School notebook used by Inge Herrmann
Object numberM2020/023:045
TitleSchool notebook used by Inge Herrmann
Creator Inge Herrmann
DescriptionSchool notebook used by Inge Herrmann from 28 April 1936 until 6 March 1937 in her second girls' middle school 'Editha'. Inge would have been 12-14 years old while using the book.
The book contains nine essays, poems or stories, each of which have been marked by a teacher in red pen. The first piece of writing, 'Zeppelin (sighting) over Magdeburg,' composed 22 April 1936, speaks of Inge witnessing the Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelins as they flew over her town of Magdeburg. Inge relays how they dropped parachutes holding swastika flags and fliers. She speaks of how impressed she, and the whole town, were. The poem 'What a pair of children's shoes could tell you,' 22 May 1936, is a reflection on growing up. Inge writes about a pair of shoes her mother bought her that now, too small, sit in a chest.
Interestingly, in her essay 'Do we need colonies?', 7 September 1936, Inge relays that Germany needs colonies in order to be a world power, but in the last war their colonies had been "taken from us by our enemies". Inge suggests this forced Germany to be economically reliant upon others. Here Inge seems to be echoing a view taught to her at school; the hostile view of the Treaty of Versailles held by Germany during this period. Whether she actually agreed with or even understood this viewpoint is unknown.
The final piece of writing is titled 'My curriculum vitae,' 6 March 1937. Here Inge recorded a short biography of her life before her graduating from school. She states that she was born 12 October 1922, "the daughter of merchant Otto Erich Herrmann in Wolmirstedt." Inge relays how pleasant her youth was and the attentiveness of her parents. Inge states that upon leaving school "I will experience the serious side of life and how she will miss the freedom of her childhood. She speaks of the uncertainty of her future, ending with "I have the intention to go abroad in a few years. Presumably to South America."
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.
The book contains nine essays, poems or stories, each of which have been marked by a teacher in red pen. The first piece of writing, 'Zeppelin (sighting) over Magdeburg,' composed 22 April 1936, speaks of Inge witnessing the Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelins as they flew over her town of Magdeburg. Inge relays how they dropped parachutes holding swastika flags and fliers. She speaks of how impressed she, and the whole town, were. The poem 'What a pair of children's shoes could tell you,' 22 May 1936, is a reflection on growing up. Inge writes about a pair of shoes her mother bought her that now, too small, sit in a chest.
Interestingly, in her essay 'Do we need colonies?', 7 September 1936, Inge relays that Germany needs colonies in order to be a world power, but in the last war their colonies had been "taken from us by our enemies". Inge suggests this forced Germany to be economically reliant upon others. Here Inge seems to be echoing a view taught to her at school; the hostile view of the Treaty of Versailles held by Germany during this period. Whether she actually agreed with or even understood this viewpoint is unknown.
The final piece of writing is titled 'My curriculum vitae,' 6 March 1937. Here Inge recorded a short biography of her life before her graduating from school. She states that she was born 12 October 1922, "the daughter of merchant Otto Erich Herrmann in Wolmirstedt." Inge relays how pleasant her youth was and the attentiveness of her parents. Inge states that upon leaving school "I will experience the serious side of life and how she will miss the freedom of her childhood. She speaks of the uncertainty of her future, ending with "I have the intention to go abroad in a few years. Presumably to South America."
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 placeGermany
Production date 1936-04-28 - 1937-03-06
Subjecteducation
Object namenotebooks
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 167.00 mm
height: 212.00 mm
Language
- German 28.4.36
Zeppelin (sighting) over Magdeburg
On Saturday, 28 March the two Zeppelins were above Magdeburg. When the news came that the Zeppelins were coming to Magdeburg there was a lot of joy amongst the inhabitants. In the early afternoon I was already in the square in front of the cathedral with my girlfriend to watch the Zeppelins, but unfortunately we were waiting in vain for them. At a quarter to 6 oclock we went to town to do some shopping. We were just coming out of the butchers when the people were all standing in the streets and looking up at the sky. We quickly ran there and saw the two Zeppelins. First the small airship Graf Zeppelin appeared and then his big brother Hindenburg arrived. It was really overwhelming how the two Zeppelins flew over so low. Then we heard the sound coming down to us: Germany,
over
The large Zeppelin threw down parachutes with flags featuring swastikas. Also slips of paper, but I didnt get any of those unfortunately. Then the two moved along in a majestic manner. Like a dream they had disappeared again. But people will be talking about this event for a long time yet.
Content: 2
Errors: 4
Handwriting: 3
Marking scale: 1 = very good, excellent
2 = good
3 = satisfactory
4 = sufficient
5 = not sufficient
6 = unsatisfactory, failed
22.5.36
What a pair of childrens shoes could tell you.
Oh, if we could understand the language of childrens shoes, we could learn a lot! However, it once happened that I could overhear them. I heard what a small childrens shoe told his fellow-sufferer: Oh, when I was still in my shoebox in the shoe shop, a gentleman and a lady came in one day and bought me. I was taken home and was given to a little girl who was called Inge. She put me on at once and walked proudly up and down in the room. She would have preferred to wear me forever. When she was supposed to go to sleep, her mother had to take me off with all her strength, otherwise she would have worn me to bed as well, thats how much she enjoyed wearing me, then. And now? Now I am kept in this chest and I am not longer worn, because I am far too small now. Now Inge is a big girl and possibly wears even more exquisite shoes. But I am kept as a souvenir with some other things for example her first little pants and dresses, lonely and deserted in the chest.
Content: 2
Errors: 3
Handwriting: 3
Marking scale: 1 = very good, excellent
2 = good
3 = satisfactory
4 = sufficient
5 = not sufficient
6 = unsatisfactory, failed
7.9.36
Do we need colonies?
Yes, we do need colonies, because they are of the greatest importance to a country. If a country has no colonies, it can never become a world power. Germany also had colonies before the world war, but they were taken from us by our enemies. Our enemies used the excuse that we do not understand how to manage colonies. There is a lack of our own needed raw materials in Germany, so that we are forced to obtain these raw materials like for example cotton, coffee, tobacco, etc from
, as we now no longer have our own colonies.
6.3.1937
My curriculum vitae
I was born on the 12. October 1922 as the daughter of merchant Otto Erich Herrmann in Wolmirstedt. I was living in the house I was born in till 1935. On the 1.10.1935 I moved to Magdeburg. The time of my youth was very pleasant, my parents fulfilled nearly every wish I had. In 1929 I started to go to school in Wolmirstedt and then started in the second girls middle school (Editha school) in Magdeburg at Easter of 1933. I have been at this school for the past 4 years and will leave at Easter. Then I will experience the serious side of life and I shall think quite often of school with fondness. In particular I shall miss the long holidays. I had made many journeys during those holidays. I had been to the Rhine river, the Baltic Sea at spas, I am familiar with Westfalen, the industrial city of Essen, Dortmund, Hannover, Hamburg, Berlin and many other cities. It is only the mountains I am not familiar with. When I leave school at Easter I have to learn something practical for a few years. Who knows where I will be living later on. I have the intention to go abroad in a few years. Presumably to South America.
Content: 2
Errors: 5
Handwriting: 3
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.