compensation claims
Object numberM2013/035:045
Titlecompensation claims
DescriptionThis German document and a partial translation of in English, dated 4th October 1962 is from Dr. Oskar Mohring in Munich to Dr. A. B. Michaelis in Cape Town. There correspondence is in regards to the compensation claims made by Laura Freedman and is a continuation of another letter in this collection [M2013/035:044]. This letter goes into more detail concerning Laura Freedman’s experiences throughout the Second World War. This is a significant document as it demonstrates the different ways in which Laura was affected by the war and what was required in order to gain compensation for these losses.
Part of a collection of documents, including a 'P' badge, Arbeitskarte (Workers Card), letters, photographs and compensation claims donated by Roberta Freedman (daughter), that tells the story of her mother's escape from a ghetto, survival using false papers under the assumed name of Janina Senczuk, and work as a Polish forced labourer in Germany.
Laura Pocher (nee Wachs) was born in Lvov, Poland, in 1916. She lived with her parents, Mayer and Rebecca Wachs; she had two older brothers, Henri and Oscar, and two older sisters, Dorothy and Anna. Her brothers migrated to South Africa in their late teens to live with maternal relatives. Her father died in 1935.
After completing school, Laura participated in Hachshara, a Zionist agricultural training program, preparing youth to immigrate to Palestine, where she met Maurice Pocher, a dental technician. They married on 20 September 1940. On 23 March 1942 there was a raid on Jewish homes. Her mother was taken away by the Gestapo, never to be seen again, together with her sisters and their families. Laura escaped to a Polish friend's house where she was hidden for 10 days. She managed to obtain a birth certificate on the black market that belonged to a Catholic woman named Janina Senczuk. In August 1942, she again had to hide during a mass raid on Jews - in a cellar of a demolished house at night and in the daytime in the woods. On 7 September she was incarcerated with her husband in the Lvov ghetto.
On the eve of 25 November 1942, she escaped from the ghetto with money from her husband and with the help of a Polish friend of her fathers. He helped her to get a train to Krakow, and from there to Warsaw where she got a job as a seamstress with a company, Industrie Betrieb - Karol Szmidt, from the end of 1942 to May 1943. In a May 1943 street raid, she was caught and sent to do compulsory labour in Germany along with other Polish workers, working "as a kitchen maid and farm hand, from 5am to 11pm". She had to scrub floors and attend to the pigs and poultry, remaining on the farm until liberation.
Following liberation, with the help of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), she went to a DP camp in Bregenz, Austria. She struggled to reclaim her true identity, eventually having to obtain a certificate from the chief Rabbi in Austria to confirm her identity as Laura Pocher. She heard from a dentist who used to work with her husband that Maurice had died in the ghetto, most likely due to typhoid. Hoping this was not true, Laura tried to trace him through the Red Cross, but in vain.
From Bregenz, she went to Strassburg, France, and from there to Paris where she found work at a fashion house, working from September 1946 to February 1947, earning money for her trip to South Africa; to join her brothers whom she had located through the Red Cross.
She arrived in South Africa on 31 March 1947. She married a homosexual friend in June 1949, to obtain citizenship; the marriage ended in divorce in December 1950. Laura then met Morris Freedman, born 11 November 1908 to Russian parents Jacob and Henrietta Freedman, who had settled in London and had a 'schmatte' business. Morris was enlisted in the British army during the war in the Sinai, and then emigrated to South Africa. They married 27 September 1951 and had two children, Michael and Roberta. In 1960 the Freedman's began applying for positions in Australia; he arrived in 1960 and Laura and children arrived in April 1961 on the Dominion Monarch.
Part of a collection of documents, including a 'P' badge, Arbeitskarte (Workers Card), letters, photographs and compensation claims donated by Roberta Freedman (daughter), that tells the story of her mother's escape from a ghetto, survival using false papers under the assumed name of Janina Senczuk, and work as a Polish forced labourer in Germany.
Laura Pocher (nee Wachs) was born in Lvov, Poland, in 1916. She lived with her parents, Mayer and Rebecca Wachs; she had two older brothers, Henri and Oscar, and two older sisters, Dorothy and Anna. Her brothers migrated to South Africa in their late teens to live with maternal relatives. Her father died in 1935.
After completing school, Laura participated in Hachshara, a Zionist agricultural training program, preparing youth to immigrate to Palestine, where she met Maurice Pocher, a dental technician. They married on 20 September 1940. On 23 March 1942 there was a raid on Jewish homes. Her mother was taken away by the Gestapo, never to be seen again, together with her sisters and their families. Laura escaped to a Polish friend's house where she was hidden for 10 days. She managed to obtain a birth certificate on the black market that belonged to a Catholic woman named Janina Senczuk. In August 1942, she again had to hide during a mass raid on Jews - in a cellar of a demolished house at night and in the daytime in the woods. On 7 September she was incarcerated with her husband in the Lvov ghetto.
On the eve of 25 November 1942, she escaped from the ghetto with money from her husband and with the help of a Polish friend of her fathers. He helped her to get a train to Krakow, and from there to Warsaw where she got a job as a seamstress with a company, Industrie Betrieb - Karol Szmidt, from the end of 1942 to May 1943. In a May 1943 street raid, she was caught and sent to do compulsory labour in Germany along with other Polish workers, working "as a kitchen maid and farm hand, from 5am to 11pm". She had to scrub floors and attend to the pigs and poultry, remaining on the farm until liberation.
Following liberation, with the help of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), she went to a DP camp in Bregenz, Austria. She struggled to reclaim her true identity, eventually having to obtain a certificate from the chief Rabbi in Austria to confirm her identity as Laura Pocher. She heard from a dentist who used to work with her husband that Maurice had died in the ghetto, most likely due to typhoid. Hoping this was not true, Laura tried to trace him through the Red Cross, but in vain.
From Bregenz, she went to Strassburg, France, and from there to Paris where she found work at a fashion house, working from September 1946 to February 1947, earning money for her trip to South Africa; to join her brothers whom she had located through the Red Cross.
She arrived in South Africa on 31 March 1947. She married a homosexual friend in June 1949, to obtain citizenship; the marriage ended in divorce in December 1950. Laura then met Morris Freedman, born 11 November 1908 to Russian parents Jacob and Henrietta Freedman, who had settled in London and had a 'schmatte' business. Morris was enlisted in the British army during the war in the Sinai, and then emigrated to South Africa. They married 27 September 1951 and had two children, Michael and Roberta. In 1960 the Freedman's began applying for positions in Australia; he arrived in 1960 and Laura and children arrived in April 1961 on the Dominion Monarch.
Production placeMunich, Germany
Production date 1962-10-04
Subjectcompensation claims, loved ones' fates
Object nameofficial correspondence
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- a width: 299.00 mm
a height: 295.00 mm
b width: 200.00 mm
b height: 249.00 mm
Language
- German
4.10.1962
Compensation Freedman
Dear Colleague,
We acknowledge with thanks the receipt of your polite letter of 18.08.1962.
We have again studied the claims Freedman and came to the conclusion that our claims will be rejected unless we do not at least give some more explanations in detail to the following matters:
1. Claims Laura Freedman in her personal capacity:
a) Injury to body and health
Up till now, it has been claimed that during the winter 1940/41 Mrs. Freedman, during the time of forced labour, has been ill-treated and raped.
In addition that she was hit over the head during her arrest and following this, suffered a strong loss of blood.
For this claim it is essential according to 28 Abs. 3 BEG that the damage is considerable, e.e. that the bodily and mental efficiency was lastingly affected or can still be affected. Without this proof or at least without a detailed, credible statement in this respect, the claim has no chance of success.
[2]
b) Claims for damage to property and assets
So far only submitted that the applicant had inherited 1/3rd from her late father in 1935. It is essential here to specify how much was the value of the assets that the applicant has lost. In this respect can also confirm of the two brothers living in South Africa by the applicant, Oscar and Henry Wachs. So far, there is only the assurance that the two brothers waive their inheritance after their mother in favor of the applicant.
2. Claims of Mrs. Laura Freedman as heir to her husband and her mother
a) Claims for damage to life
This claim is still the most promising. However, it is necessary that we resubmit the following data relating to:
1. Entering into the marriage and divorce Bleiman;
2. Entering into marriage with Mr. Freedman.
Based on this information, we hope to be able to reach a cash compensation by 24 BEG for the applicant.
b) Claims for damage to property and assets
Claims for the above applies here too 1 b) predicted: This required at least an indication, in which the High losses have occurred. The only number that has been called by the applicant to date is the sum of DM 20,000. RM = 40,000 DM in their application dated 22.06.1954. This sum covers all the various claims submitted.
The proposal contained in your letter dated 08.18.1962 to execute the entire damage claims also requires at least to quantify the amount
In your letter on 18.8.1962, the proposal included a comparative completion of the entire complex damages also requires that we at least quantify the amount of our claims.
[3]
From the Office for reparation of Rhineland-Palatinate in Berlin, we have now heard nothing further.
The information requested by us is of course only the minimum requirements for a justification for the requests.
Please tell Mrs. Freedman that with every detail they can tell us, can only improve the prospects of their requests.
Collegial with respect
signed Dr. Mohring
attorney
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Mrs Roberta Freedman