Postcards from Edmund and Helene Kohn- February and March 1939
Object numberM2025/086:005
TitlePostcards from Edmund and Helene Kohn- February and March 1939
DescriptionFive postcards dated between 27 February to 16 March 1939 to Johanna Kohn, England, from her parents in Vienna, Austria.
These letters are part of a large collection of correspondence collected by Johanna (sometimes called Ursula, Hansi or Hannerle) Kohn. It includes a large collection written by her parents, Edmund and Helene Kohn, during the Second World War. There are also collections relating to correspondence between siblings Fritz, Erwin (George) and Johanna both during the war as well as post-liberation. The collection also highlights attempts particularly by George to trace their parents in post war Europe, before shifting to investigating their fate in later decades.
Edmund and Helene Kohn were Viennese Jews, living with their children; Fritz, Erwin (later George) and Johanna. Due to the increased political tensions throughout Europe during the late 1930s, the family made plans to try and leave from 1938. Johanna was the first to escape, leaving for England on the ‘Kindertransport’ in November 1938. She was 14 years at the time. She stayed at a boarding house in Bournemouth before later finding refuge with a foster family, the Henson’s. Throughout her time in England, Johanna is in constant correspondence with her family and the hope is they will all be reunited soon. She began training as a nurse and moved to Birmingham in 1941.
Erwin received permission to travel to England in 1939, on the pretence that he would train as an apprentice hairdresser and would return to Vienna upon completion. He was briefly imprisoned in England as an ‘enemy alien’ but joined the British army not long after. There he had to change his name to George Kane.
Edmund and Helene Kohn (nee Immergut) first stayed behind in Vienna, but eventually fled to neutral Brussels, Belgium. The couple were able to continue to live in relatively safety until the invasion of Belgium by Germany in May 1940. After this, Edmund was suddenly arrested and imprisoned in Camp Gurs. There are records he tried to escape but was re-captured two days later. Throughout his imprisonment, Edmund sent letters and received help from his family, however this changed on 8 August 1942 when he was deported to Auschwitz. He was then murdered.
The fate of Helene Kohn is still unknown. Erwin received a return to sender postcard from Helene’s last known address in Brussels at the end of 1942. The family were fearful of no news until Fritz received a displaced persons postcard in June 1945 from Helene. This led to renewed hope, however she could not be found after the war. Continued attempts via organisations such as the Red Cross were unsuccessful.
Johanna remained in England for the rest of her life and married Douglas Goldspink.
George remained in England after the war and married Ruth. They migrated to Australia in 1949. The donor, Sandra Bassin, is their only child.
Johanna and Erwin’s older brother, Fritz Kohn, was able to eventually travel to Palestine before settling in England.
These letters are part of a large collection of correspondence collected by Johanna (sometimes called Ursula, Hansi or Hannerle) Kohn. It includes a large collection written by her parents, Edmund and Helene Kohn, during the Second World War. There are also collections relating to correspondence between siblings Fritz, Erwin (George) and Johanna both during the war as well as post-liberation. The collection also highlights attempts particularly by George to trace their parents in post war Europe, before shifting to investigating their fate in later decades.
Edmund and Helene Kohn were Viennese Jews, living with their children; Fritz, Erwin (later George) and Johanna. Due to the increased political tensions throughout Europe during the late 1930s, the family made plans to try and leave from 1938. Johanna was the first to escape, leaving for England on the ‘Kindertransport’ in November 1938. She was 14 years at the time. She stayed at a boarding house in Bournemouth before later finding refuge with a foster family, the Henson’s. Throughout her time in England, Johanna is in constant correspondence with her family and the hope is they will all be reunited soon. She began training as a nurse and moved to Birmingham in 1941.
Erwin received permission to travel to England in 1939, on the pretence that he would train as an apprentice hairdresser and would return to Vienna upon completion. He was briefly imprisoned in England as an ‘enemy alien’ but joined the British army not long after. There he had to change his name to George Kane.
Edmund and Helene Kohn (nee Immergut) first stayed behind in Vienna, but eventually fled to neutral Brussels, Belgium. The couple were able to continue to live in relatively safety until the invasion of Belgium by Germany in May 1940. After this, Edmund was suddenly arrested and imprisoned in Camp Gurs. There are records he tried to escape but was re-captured two days later. Throughout his imprisonment, Edmund sent letters and received help from his family, however this changed on 8 August 1942 when he was deported to Auschwitz. He was then murdered.
The fate of Helene Kohn is still unknown. Erwin received a return to sender postcard from Helene’s last known address in Brussels at the end of 1942. The family were fearful of no news until Fritz received a displaced persons postcard in June 1945 from Helene. This led to renewed hope, however she could not be found after the war. Continued attempts via organisations such as the Red Cross were unsuccessful.
Johanna remained in England for the rest of her life and married Douglas Goldspink.
George remained in England after the war and married Ruth. They migrated to Australia in 1949. The donor, Sandra Bassin, is their only child.
Johanna and Erwin’s older brother, Fritz Kohn, was able to eventually travel to Palestine before settling in England.
Production placeVienna, Austria, Köln, Germany, Berlin, Germany
Production date 1939-02-27 - 1939-03-16
Production periodpre-World War II
SubjectKindertransport, escape, signs of life, transportation, internment in France, establishing new life, loved ones' contact, loved ones' fates, foster families
Object namepostcards
Materialpaper
Techniquehandwritten
Language
- German
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum collection, donated by Sandra Bassin. This collection is donated in memory of George Kane (born Erwin Kohn).
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.