Object numberM2018/021:006
DescriptionLetter from Jenö Weiszberger in Komarom, to his father, Max Weiszberger, 9 Sepetember 1941. Jenö reports on the health and recovery of his sister Klári; the family have been with her and he refers to visiting her in hospital as a vacation/freedom. He then begs his father to give up smoking and focus on his own wellbeing. He states: "My dear Vater, do it for me, or for yourself, as you know how harmful smoking is for you..think of the future."
These correspondences are part of a large collection of postcards and letters donated by Holocaust survivor, Fred (Alfred) Weissberger. Fred was born 22 January, 1925 in Szenc, Czechoslovakia. One of four children, Fred’s eldest siblings were his brother Jenö, born 12 December 1919 and his sister Klári born 7 April 1921; his younger brother András was born 2 November 1933. Born to Maxmilian Weiszberger and Aranka (Golde) Weiszberger (nee Neumann), the family was extremely close, bonded by the passing of their grandfather and then their father’s illness with Tuberculosis. Fred and Jenö worked in the family tailoring business until Jenö enlisted in the Hungarian Army, after which Fred took the reigns; at around this time, Klári left to pursue work in Budapest.
By mid-1944, 120 Jewish families in the town were rounded up. Fred had the foresight to hide some of the family letters and photographs in a shoebox on the roof of their family home– hence their survival. The ghetto was an old farmhouse and inhabitants etched out an existence until the boys and young men were evacuated and transported to forced labour battalions. Shortly after, his father, mother and younger brother were transported to another location with prisoners from surrounding ghettos and eventually sent to Auschwitz and murdered. Fred was in forced labour battalions in both Szõny and Komárom, but also used his skills as a tailor to make uniforms for high ranking officers; it often bought him favour. He was later transported to Aggsbach Dorf in Austria as a timber worker and then sent to Mauthausen and a camp in Gunskirchen where he was liberated. Suffering from Typhus, Fred endured a long recovery in squalid conditions. He later returned to his family home waiting for news on loved ones. He was told his sister, whom he stayed in contact with until November 1944, was taken into forced labour, marched to Bergen-Belsen and later died. His brother Jenö also perished in forced labour and was last seen in January 1943. Fred left Czechoslovakia in 1947, living for a time in Vienna and eventually moving to Australia in 1950. He met his wife in Europe, but they married after immigrating. Fred had a successful tailoring business in Woollahra until retirement in 1994.
These correspondences are part of a large collection of postcards and letters donated by Holocaust survivor, Fred (Alfred) Weissberger. Fred was born 22 January, 1925 in Szenc, Czechoslovakia. One of four children, Fred’s eldest siblings were his brother Jenö, born 12 December 1919 and his sister Klári born 7 April 1921; his younger brother András was born 2 November 1933. Born to Maxmilian Weiszberger and Aranka (Golde) Weiszberger (nee Neumann), the family was extremely close, bonded by the passing of their grandfather and then their father’s illness with Tuberculosis. Fred and Jenö worked in the family tailoring business until Jenö enlisted in the Hungarian Army, after which Fred took the reigns; at around this time, Klári left to pursue work in Budapest.
By mid-1944, 120 Jewish families in the town were rounded up. Fred had the foresight to hide some of the family letters and photographs in a shoebox on the roof of their family home– hence their survival. The ghetto was an old farmhouse and inhabitants etched out an existence until the boys and young men were evacuated and transported to forced labour battalions. Shortly after, his father, mother and younger brother were transported to another location with prisoners from surrounding ghettos and eventually sent to Auschwitz and murdered. Fred was in forced labour battalions in both Szõny and Komárom, but also used his skills as a tailor to make uniforms for high ranking officers; it often bought him favour. He was later transported to Aggsbach Dorf in Austria as a timber worker and then sent to Mauthausen and a camp in Gunskirchen where he was liberated. Suffering from Typhus, Fred endured a long recovery in squalid conditions. He later returned to his family home waiting for news on loved ones. He was told his sister, whom he stayed in contact with until November 1944, was taken into forced labour, marched to Bergen-Belsen and later died. His brother Jenö also perished in forced labour and was last seen in January 1943. Fred left Czechoslovakia in 1947, living for a time in Vienna and eventually moving to Australia in 1950. He met his wife in Europe, but they married after immigrating. Fred had a successful tailoring business in Woollahra until retirement in 1994.
Production date 1941-09 - 1941-09
Production periodWWII
Object nameletters
Dimensions
- width: 330.00 mm
height: 161.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Fred Weissberger