Letter from Betty Caspari to Heinz Poppert
Object numberM2020/023:029
TitleLetter from Betty Caspari to Heinz Poppert
Creator Betty Caspari
DescriptionLetter from Betty Caspari from the 28th of November 1947 to Heinz Poppert, husband to her neice Inge (nee Herrmann). The letter is in multiple parts, containing a transcribed copy of a letter from Erich E. and Irene Westhoff E. as well as a letter from Betty herself.
Betty asks about Heinz's experiences residing in Sweden and Shanghai. Speaking of the hospitality of the Swedish people to Jews, she says "although the Nazis have left their mark here too." She also relays her thoughts on the Nazi regime, stating: "I have never been able to understand, in the years from 1933 how a large part of the German people could be so persuaded to trust, without thought such a... person but now this disaster has happened and all of us here have to join in sorrow for the pain inflicted on the innocent people and all the other."
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.
Betty asks about Heinz's experiences residing in Sweden and Shanghai. Speaking of the hospitality of the Swedish people to Jews, she says "although the Nazis have left their mark here too." She also relays her thoughts on the Nazi regime, stating: "I have never been able to understand, in the years from 1933 how a large part of the German people could be so persuaded to trust, without thought such a... person but now this disaster has happened and all of us here have to join in sorrow for the pain inflicted on the innocent people and all the other."
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: 145.00 mm
height: 212.00 mm
Language
- German From: Aunt Betty Caspari,Uppsala 28/11/1947
To: Heinz.
As below find a copy of a letter by Irene (?) Westhoff and E
.? Hamburg addressed to you The sender has used such thick paper that it would cost double by air mail:
Erich E
.? and Mrs. Westhoff E
.? (24@) Hamburg ,18/11/1942
Mrs. Betty Caspari, Uppsala
Esteemed Madam, By request of Mr. Heinz Poppert,Sydney I am taking the liberty to transmit to you the
..? letter to
? gentleman(?)
.?to send on by air mail . To
..? I remain always at your service ,faithfully E G (?)
Mr. Heinz Poppert, Sydney (?) Westhoff and E
..?....?Hamburg.
Dear Mr. Poppert, I have received your
.? Letter of 20/
?and was happy to hear again from you after such a long time. These are indeed difficult times and I am sincerely wishing you and your good wife to keep well over there. I have never been able to understand, in the years from 1933 how a large part of the German people could be so persuaded to trust, without thought such a
..? person but now this disaster has happened and all of us here have to join in sorrow for the pain inflicted (?) on the innocent people
..? and all the other
.?
Could this be a relative of yours ? The name is really
.? very unusual. So once again do write to me more details how you are coping with your life, how Inge is able now to be a little housewife and whether in such a short time you have managed to know and love each other. For myself I live here very comfortably in a Swedish home for single (?) ladies(?)
?myself in my own household and enjoying the company (?)
..? Unfortunately my
.? For two years are up there in N
.land (?) and we are meetin only very rarely after living earlier in Uppsala. Dear Heinz what did you do
? so often in Sweden, were you there on business.? In that case you would of course still speak Swedish ? At the time did you also go to Sweden, all foreigners are
..? here in fact they are very fond of Jews, at least the greatest part of the population, except the fact that the Nazis have left their mark here too. But now I will have to close and want to send you again my fond regards and again thousand times good luck, Aunt Betty Caspari.
By the way I have dear friends in Shanghai, Dr. Erich Markuse (?) and his Wife Ilse, nee Rosenstein, the latter being from Hamburg too, both of them very musical, active in concert, he I a specialist in
..? and has found his own field for his activity . Her mother was a friend of mine but has perished.In fact I should now be with my children who have invited me for Easter but I have cancelled because it I too cold I want to enjoy the beautiful spring. The trip to there takes 17 hours but a year ago I did the trip too.
Poppert Collection. Translated J.Gruschka 28/03/2019.
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.