employment reference
Object numberM2019/064:023
Titleemployment reference
DescriptionConfirmation of employment of Kurt Neubauer at D. Hecht, a wool factory in Brno, between 1 October 1929 and 31 December 1940. Kurt was born on 22 January 1909 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, to Isidor Neubauer and Arnostka Neubauerova (nee Munk-ova). Isidor died in 1926 and Kurt followed his father’s career path into the textile industry, supporting his mother and older sister. At the beginning of 1941 he was let go because he was Jewish. One year later in January 1942, Kurt was sent to Theresienstadt. His mother soon followed in March. She died there from tuberculosis on 25 May 1944. Soon after, Kurt was sent by cattle train to Auschwitz. In October, he was transferred to the Meuselwitz concentration camp, where he worked in a factory cleaning ammunition using cleaning fluid that was poisonous. He also worked to diffuse unexploded bombs.
As Meuselwitz was a frequent target of Allied bombing, many of its buildings were ruined and eventually the camp was rendered unliveable. In April 1945, all the inmates were sent away. They were transported on a train for four days without food or drink before it was attacked by the Allied Air Force, who mistook it for a military transport. Of the 2500 people who were loaded on to the train, the mere 400 or so who survived the days of freezing starvation and bombing were forced to go on by foot. Kurt managed to escape while on this death march, near the Czech border. “We were on our way… and as we came closer to a bend in the road, we quickly disappeared into the heavy timber forest.” Kurt remained there for a few days and eventually managed to find a US tank brigade.
After the war, Kurt returned to Theresienstadt to collect any belongings left of his mothers. He then went back to work in Prague, where he met and married Rosa Kučer. As a stateless person he had to reapply for all official records, such as citizenship and proof of residency, his birth certificate, education and employment records, driver’s licence and more.
In 1950, the Neubauer’s sought to escape Czechoslovakia following the rise of communism, which Kurt felt threatened his newly regained freedom. They crossed into Germany illegally and stayed for a time in the Babenhausen DP camp, awaiting their visa to Australia. They arrived in Sydney in January 1951.
As Meuselwitz was a frequent target of Allied bombing, many of its buildings were ruined and eventually the camp was rendered unliveable. In April 1945, all the inmates were sent away. They were transported on a train for four days without food or drink before it was attacked by the Allied Air Force, who mistook it for a military transport. Of the 2500 people who were loaded on to the train, the mere 400 or so who survived the days of freezing starvation and bombing were forced to go on by foot. Kurt managed to escape while on this death march, near the Czech border. “We were on our way… and as we came closer to a bend in the road, we quickly disappeared into the heavy timber forest.” Kurt remained there for a few days and eventually managed to find a US tank brigade.
After the war, Kurt returned to Theresienstadt to collect any belongings left of his mothers. He then went back to work in Prague, where he met and married Rosa Kučer. As a stateless person he had to reapply for all official records, such as citizenship and proof of residency, his birth certificate, education and employment records, driver’s licence and more.
In 1950, the Neubauer’s sought to escape Czechoslovakia following the rise of communism, which Kurt felt threatened his newly regained freedom. They crossed into Germany illegally and stayed for a time in the Babenhausen DP camp, awaiting their visa to Australia. They arrived in Sydney in January 1951.
Production placeBrno, Czech Republic
Production date 1945-09-25 - 1945-09-25
Subjectsurvivors, persecution, establishing new life
Object namereferences
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 209.00 mm
height: 296.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Kurt Neubauer