our fairy-tale
and one feels: how beautiful is the look
into this God's world from "SUSICE".
So even I myself feell always more and more
the yearning and longing
the memories tint my cheeks pink...
This is where I lived happily, with my work
the years elapsed, and one lived even cheaply.
Those friends who knew me well
never asked about religion??
The facts just talked from heart to heart
It is true, some were also wolves
Everywhere there is weed between the harvest
But there was also Balsam, healing wounds.
I believe strongly, I shall return again
and see SUSICE my beloved,
Svatobor- my Angel I shall meet you again.
That will be a feast for me!
The beautiful meadows and forrests
famous posts of my country
These are drawing me back again.
Hopefully it would be permitted for my bird to fly
It would fly directly to my house.
I wished this would be soon
I shall bear the hardship of captivity
If only I would be healthy at the end of the ordeal.
To us, who are involved here, it goes too slowly,
And I must say without any reluctance
If our friends would really want
we could fly early out of here
But we have to supress our yearning
so that peace would bear more glory.
We hope these bad times shall never reoccur.
We should calm our dreams
in expectation that we shall walk out
without any harm,
So that there would be again MY HOME
Oh angel mine, watching me, my guardian
PLEASE WATCH OVER ME and help me - AMEN
Part of a collection of documents, photos, poem and memorabilia from a slave labour camp, belonging to Teresa and Rudolf Pekarek.
Teresa (Terry) Pekarek (nee Gutmann), born 25 October 1910, in Susice. Susice was a small town of 8,000 in Bohemia, part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, where her parents had a large textile store on the town square. When Terry was four, World War I broke out. Czechoslovakia was born at the peace conference of Versailles in 1919. Terry was sent to school in Vienna; she spent time in France to learn the language and received training to develop her beautiful voice. At the age of 21, she married Rudolf Pekarek, a well-known musician and conductor 10 years her senior. Rudolf was born in 1900. His Litzmannstadt ghetto work card indicates his profession as an accountant.
Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and turned the Czech part of the country into a protectorate of Germany. Antisemitic polices were immediately applied to Czech Jewish citizens. Deportations commenced. In November 1941, Terry and Rudolf were deported to the ghetto in Litzmannstadt (Lodz), and then in 1944 to Auschwitz. Here they were separated. Terry was sent to work in a German aircraft factory; Rudolf to Jaworzno to work in a coal mine. Rudolf was liberated by Soviet forces, and ended up being placed in charge of the Artistic Ensemble of the Czechoslovakian Army. At the end of May 1945, Terry and Rudolf were reunited in Prague. Both had lost their entire families. After a brief attempt to resume a normal life in post-war Communist Czechoslovakia, they decided to emigrate, arriving in Australia in December 1948. Rudolf was appointed resident conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in Perth. In 1954 he became resident conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and they moved to Brisbane. Terry became involved in the Save the Children Fund and became Queensland President; she received the Silver Jubilee Medal from the Queen for her work. Rudolf (Rudi) passed away in 1974. She died 16 November 1997, age 87.
Source: Eulogy by Dr B Klug, 1997
Rough translation:
My LONGING and YEARNING
I can hardly find words again,
how I long for the feelinq of home.
I always loved "SUSICE" of mine, the beautiful
surroundings with poetry dreaming-
My"Ottawa" sparkling golden, such quiet river,
Your boisterous flow - as with happy words
This beautiful town, always clean-
You have your friends here always:
if summer or winter.
Who once comes to take a deep breath
gives in again to the cry of the heart
and loves to return to our shores
because this is part of our fairy-tale
and one feels: how beautiful is the look
into this God's world from "SUSICE".
So even I myself feell always more and more
the yearning and longing
the memories tint my cheeks pink...
This is where I lived happily, with my work
the years elapsed, and one lived even cheaply.
Those friends who knew me well
never asked about religion??
The facts just talked from heart to heart
It is true, some were also wolves
Everywhere there is weed between the harvest
But there was also Balsam, healing wounds.
I believe strongly, I shall return again
and see SUSICE my beloved,
Svatobor- my Angel I shall meet you again.
That will be a feast for me!
The beautiful meadows and forrests
famous posts of my country
These are drawing me back again.
Hopefully it would be permitted for my bird to fly
It would fly directly to my house.
I wished this would be soon
I shall bear the hardship of captivity
If only I would be healthy at the end of the ordeal.
To us, who are involved here, it goes too slowly,
And I must say without any reluctance
If our friends would really want
we could fly early out of here
But we have to supress our yearning
so that peace would bear more glory.
We hope these bad times shall never reoccur.
We should calm our dreams
in expectation that we shall walk out
without any harm,
So that there would be again MY HOME
Oh angel mine, watching me, my guardian
PLEASE WATCH OVER ME and help me - AMEN
Part of a collection of documents, photos, poem and memorabilia from a slave labour camp, belonging to Teresa and Rudolf Pekarek.
Teresa (Terry) Pekarek (nee Gutmann), born 25 October 1910, in Susice. Susice was a small town of 8,000 in Bohemia, part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, where her parents had a large textile store on the town square. When Terry was four, World War I broke out. Czechoslovakia was born at the peace conference of Versailles in 1919. Terry was sent to school in Vienna; she spent time in France to learn the language and received training to develop her beautiful voice. At the age of 21, she married Rudolf Pekarek, a well-known musician and conductor 10 years her senior. Rudolf was born in 1900. His Litzmannstadt ghetto work card indicates his profession as an accountant.
Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and turned the Czech part of the country into a protectorate of Germany. Antisemitic polices were immediately applied to Czech Jewish citizens. Deportations commenced. In November 1941, Terry and Rudolf were deported to the ghetto in Litzmannstadt (Lodz), and then in 1944 to Auschwitz. Here they were separated. Terry was sent to work in a German aircraft factory; Rudolf to Jaworzno to work in a coal mine. Rudolf was liberated by Soviet forces, and ended up being placed in charge of the Artistic Ensemble of the Czechoslovakian Army. At the end of May 1945, Terry and Rudolf were reunited in Prague. Both had lost their entire families. After a brief attempt to resume a normal life in post-war Communist Czechoslovakia, they decided to emigrate, arriving in Australia in December 1948. Rudolf was appointed resident conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in Perth. In 1954 he became resident conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and they moved to Brisbane. Terry became involved in the Save the Children Fund and became Queensland President; she received the Silver Jubilee Medal from the Queen for her work. Rudolf (Rudi) passed away in 1974. She died 16 November 1997, age 87.
Source: Eulogy by Dr B Klug, 1997
Место изготовленияTerezin, Czech Republic, Theresienstadt ghetto
Темаconcentration camp experiences, poems
Наименованиеpoems
Материалpaper
Размерность
- width: 210.00 mm
height: 290.00 mm
Язык
- Czech My LONGING and YEARNING
I can hardly find words again,
how I long for the feelinq of home.
I always loved "SUSICE" of mine, the beautiful
surroundings with poetry dreaming-
My"Ottawa" sparkling golden, such quiet river,
Your boisterous flow - as with happy words
This beautiful town, always clean-
You have your friends here always:
if summer or winter.
Who once comes to take a deep breath
gives in again to the cry of the heart
and loves to return to our shores
because this is part of our fairy-tale
and one feels: how beautiful is the look
into this God's world from "SUSICE".
So even I myself feell always more and more
the yearning and longing
the memories tint my cheeks pink...
This is where I lived happily, with my work
the years elapsed, and one lived even cheaply.
Those friends who knew me well
never asked about religion??
The facts just talked from heart to heart
It is true, some were also wolves
Everywhere there is weed between the harvest
But there was also Balsam, healing wounds.
I believe strongly, I shall return again
and see SUSICE my beloved,
Svatobor- my Angel I shall meet you again.
That will be a feast for me!
The beautiful meadows and forrests
famous posts of my country
These are drawing me back again.
Hopefully it would be permitted for my bird to fly
It would fly directly to my house.
I wished this would be soon
I shall bear the hardship of captivity
If only I would be healthy at the end of the ordeal.
To us, who are involved here, it goes too slowly,
And I must say without any reluctance
If our friends would really want
we could fly early out of here
But we have to supress our yearning
so that peace would bear more glory.
We hope these bad times shall never reoccur.
We should calm our dreams
in expectation that we shall walk out
without any harm,
So that there would be again MY HOME
Oh angel mine, watching me, my guardian
PLEASE WATCH OVER ME and help me - AMEN
This poem was written in TEREZIN by KareI Gutmann
Кредитная линияSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs. Eva Klug