Object numberM2011/034:038
DescriptionLetter dated 2 December 1939 sent to Jurgen Steuerwald living in England from his brother Gerhard, living in North Sydney, Australia. Gerhard wishes his brother a Happy 14th Birthday. He also sends him best wishes for Christmas, which he states should be a festival of Peace but these days is not’. He reminds Jurgen to be grateful that he is not in Germany where their mother and grandmother unavoidably are. He hopes the Nazis will be conquered soon.
This letter forms part of a collection of 40 letters and postcards dating from the 1930’s that were sent to Jurgen Steuerwald in England, the majority, from his mother, living in Germany and his brother Gerhard, living in Australia. The contrast between the descriptions of life in Australia and England where the two brothers live in safety, and of the fear and danger borne by their mother living in Germany provide a striking contrast.
This letter forms part of a collection of 40 letters and postcards dating from the 1930’s that were sent to Jurgen Steuerwald in England, the majority, from his mother, living in Germany and his brother Gerhard, living in Australia. The contrast between the descriptions of life in Australia and England where the two brothers live in safety, and of the fear and danger borne by their mother living in Germany provide a striking contrast.
Production placeSydney, New South Wales, Australia, England
Production date 1939-12-02
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- length: 254.00 mm
width: 202.00 mm
Language
- German My dear Jürgen!
Unfortunately I only realized today that you are going to celebrate your 14th birthday on Christmas. This letter will most probably not reach you in time to pass on my dearest congratulations for your birthday and to wish you all the best for the future. Hopefully you will not hold my unpunctuality against me.
I recently heard from Jochen and his parents. What are you doing at school? Are you able to follow lessons or are you finding it difficult to keep up with the others? I hope that you are making progress and that you are getting satisfactory marks. Christmas will most probably be less nice for you. Nevertheless, you can draw comfort from the fact that most people in the world will not have a joyful Christmas this year, which make the celebrations in peace time to a symbol of peace and lightheartedness. Nevertheless do try to make the best out of Christmas. This advice will unfortunately reach you too late.
You should be happy that you are not in Germany at the moment. You would not even receive enough soap to wash yourself! The shortage, which has been becoming noticeable in the past years, is becoming more of a burden, until the Nazis, as I am wishing for, will run out of breath. Mother and grandmother will have to find themselves in the inevitable (?), no one can change that. Hopefully the national socialists (Nazis) will be defeated soon, so that peace can be restored.
I wish that in your new year of age you will gain more wisdom and reason and that you will be well. The latter is probably the most important thing during war.
Take dearest greetings and congratulations from your brother
Gerhard.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Jean Stewart