Letter from Otto Herrmann to Inge Herrmann on 30 September 1938
Object numberM2020/023:057
TitleLetter from Otto Herrmann to Inge Herrmann on 30 September 1938
Creator Otto Herrmann
DescriptionLetter from Otto Herrmann to his daughter Inge Herrmann on 30 September 1938, who arrived in Sydney on the Oronsay on 27 September and went on to Freemantle. It was also around the time of her 16th birthday. Otto comments that he and her mother would be unable to give Inge a gift as they would usually. He expresses that she can at least hold the hope of them being reunited soon.
Although the translation is unclear, it appears that Otto makes reference to the Munich Agreement signed on the day of his writing, stating that "thank goodness has preserved the peace."
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.
Although the translation is unclear, it appears that Otto makes reference to the Munich Agreement signed on the day of his writing, stating that "thank goodness has preserved the peace."
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 1938-09-30
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 205.00 mm
height: 290.00 mm
Language
- German Magdeburg, 30 September 1938
My dearest loved Ingelein!
Your letter from Aden 11/9 and from Colombo with airmail on the 17.9. we received together on Erev Rosh Hashanah, the 25. September, and can you imagine our delight, that the post precisely came on this day. Your deposits have been immediately sent on the Berliner metro Krefelder, also the pictures sent to us, over those we were definitely delighted, we have also sent them to Berlin, since Uncle Heinrich was immediately in Berlin. Your letter I have copied, and have given Aunt Käthe a copy, so that she can read it out loud in the office.
Now my good child, I would like to wish you of all things, sending best wishes to your birthday, may God preserve your good health and bring you a pleasant future, that over there you came to good people, when you receive this letter, then you know where you have landed, and then we want the firm hope, that it will definitely be with us, that we will be soon united. Unfortunately we are not able to gift you in the usual way this year on your birthday but this is what the whole situation entails.
You do not need to make any unnecessary worries about us, we live here like we used to, you would have heard of our ship, that thank goodness has preserved the peace, what a blessing for the whole humankind and most definitely for us Aeten*. [*translators note: word untranslatable]
Warmest greetings to Mr. and Mrs. Herzberg, and their little one from me, and tell them, I have spoken with his father and Berthold in Temple, they are well and cheerful, especially his father and many greetings. The condition with his mother has unaltered. Our letters sent to Australia you will hopefully have received, I do not understand why you have not received any mail from us in Port-Said, since we have timely written via airmail and like always addressed, so we are not to blame. I have mistaken the above, we have sent already three letters to Australia, Fremantle, Adelaide where you will arrive tomorrow and the last letter we addressed on the SS Oronsay to Sydney, so that you will receive in Sydney on arrival a letter from us. You have more photos for us held out in prospect, we should be getting photos from London, where did they stay. Even your card to Krefeld we have inserted in a letter. Here are again many different Mgbg (?).
Who have registered to Australia, and have been declined, so Henscke s, Liebschütz and so on is a misery. Like Uncle Heinrich says, is Grandmother in Berlin. Very cheerful and sprightly, all the other relatives are healthy. Now I want to write you the desired addresses I have partially read yours out to everyone, you just do not know, where you have it: Gustav H. Landsberg/ Warthe. Bismark Street 29. Gustav Linheim, Krefeld. Peters street 9. Max Caspari, Hamburg-Harburg. Wilstorfer street 8. Regina Spanier, Gelsenkirchen. Franz Seldte street number. 84. You do not need to write the relatives much, but do not let the communication drop off, because you do not know what can occur, and it is good, to stay in contact with your relatives. Write us when you have received this letter through airmail, you can imagine that that we are very anxious, to where you have found accommodation, and read our last letter once more, I have asked for various things, which I would like to have answers to, so do that. Tomorrow you will be in Adelaide and will definitely speak with the family Rosenberg. Well I can think of the delight. So my good child, again my best wishes for your birthday and your distant life, live well and many times blessed and kissed from your lovely father.
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.