Object numberM2009/066:002
DescriptionHandwritten letter from Imre Goldner in Sárosd, Hungary to George Medak in Australia, in response to enquires about the whereabout of Medak's brother, sister-in-law and their child, 12 April 1946. The sender has very little news as he struggles to find out what happened to his relations but the little news he has is not good. He writes: “I have some news about your brother Erno from a boy that returned from Auschwitz, that in September 1944, due to illness he passed away in a hospital. About your Mum, sister-in-law and little niece, nothing. I can tell you, that the rural Jewry perished completely. From among ex forced labour men only a handful and only a few young girls came back. I would have liked to bring you better news, but lacking them, I am sorry that I only could bring bad news. I promise you, if somebody would return to Sárosd or if I will have any news about anybody, I will let you know.”
Part of a collection of letters related to George and Iren Medák. George was born in Ercsi, Hungary on 26 February 1900. He viewed with alarm the success of Hitler’s territorial expansion as well as the radicalisation of German antisemitism. The Anschluss in 1938 was the catalyst that prompted him to put into action plans that resulted in his family’s successful emigration to Australia. He immigrated with his wife, Iren (nee Revesz) and six-year-old daughter, Veronica. They arrived in 1939. George tried desperately and repeatedly, albeit unsuccessfully, to get permission for his brother Dr Erno Medák, his wife Boriska and their young daughter Magdalene, to join them in Australia.
In December 1941 George was arrested as an ‘enemy alien’. Detectives took him away from his home to Liverpool internment camp, and from there to Tatura. He was released after about five weeks, and in February 1942 he joined the Australian Army. He had nothing but praise for the quality of care whilst in detention. During this time, his wife “walked the streets of Lane Cove” obtaining character references from friends, neighbours, work colleagues and the church ministry in order to petition for her husband’s release.
After the German occupation of Hungary—March 1944— letters from Erno stopped arriving. George’s quest to discover the fate of his family resulted in 22 letters of response from friends, neighbours and officials such as the Post Master in the villages of Sárosd and Seregélyes. They offer rare insight into the experiences of Jews living in rural Hungary, as well as the Nazi-allied Hungarian regime’s anti-Jewish laws, its forced labour service (munkaszolgálat), ghettoization, searching for “hidden Jewish wealth”, despair, suicide, deportation, and the decimation of rural Jewry. Through the letters he learned that his brother Dr Erno Medák and Erno’s wife Boriska, their young daughter Magdalena (Magdi) were murdered in Auschwitz in 1944; George’s mother Gisella Medák was also murdered.
George died June 1955. Veronica’s parents had hidden the knowledge that they were Jewish and she only found out in 1972 when her mother died. The collection includes copies of the letters of reference and a travel permit allowing Iren to travel for her dressmaking business and her daughter’s music lessons.
Part of a collection of letters related to George and Iren Medák. George was born in Ercsi, Hungary on 26 February 1900. He viewed with alarm the success of Hitler’s territorial expansion as well as the radicalisation of German antisemitism. The Anschluss in 1938 was the catalyst that prompted him to put into action plans that resulted in his family’s successful emigration to Australia. He immigrated with his wife, Iren (nee Revesz) and six-year-old daughter, Veronica. They arrived in 1939. George tried desperately and repeatedly, albeit unsuccessfully, to get permission for his brother Dr Erno Medák, his wife Boriska and their young daughter Magdalene, to join them in Australia.
In December 1941 George was arrested as an ‘enemy alien’. Detectives took him away from his home to Liverpool internment camp, and from there to Tatura. He was released after about five weeks, and in February 1942 he joined the Australian Army. He had nothing but praise for the quality of care whilst in detention. During this time, his wife “walked the streets of Lane Cove” obtaining character references from friends, neighbours, work colleagues and the church ministry in order to petition for her husband’s release.
After the German occupation of Hungary—March 1944— letters from Erno stopped arriving. George’s quest to discover the fate of his family resulted in 22 letters of response from friends, neighbours and officials such as the Post Master in the villages of Sárosd and Seregélyes. They offer rare insight into the experiences of Jews living in rural Hungary, as well as the Nazi-allied Hungarian regime’s anti-Jewish laws, its forced labour service (munkaszolgálat), ghettoization, searching for “hidden Jewish wealth”, despair, suicide, deportation, and the decimation of rural Jewry. Through the letters he learned that his brother Dr Erno Medák and Erno’s wife Boriska, their young daughter Magdalena (Magdi) were murdered in Auschwitz in 1944; George’s mother Gisella Medák was also murdered.
George died June 1955. Veronica’s parents had hidden the knowledge that they were Jewish and she only found out in 1972 when her mother died. The collection includes copies of the letters of reference and a travel permit allowing Iren to travel for her dressmaking business and her daughter’s music lessons.
Production placeHungary
Production date 1946-04-12
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 153.00 mm
height: 197.00 mm
Language
- Hungarian Dear Mr Medák!
I received your letter dated the 10th of last month and I am replying to it immediately. Unfortunately, like I lack news about my familiars, I also hardly have any news about your dear relatives.
First of all about Nándor and Braun and their families, with whom we went together from Sárosd to Sárbogárd, on the 17th of May, 944; I inform you that together with Nándor we returned to Tükrös Puszta, that belongs to Sárosd, on the 21st of May, to work on the fields, thanks to the good intentions of the count of Sárosd.
The count, and us as well, hoped that we could stay there until the end of the war. But the following day I received a letter conscripting me to a labour unit in Szekszárd and we were separated. I kept in contact by correspondence with my brother József, who was also at Tükrös (Puszta) and my family, left in Sárbogárd, as long as it was possible. So I know with certainty that Nándor returned to the family at Sárbogárd on the 23rd of June. On the 1st of July they were taken together to Kaposvár, from whence they went to Auschwitz two days later. Since when they left Kaposvár, all contact ceased. Andriska (is a diminutive of Andris, it would indicate a small child) went with them, so the news that he perished already at Sárbogárd, is not true. Aunty Marcsa died in 942 at Sárosd. Mandel Imre and his wife committed suicide the day before having to leave Sárbogárd. They were buried there.
(end of page 1)
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Their two children, Ági and Sanyi returned from Auschwitz. The two children were made prisoners when the Germans marched in to Budapest on the 19th of March, 944; they were taken to Kistarcsa, and from there, on the 10th of April, torn away from their parents, they were sent to the cursed place. From Auschwitz nobody returned to Sárosd, or even to the Trans-Danube, that would have travelled together with them, or would have seen them in Auschwitz. There is no more hope that even one will make it back. I lost my Mother, wife, my son and daughter, brother and sister and her husband and also my brother’s wife perished.
The Medák’s house in Sárosd is standing, in a very abject state. The air pressure of a bomb that exploded on the street shaved off the rendering from the walls. Also took off the slates from the roof. Currently a family is living in the house. They repaired two rooms looking out to the street and the roof above those two rooms. The rest of the building is roofless. In September is going to be a year that a relative of yours, also a Medák, visited Sárosd. He lives in Szent Lorinc. I don’t know his given name, because I didn’t meet him, but seemingly is József. The postmaster, who lives in the other house, said, that he will renovate the house. But since then, I don’t know anything about him. Also, one of the younger sisters of Nándor visited Sárosd twice. Last time mentioned with joy, that the brother, who lives in Austria, wrote to her. Sárosd was a frontline during 4 months. The village changed hands four times. The constant grenade
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hits, sporadic bomb attacks were topped by 3 carpet-bombing’s. I was caught in the last one. I returned home on the 4th of March and then the front was at Csillagmajor, 1 ½ Km from us. The furniture and other possessions were completely lost. The ones belonging to Jews, naturally were taken earlier by the fascists. (last 3 words in the original very hard to read, I hope I read them correctly)
I have some news about your brother Erno from a boy (:Kis:) that returned from Auschwitz, that in September 944, due to illness he passed away in a hospital. About your Mum, sister in law and little niece, nothing.
I can tell you, that the rural Jewry perished completely. From among ex forced labour men only a handful and only a few young girls came back.
I would have liked to bring you better news, but lacking them, I am sorry that I only could bring bad news. I promise you, if somebody would return to Sárosd or if I will have any news about anybody, I will let you know.
Best regards
Goldner Imre
Sárosd, 12th of Apr. 1946
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Dr Veronica Goldrick