Letter from Regina Herrmann to Inge Herrmann on 28 December 1938
Object numberM2020/023:066
TitleLetter from Regina Herrmann to Inge Herrmann on 28 December 1938
Creator Regina Herrmann
DescriptionLetter from Regina Herrmann to her daughter Inge Herrmann on 28 December 1938. Inge seems to have communicated to her parents that she has come close to attaining a permit and sponsor for her parents to come over to Sydney from Germany. Regina replies to this with great relief and speaks of how happy she is to soon see Inge again, asking her to assure the sponsors of Otto and Regina's skills and usefulness.
Regina tells Inge that they lost their shop on the 10th of November, after Kristallnacht and Otto's arrest. She speaks of how this has made things more difficult for them and their need to leave more urgent.
Regina also tells her daughter that she has lit their menorah and often talks and thinks about her when around it.
There is an associated letter from Otto Herrmann on the same date (M2020/023:067).
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.
Regina tells Inge that they lost their shop on the 10th of November, after Kristallnacht and Otto's arrest. She speaks of how this has made things more difficult for them and their need to leave more urgent.
Regina also tells her daughter that she has lit their menorah and often talks and thinks about her when around it.
There is an associated letter from Otto Herrmann on the same date (M2020/023:067).
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 1938-12-28
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 294.00 mm
height: 210.00 mm
Language
- German Magdeburg, 28.12.38
My dearly beloved, golden child!
You can probably imagine how overjoyed we were when we received your dear letter of 14.12 which arrived first? Thousand times thank you for your many efforts, we know, that you, my dear child, would succeed, it is quite something, considering the short time you have been over there and taking your young age into account. So much depends on it, Daddy had to sign that we would be gone before the 31.3. Uncle Heinrich has to leave even before then, and that's why we were so shaken up. Now, my beloved child, do us the favour that the permit gets to us as quickly as possible, we are unable to get a passport without it nor can we book a passage. Little Inge, my dear, now it becomes reality that we will see each other again, with the help of God and that we will be together, forever. Do try to be diligent and neat, so that no one can complain about you. It is quite something and very touching that these people are taking us on. Please tell the employers that they need not worry or regret because we are both able to work hard and intend to do everything to their satisfaction. What kind of work is it that we are to do, possibly in the household, something I am quite skilled in. So, my beloved child, thank them in our name, many thousand times.
[8a] Do you still remember, my beloved child, what you said on my birthday last year, Mum, the
. has to last till you come to Australia, and that's how it is. On Friday Ruth has her wedding, we are 8 people, Peter will arrive tomorrow, he will stay with us and I am going to help with the cooking. Your other letter also brought us much joy, that you have such nice friends, that is often worth more than having relatives. Erich Herzberg has also written us a nice letter, next week we are planning to go and see his parents. Gunter is in England, when you write to him do not tell him that the grandpa is dead, he is not supposed to know it yet. With F no one meets anymore at all, [5 words illegible] We no longer have a/the business/shop, since 10.11 and we just have to see how we get by, for that reason alone it is urgent, the sooner we can get away, the better for us. Grandma W
. has been so sweet to us, she invites us so often, so we can save money and she arranges many different things for us. We have lit the Chanukka (Chanukah) lights and talked about you, my heart, and thought about you and thought that you would be with us here. What a ray of hope your letter has been for us during these days. ? Steins ? expect also a certificate, we meet friends, today we paid ? Jankos? A quick visit.
Farewell my beloved, sweet child,
May G-d reward you for all you are doing for us, be embraced, greeted and kissed 10000 times,
Your loving Mum
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.