Object numberM2010/122:022
DescriptionLetter, in German, from Jorge Cohn in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to Alice and Gerda Krohn in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, 19 March 1945. It mentions that he found their search notice in a construction magazine, 'Aufbau'. He refers to family and friends that have scattered throughtout the world after World War II. He has been in Brazil since 1937; he gathers from the missing person's report that the girls' parents, our cousin, Martin and Trude, travelled to Genoa or Riveduto. "Hopefully you have had signs of life from your parents."
Part of a collection of material purchased at an auction in Annandale when a lot came up but no one bid on it. The donor realized it was going to be thrown away and bid $5 for it. He did it because he dislikes when people's history is discarded. He saw that some of the correspondence was related to Jewish welfare and thought therefore to donate the collection to the Sydney Jewish Museum.
Part of a collection of material purchased at an auction in Annandale when a lot came up but no one bid on it. The donor realized it was going to be thrown away and bid $5 for it. He did it because he dislikes when people's history is discarded. He saw that some of the correspondence was related to Jewish welfare and thought therefore to donate the collection to the Sydney Jewish Museum.
Production placeBrazil
Production date 1945-03-19 - 1945-03-19
Subjectcommunications, friendship, signs of life
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 198.00 mm
height: 274.00 mm
Language
- German 19-3-45
Porto Alegre
Alice and Gerda Krohn
1 Roslyn Road, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, Australia
Dear girls,
You would not believe our happy surprise of what we found in ‘Construction’ magazine (‘Aufbau’) from 24-1-45 in your advertisement. We received the construction from Bruno, who has lived since in Portland/Oregon, USA, and address: 2145 NW. Gleasan Street. Naturally the newspaper, always shipped from USA to Brazil, where we went in 1937, approximately 2 months airmail is much faster. Hopefully you still know who we are, probably you, lovely Alice, will remember, as you were – trainee teacher or student – on the Kurfuerstendamm – lived then and we saw each other more often. Later we heard you went to Italy, and out of the missing person’s report we saw that your parents, our fathers, Cousins Martin and Trude travelled to Genoa and Riveduto. Hopefully you have had luck with your advertisement, and have found a life signal (sign of life) from your parents, we wish it from our hearts. What are you doing in Australia? Presumably after X stops you have arrived and have much to tell? You have not married? I heard about something. Cohn’s family are generally outside. Bruno, lives in the USA. Hans the eldest is a soldier, and Peter studies chemistry – Julie and Herta in England, both work at home (Herta is in a Restaurant business – started last year) and not married and three brothers, Arnold with family, Siegfried and I are in Brazil, Nanni with family in Bolivia, La Paz, the eldest daughter Eva, since October 1944 also married. We have lived since four years in Sao Paolo, and took over Jorge agencies, and since 1941 we have been here and last year Siegfried came with his friend, we lived with them, we also worked with them, the men sometimes travel and sell in the office. Over time we have been able to gain much experience. There is no lack of illnesses in the unfamiliar climate, but in general we can be glad, to steal time from the barbarians. My siblings have unfortunately gone missing, be it if they stayed in Berlin, or to Holland, Poland or Shanghai. It is a sad chapter, and have not heard anything since 1941, even with efforts from Rio and USA. No progress. I do not want to prattle any further. Should you have time and be interested to answer, we would be very happy. I have a very big unusual correspondence scope and am very happy to hear from relatives and old friends, and to stay in contact with them. Unfortunately families fall apart already through these unusual times, I find that the fewer there are, the more that we need to hold together. What happened to Gert Alexander, Panthauers, Mosses etc. etc.? Treitels write more from Montevideo, however no longer, but it is not impossible that one would see them again.
Best Wishes, all the best.
Your Hilde.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Thomas Mackenzie