Work reference letter for Anny Pressburger
Object numberM2022/003:012
TitleWork reference letter for Anny Pressburger
DescriptionLetter of recommendation written by Antonia (Anny) Pressburger's previous employer. The letter details that Anny worked as an apprentice for the export business from September 9, 1935 to September 9, 1937. They describe Anny as loyal and diligent in her work. This certificate is dated 9 July 1938.
Antonia (Anny) Itzkowic (nee Pressburger) was born on 18 April 1921 in Vienna to Salomon and Gisela Pressburger (nee Schlesinger). She had two older sisters, Mancy (b.1910) and Elly (b. 1914). The family moved from Poland to Austria during early 1920-1921 and became Austrian citizens in December 1927. Anny trained as an embroiderer and worked as an apprentice in an export business, receiving her trade certificate on 12 October 1937.
Due to the rise of antisemitism in Vienna, the Pressburger family made plans to escape. Both Mancy and Elly immigrated to Australia by 23 October 1938. At age 17, Anny's parents applied for her to leave for England and she arrived on the 3 December 1938. Before leaving, she was required to obtain multiple travel clearances from various departments within the Austrian Government. In a one page letter written by her immigration reference, Mr Stanley Pollard Bitten, Anny was due to live in England solely as a visitor rather than worker. This is presumably due to her intention to travel beyond London which is evidenced by her application for an Australian visa in May 1939. However, she was unable to pay for the fares required and stayed in England. Within her identification documents, the Australia visa is stamped 'Guarantee Abandoned' by September 1940.
Whilst living in England she worked in a variety of domestic roles, firstly as an au pair and then as a trainee for uniform tailoring. After the outbreak of war, she worked in a variety of manual occupations including a luminizer or scientific instrument maker at the Radium Light Company and then an assembler at Moise Dreyfuss Ltd in 1943.
Anny met Salomon Itzkowic in London after he escaped the Argeles-sur-Mer concentration camp and was smuggled out of Europe in 1943. Salomon spotted Anny on an underground train and later approached her. Although at first rejecting his suit, he persisted and visited her every day. Salomon married Anny in St John's Wood Synagogue on 2 June 1946. They had a son, David, and eventually migrated to Australia in November 1948.
Sponsored by their son in law, Eugen Schischa, Salomon and Gisela received approval to travel to Australia from Bremen on 1 May 1939. Yet this visa was cancelled and they were unable to leave Vienna. The couple soon lost their flat and were forced to move to share accommodation. Salomon eventually died of a heart attack on the 28 December 1941. The family describes that Gisela went out to go shopping and never returned to her flat. She was deported from Vienna on Transport 24, 2 June 1942. This transport went to Minsk and Blagovshchina Forest in Belarus. She was later murdered.
Antonia (Anny) Itzkowic (nee Pressburger) was born on 18 April 1921 in Vienna to Salomon and Gisela Pressburger (nee Schlesinger). She had two older sisters, Mancy (b.1910) and Elly (b. 1914). The family moved from Poland to Austria during early 1920-1921 and became Austrian citizens in December 1927. Anny trained as an embroiderer and worked as an apprentice in an export business, receiving her trade certificate on 12 October 1937.
Due to the rise of antisemitism in Vienna, the Pressburger family made plans to escape. Both Mancy and Elly immigrated to Australia by 23 October 1938. At age 17, Anny's parents applied for her to leave for England and she arrived on the 3 December 1938. Before leaving, she was required to obtain multiple travel clearances from various departments within the Austrian Government. In a one page letter written by her immigration reference, Mr Stanley Pollard Bitten, Anny was due to live in England solely as a visitor rather than worker. This is presumably due to her intention to travel beyond London which is evidenced by her application for an Australian visa in May 1939. However, she was unable to pay for the fares required and stayed in England. Within her identification documents, the Australia visa is stamped 'Guarantee Abandoned' by September 1940.
Whilst living in England she worked in a variety of domestic roles, firstly as an au pair and then as a trainee for uniform tailoring. After the outbreak of war, she worked in a variety of manual occupations including a luminizer or scientific instrument maker at the Radium Light Company and then an assembler at Moise Dreyfuss Ltd in 1943.
Anny met Salomon Itzkowic in London after he escaped the Argeles-sur-Mer concentration camp and was smuggled out of Europe in 1943. Salomon spotted Anny on an underground train and later approached her. Although at first rejecting his suit, he persisted and visited her every day. Salomon married Anny in St John's Wood Synagogue on 2 June 1946. They had a son, David, and eventually migrated to Australia in November 1948.
Sponsored by their son in law, Eugen Schischa, Salomon and Gisela received approval to travel to Australia from Bremen on 1 May 1939. Yet this visa was cancelled and they were unable to leave Vienna. The couple soon lost their flat and were forced to move to share accommodation. Salomon eventually died of a heart attack on the 28 December 1941. The family describes that Gisela went out to go shopping and never returned to her flat. She was deported from Vienna on Transport 24, 2 June 1942. This transport went to Minsk and Blagovshchina Forest in Belarus. She was later murdered.
Production placeVienna, Austria
Production date 1938-07-09
Production periodpre-World War II
Subjectcitizenship, immigration, world that was, escape, escape pre-war, education, workers
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 225.00 mm
height: 270.00 mm
Language
- German
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by David Itzkowic. This collection is donated in memory of Anny and Salomon Itzkowic.