Letter from Regina Herrmann to Inge Herrmann on 12 March 1939
Object numberM2020/023:072
TitleLetter from Regina Herrmann to Inge Herrmann on 12 March 1939
Creator Regina Herrmann
DescriptionLetter from Regina Herrmann to her daughter Inge Herrmann on 12 March 1939. Regina begins the letter ith her concern on the lengthy delay on her and husband Otto's permit to emigrate to Australia. Regina asks Inge: "tell me, my beloved child, what is going on with the permit, do you think that we will not get one? I am unable to tell you how upset I have been today, what is going to happen to us now?" Regina continues by stating that "the war hasn't started yet." She also relays to Inge that "The Jews are supposed to get to work in factories, daddy will go there as well, naturally."
Regina refers to a 'Miss Wain' who is likely Inge's main host at the time, calling her a "splendid human being" for her treatment of the teenage Inge.
Although the translation is unclear, it is possible that Regina's brother Heinrich moved in with her and Otto. Regina says that "I prefer to be alone with daddy, by the way, one seeks the company of others a lot more now." Heinrich leaves a short message greeting Inge at the end.
Regina also reports that 'Aunt Betty' (Betty Caspari) and uncle are shortly off to Sweden. Following the beginning of the war, Betty in Sweden becomes Inge's main point of contact for her family in Europe.
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 refers to a 'Miss Wain' who is likely Inge's main host at the time, calling her a "splendid human being" for her treatment of the teenage Inge.
Although the translation is unclear, it is possible that Regina's brother Heinrich moved in with her and Otto. Regina says that "I prefer to be alone with daddy, by the way, one seeks the company of others a lot more now." Heinrich leaves a short message greeting Inge at the end.
Regina also reports that 'Aunt Betty' (Betty Caspari) and uncle are shortly off to Sweden. Following the beginning of the war, Betty in Sweden becomes Inge's main point of contact for her family in Europe.
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 1939-03-12
Subjectfamilies, loved ones' contact, immigration, forced labour
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 292.00 mm
height: 210.00 mm
Language
- German Magdeburg, 12.3.39
My dearly beloved, golden child!
This morning, on Sunday, we received your dear letter of 28.2, we warmly thank you for it. We are already happy and content when we learn that you are well and that you are healthy. Tell me, my beloved child, what is going on with the permit, do you think that we will not get one? I am unable to tell you how upset I have been today, what is going to happen to us now? We know, that you are doing everything in your power, but maybe you could go to the Committee again, or perhaps Miss ? T ? could
., who has been so touchingly nice to you. We are no longer bound by any time restraints, the main issue now is to get out and [3 lines illegible] We both are healthy, yes, the war hasn't started yet [7 words illegible]
.. naturally. The Jews are now supposed to get work in the factories, daddy will go there as well, naturally. What a splendid human being Miss Wain must be, when she gives you such wonderful things as presents, be nice and pleasant to her at all times. Doesn't Miss Wain have any children? When we went out to Bukau we heard that you, my dear sweet child had written a reply to E. K., I was moved to tears, that you are so worried about us, no one can do a thing and we are unable to do anything before we don't hold the permit in our hands. A fortnight ago I was in the cemetery with grandma W and imagine, my beloved child, when we came to
there were 2 bundles of flowers on his grave, who could have placed them there, it is a puzzle to all of us, isn't that touching? Kallmansohns are on their way to Shanghai, Li
. ?
.. on their way to USA
.. Prinz has supposedly met an Australian arian man, who wants to marry her, they want to get married in London. ? Trauctchen ? Stein went to
., I went along to the station, I was quite speechless to hear that you have spoken to so many people and even in English, how did it happen that it was you who had to speak? What you write to us, I am surprised that the people are not a bit ashamed that they don't have the decency [3 words illegible] as they knew, that they were going to see you again? You can tell them that, if we should come to S(ydney) with G-d's help, I will ignore them, all the others I would [5 words illegible], I cannot anymore. Don't forget the friendship of the family Herzberg, who know how to behave decently and who will always be nice to you. We are going to speak to Sigrid these days, they are still waiting for the permit, the
are already in Melbourne, ? Tithenbaum ? will leave soon, as well ? Katzmann ? (
.) Tomorrow we will write a letter to Berlin and enclose your dear letter, they will enjoy that very much, I also write very seldom to home, I don't know what to write about all the time, there is nothing good to report and bad news, they have plenty of worries themselves, without us. Aunt Kate has her birthday on 31.3, if I can, I want to give her an apron. My beloved little Inge, please write to us immediately about the permit, otherwise I won't be able to find peace, if I don't know where we are at. You were going to send us a little picture of yourself with the newspapers. Our gentleman has moved in with us and we have a lot of entertainment in the evenings, very often I do not feel like it, I prefer to be alone with daddy, by the way, one seeks the company of others a lot more now. Aunt Betty and uncle are shortly off to Sweden, they already have everything together. ? Werner Lindheim ? has already left with wife and child, they didn't come via/by Magdeburg, and I feel sorry that I couldn't see/hadn't seen them anymore. I am going to finish now, uncle Heinrich wants to write something. Farewell, my beloved child, I greet and kiss you a thousand times, your dearly beloved mother.
Dear Inge! Many thanks for your dear words, for which we thank you. We are all very well here, with me it is still quite uncertain, when I will leave Germany. I am unable to give you Gunther's new address as he is starting in a new position/job, and he hasn't got it himself yet. I
.. even from this long distance
For today cordial greetings and kisses,
Your uncle Heinrich
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.