Letter from Betty Caspari to Heinz Poppert
Object numberM2020/023:028
TitleLetter from Betty Caspari to Heinz Poppert
Creator Betty Caspari
DescriptionLetter from Betty Caspari to her paternal niece Inge (nee Herrmann) and husband, Heinz Poppert, on 28 November 1947. Betty speaks to the couple on her sending monthly food and clothing parcels to 'Aryan' friends of Heinz, relating it to 'awful things happening in Hamburg.' Betty also speaks to the great success a friend of hers who emigrated to Rio de Janeiro is seeing when compared to the German economy.
Part of a collection of over 60 letters to Inge-Ruth Poppert (nee Herrmann) from 1937 to 1957, as well as memorabilia and personal documents that detail the Holocaust experiences of the Herrmann family, and the establishment Inge's life in Sydney, Australia.
Inge was born on 12 October 1922 in Wolmirstedt, near Magdeburg, Germany to Otto and Kate-Regina Herrmann (nee Manneberg). Inge lived in Wolmirstedt, but attended school in Madgeburg from 1933. The family relocated to the city of Magdeburg in 1935 where Otto owned two shops. Due to anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish legislation, Otto had lost his clothing business in Wolmirstedt. However, from 1937 with the increasing Aryanisation of Jewish assets and property, the Herrmann family again forcibly lost their remaining businesses and way of life.
Despite the worsening risk to all Jews in Germany, Inge's parents initially resisted emigration, though in 1937 they decided that their daughter should leave. Inge was approved to go to Australia after being assessed in Berlin. She arrived in Sydney via London in September 1938.
Otto and Regina lived in increasing poverty and anxiety. Otto was arrested in 1938 and sent to Buchenwald for a brief period before being released. In October 1942 they were deported to Theresienstadt. Inge received no sign of life from her parents from 1944 and only learned years after the war that they were deported to Auschwitz in October 1944 where they were murdered.
Part of a collection of over 60 letters to Inge-Ruth Poppert (nee Herrmann) from 1937 to 1957, as well as memorabilia and personal documents that detail the Holocaust experiences of the Herrmann family, and the establishment Inge's life in Sydney, Australia.
Inge was born on 12 October 1922 in Wolmirstedt, near Magdeburg, Germany to Otto and Kate-Regina Herrmann (nee Manneberg). Inge lived in Wolmirstedt, but attended school in Madgeburg from 1933. The family relocated to the city of Magdeburg in 1935 where Otto owned two shops. Due to anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish legislation, Otto had lost his clothing business in Wolmirstedt. However, from 1937 with the increasing Aryanisation of Jewish assets and property, the Herrmann family again forcibly lost their remaining businesses and way of life.
Despite the worsening risk to all Jews in Germany, Inge's parents initially resisted emigration, though in 1937 they decided that their daughter should leave. Inge was approved to go to Australia after being assessed in Berlin. She arrived in Sydney via London in September 1938.
Otto and Regina lived in increasing poverty and anxiety. Otto was arrested in 1938 and sent to Buchenwald for a brief period before being released. In October 1942 they were deported to Theresienstadt. Inge received no sign of life from her parents from 1944 and only learned years after the war that they were deported to Auschwitz in October 1944 where they were murdered.
Production placeSweden
Production date 1947-11-28
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 263.00 mm
height: 208.00 mm
Language
- German From: Betty Caspari, Sweden 28/11/1947
To Heinz Poppert, Sydney
My Dear Ones, You have a look how your old aunt goes into gear, it's no small job to write up this long letter and unfortunately my typewriter is over worked (?) But you people, why haven't you replied yet to my long letter of August? Indeed you could in all these months take time at least once to write. But I can't grasp why the Hamburg (?) company is not writing to you, with the availability of an International postal stamp which we could used by us for anywhere. We here are in a constant exchange by letter with the Hamburg (?) Aryan friends of your Heinz through monthly parcels of food, clothing
? to assist them in their life. Awful things are happening in Hamburg. A younger friend of ours, same age as Werner, who lives in Rio de Janeiro and had large representations in textiles, is now in various ways since 1933 over there (?) and has
..? got
? leave again and is providing for himself and his family very well, has got his own company, opening it in Rio and is writing that business is easier over there than in Germany, being in such great demand that you can find your own customers directly. Although in the first years, there in Rio, he had different positions, his wife too, who speaks and writes a good Portuguese, as soon as they went (?) over there, immediately after her wedding, she was, as a young model over there. But now they already have their own small villa outside Rio in the mountains where it is cooler. The local German exporters (?) are suffering in that they cannot get an import and export licence. A pity that I am not young enough so that I could perhaps get involved commercialy. And now
lots of best wishes and do write how you are keeping, you are after al married one year soon. Have a good life and all the best wishing you, Aunt Betty.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Kim Poppert
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.