Letter from Betty Caspari to Inge Herrmann
Object numberM2020/023:038
TitleLetter from Betty Caspari to Inge Herrmann
Creator Betty Caspari
DescriptionLetter from Betty Caspari in Sweden to her niece Inge Herrmann in Sydney on 21 February 1947. This letter appears to be in response to a photo and letter sent to Betty from her niece months prior. Inge and Betty would have not seen each other in almost 10 years. Both escaped Germany before the outbreak of war.
Betty remarks on the growth of Inge since they last saw each other, when Inge would have been a young teenager, identifying traits she found similar to her brother Otto, Inge's father, and Inge's mother Regina. Betty laments the murder of Inge's parents at the hands of Germany, remarking that "if only that evil demon Adolf Hitler had not destroyed every family happiness for generations to come." She goes on to say that it is "important to carry on, chin up, everybody has to see to make the best of their lives and to show themselves worthy of their parents."
Betty also remarks on the hope she sees in the many survivors of the Nazi "horror camps" appearing in Sweden, who have been openly accepted by the country, receiving resources and help to establish new lives. However, Betty says that it is a pity they "were not so tolerant 2 years earlier," as there would have been hope for her to save her family before it was "too late."
Betty relays the current "terrible and chaotic conditions in Germany because of the food shortages." She and her son, as well as some charity workers in Sweden, were sending large food parcels to Hamburg and South Germany.
The rest of the letter speaks of Betty's current life in Sweden, her hopes for Inge to live well, and her wishes that Inge could be in Sweden with her.
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 remarks on the growth of Inge since they last saw each other, when Inge would have been a young teenager, identifying traits she found similar to her brother Otto, Inge's father, and Inge's mother Regina. Betty laments the murder of Inge's parents at the hands of Germany, remarking that "if only that evil demon Adolf Hitler had not destroyed every family happiness for generations to come." She goes on to say that it is "important to carry on, chin up, everybody has to see to make the best of their lives and to show themselves worthy of their parents."
Betty also remarks on the hope she sees in the many survivors of the Nazi "horror camps" appearing in Sweden, who have been openly accepted by the country, receiving resources and help to establish new lives. However, Betty says that it is a pity they "were not so tolerant 2 years earlier," as there would have been hope for her to save her family before it was "too late."
Betty relays the current "terrible and chaotic conditions in Germany because of the food shortages." She and her son, as well as some charity workers in Sweden, were sending large food parcels to Hamburg and South Germany.
The rest of the letter speaks of Betty's current life in Sweden, her hopes for Inge to live well, and her wishes that Inge could be in Sweden with her.
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 1947-02-21
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 215.00 mm
height: 280.00 mm
Language
- German Mrs Betty Caspari
Elisabethemmet
Uppsala
Sweden
Elisabethemmet
21.2.47
My Dear, sweet Inge.
Finally, after a journey of 2 months your beautiful picture arrived and as it arrived just in time for Christmas, I was doubly delighted! You are right, you are no longer the little thing I had known, but you are a (truly) grown-up pretty girlie, in whom I detect many traits of your poor father. You have the beautiful eyes of his in particular, the curly hair of your dear mother and how they both could have found delight in their little daughter, if only that evil demon Adolf Hitler had not destroyed every family happiness for generations to come. In spite of it everything is not lost, every now and then some stragglers from the horror camps appear in Sweden, there are still many thousands under the ground, hidden, and everyone who should be successful to find his way to here, will be accepted with open arms, be well fed, well-clothed and be given some sort of possibility/opportunity for a livelihood. It is only a pity that they were not so tolerant 2 years earlier, then we, Heinz and I could have rescued all my dear siblings. But, help did arrive, but it came too late and that hurts me so much.
But now, my dear little Inge, it's important to carry on, chin up, everybody has to see to make the best of their lives and to show themselves worthy of their parents. And so I hope that happiness will come your way once again, you are after all in good health and on top of that you are very good-looking and you have a solid moral grounding which will always guide you in the right direction, that's what I wish with all my heart. By the way, did you receive my letter with the handkerchief I made for Christmas? And did the lovely Austrian lady get in contact with you? I had given you the address: Mrs Elly Kuster(?) 12 Holdworth Street, Neutral-Bay, Sydney. If it didn't happen yet you could write to her and mention Dr. Kolischer(?) of Uppsala. I would be very happy if you were successful to be able to do something for you from the distance. I myself am very well looked after here, Anneliese came to visit me for 4 days at the beginning of January and we were very happy (to be) with one another. Our Harriet caused us a lot of worry these last 5 months account of her difficult gall-stone operation and today I received for the first time a positive letter from her, which made me very happy. It had been her birthday on the 16/2, she is 40 now, but she looks only 25 and they celebrated with 3 big parties to honour her. Unfortunately I was unable to visit my children for Christmas this year, because it was too cold there. They love in Norrland, in the most northerly part of Sweden and the temperature falls to -40 to -45 degrees while we here in the more southerly part had -22 degrees. But I plan, if God keeps me alive, to undertake the long journey (22 hours by express train) at Easter, for my longing for the beloved boy is just too great.
And in this way I am sitting here day by day, very lonely and spend my time with crochet work like the handkerchief I made for you and delicate little cloths which are always very popular. One has to do something and even if 77 years old one shouldn't twiddle one's thumbs. For Christmas I received a lot of presents from the children and my friends. But have you read the newspaper reports about the terrible and chaotic conditions in Germany because of the food shortages? Heinz and I are receiving the most dreadful reports about life there from some of our old Aryan friends and Heinz sends large food parcels to Hamburg every week and also to South Germany where a niece from my husband's side of the family lives and who suffer greatly because of the lack of so many food staples. There are some good-natured people here in Sweden who are helping him with charity work.
Oh, how much I wish to have you, my beloved little Inge here in Sweden and to be able to look after you and I am going to ask God further, that you may only encounter good-natured people.
[On page 1, upside down]
I believe I am not allowed to put 2 sheets of paper in, because that would make the letter too heavy for airmail. Therefore for today man cordial greetings and kisses. Stay healthy and upright and do write soon again to your loving and faithful Betty Caspari.
Also, once again many thanks for the beautiful picture which I have placed on my desk right in front of me.
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.