Номер объектаM2020/040:011
ОписаниеLetters from Artur Seidl in Lodz, Poland, to Elsa Strauss and her daughter Hetty in England in April 1939. Artur was a relative of Elsa's late husband Jakob Strauss. Elsa and Hetty had stayed with him for a time in late 1938 or early 1939 in Czechoslovakia, but got out before the German occupation. Elsa and Hetty returned to Austria before they immigrated to London in March 1939. Artur moved to Lodz. Artur's letters offer advice and support, and also seek help from Elsa for a mutual friend, Lily Stern.
Artur escaped Lodz in early 1940, managing to get to Shanghai. He immigrated to America in July 1947.
Part of a collection of 71 letters and postcards, a diary and driver's license relating to Henrietta (Hetty) Hardy (nee Strauss), her mother Elsa Strauss (nee Sonnenfeld) and her grandmother Karolina Sonnenfeld (nee Löwy).
Hetty was born 21 April 1920 in Vienna. They family lived in an apartment in the city but owned a large farm about 25km away. When her father Jacob died of heart failure in 1929, they moved into her maternal grandmother's apartment, so Karolina could look after Hetty while Elsa worked at the farm. They lived there for six years; the three women were incredibly close.
After the Anschluss in March 1938, Elsa was stripped of her ownership of the farm. Hetty eventually received a domestic permit to live in England and immigrated at the beginning of March 1939. She worked as an au pair in Sussex. Hetty was considered a 'friendly alien' – her father was born in Czechoslovakia and as a result she had attained a Czech passport. Elsa was torn between following her daughter and staying to support her mother, but at the urging of family she soon followed Hetty at the end of March 1939.
Almost immediately after arriving, Elsa met Edward Bingham, a retired farmer who travelled frequently between England and New Zealand. Elsa and Edward married in April 1939, which was a marriage of convenience and compassion. Edward allowed Elsa to receive British citizenship and save her farm in Vienna, which became foreign owned. He also enabled Elsa and Hetty to attain a permit for New Zealand, and they left in August 1940. Edward soon moved back to England and their marriage was dissolved.
Hetty and Else remained in frequent contact with Karolina throughout 1939-1940, however their letters mostly ceased at the onset of war. Both Elsa and her brother Richard, who was living in Venezuela, tried to get a visa for Karolina but were unsuccessful. On 23 October 1941 she was deported to Lodz ghetto. In 1942 she was deported to a concentration camp where she was murdered. The family never learned the details of her fate, and always felt a lack of closure.
While on vacation in Australia in December 1947, Hetty met Nathan Hardy, soon became engaged, and married in April 1948 in Sydney.
Artur escaped Lodz in early 1940, managing to get to Shanghai. He immigrated to America in July 1947.
Part of a collection of 71 letters and postcards, a diary and driver's license relating to Henrietta (Hetty) Hardy (nee Strauss), her mother Elsa Strauss (nee Sonnenfeld) and her grandmother Karolina Sonnenfeld (nee Löwy).
Hetty was born 21 April 1920 in Vienna. They family lived in an apartment in the city but owned a large farm about 25km away. When her father Jacob died of heart failure in 1929, they moved into her maternal grandmother's apartment, so Karolina could look after Hetty while Elsa worked at the farm. They lived there for six years; the three women were incredibly close.
After the Anschluss in March 1938, Elsa was stripped of her ownership of the farm. Hetty eventually received a domestic permit to live in England and immigrated at the beginning of March 1939. She worked as an au pair in Sussex. Hetty was considered a 'friendly alien' – her father was born in Czechoslovakia and as a result she had attained a Czech passport. Elsa was torn between following her daughter and staying to support her mother, but at the urging of family she soon followed Hetty at the end of March 1939.
Almost immediately after arriving, Elsa met Edward Bingham, a retired farmer who travelled frequently between England and New Zealand. Elsa and Edward married in April 1939, which was a marriage of convenience and compassion. Edward allowed Elsa to receive British citizenship and save her farm in Vienna, which became foreign owned. He also enabled Elsa and Hetty to attain a permit for New Zealand, and they left in August 1940. Edward soon moved back to England and their marriage was dissolved.
Hetty and Else remained in frequent contact with Karolina throughout 1939-1940, however their letters mostly ceased at the onset of war. Both Elsa and her brother Richard, who was living in Venezuela, tried to get a visa for Karolina but were unsuccessful. On 23 October 1941 she was deported to Lodz ghetto. In 1942 she was deported to a concentration camp where she was murdered. The family never learned the details of her fate, and always felt a lack of closure.
While on vacation in Australia in December 1947, Hetty met Nathan Hardy, soon became engaged, and married in April 1948 in Sydney.
Наименованиеletters
Материалpaper
Язык
- German M2020/040:011a From Arthur Seidl, Lodz, 09 April 1939.
To: Hetti.
Dear Hetti, All over again I have delayed my reply to your letter because first of all I was awaiting the news that the matter with Lotte has been settled. And yesterday, after a period of anxiety, I was advised that the requested documents had been passed on to you so that they have to be already in your possession . In any case I am asking you to inform me how everything has been settled according to your wishes. Lilly Stern has written that your mother is now just ready before her departure to England. or even has already left. The exact conditions are not quite clear to me and understandably I wont write much about it to Vienna. And of course I would like to know what exactly happened. In your leter you mention your efforts about a permit for your mother Did your efforts have any quick results ? This wold really have been a terrific bit of good luck and proof of your commitment. By the way, Lilly St(?) is also writing that you are feeling fine in your new surroundings and even find the opportunity to suffer and too much heartbreak ( ? ). And if now mother will be coming over there or is there already we can congratulate you, with all the bad luck, as things have worked . What is grandmother Sonnenfeld doing now in Vienna out. For her it must of course very difficult to be left all alone. Are there any prospects to get her out as well ? What news are there received from uncle Richard ? I have got an acquaintance here , a certain Dr. Zimmer, whose brother, a Viennees (?) transport (?) official who ëmigrated after spending time in Dachau too from this regal …? At least a few days ago by way of some information he arrived here from this gentleman and so I assume that uncle Richard too is settled down relatively well.
M2020/040:011b From: Arthur (?) 15/04/1939.
To Else, My letter to Hetti crossed with yours and so I received, earlier than expected, replies to my questions. This must have been a real phantom (?) effort that you have accomplished and we can only thank fate that it succeeded in such a dazzling way. Indeed, for me it is a great pleasure that you have been liberated from hell and are now living again in a free country. Without knowing the details it is quite obvious to me how it is connected with the big tasks ahead you are striving with. But I do know you and you know how you understand how to fight and to-day this is the main requirement. I wont have to reassure you a lot how much the details of your position and ongoing plans are of interest to me. Most of all have you got some modest starting points for the final result in the shortest possible time ? The family Dannesberg (?) are surely valuable friends to you which is mst valuable to you in your situation. Have you got in your country more acquaintances and connections that could be of some use to you. In which direction at all are your plans focussed in the near future ? The ownership of “Moosbr…..? can only be regarded as an illusion. Have you got prospects to sell it somehow and to rescue it, at least in part or does it more sense to wait for an about-turn which will have to follow and in such a way give up, not voluntarily, your ownership claim. I have the impression that the tensions in the world have reached such a peak that the final decision will not be delayed for a long time. It is difficult to predict a clear verdict however. It is not only a feeling to assume, on grounds of special deliberation, that the present Government in Germany will go down and disappear. The fight will however get terrible and whoever will survive will be able to lock ahead for better times. We have to be sorry for your mother have been abandoned, left behind. But you for sure have done the right thing because only this way can really help her too. What news have you got about Richard ? How is he feeling in this exotic country. Has he already managed to get something organized , how is he keep busy ? I am convinced that for him too this is only a temporary arrangement which one has to endure however. At least he is far removed from Sch…? And to-day this is of the greatest importance. That you too are thinking about the H….? is most significant. That you too are thinking about the …..? is very nice of you and I would ask you sincerely to do everything possible in this connection. A few days ago I got a letter from Lilly where for the first time there appears very clearly a mood of desperation is how awfully those people are managing. We should have to try, for the time being to get out Lilly and Ernstl. As far as I know they have got entry to the USA in August. So it will be a question to get a stay somehow in the meantime for three to 4 months. I would much appreciate if you would make the effort to accept this information If I would be successful to find some person in England who guarantee to make available about fifty Pound sterling, it would then be possible for the Sterns to get permission to stay until the further travel on to America. I believe a thing like that could be implemented and I will make effort to make it possible. Don’t be cross with me that I am getting you involved with all these requests, but I am really sorry for these people but we can’t ourselves be tortured like them. Furthermore you would be better informed about the conditions than I. As for myself you would be surely better informed by my letter to Hetti that I got extension to stay till October. Beyond that I have made no …..? preparations. This is really foolish but being impossible to find a decent way forward. For the time being we have some sort of existence here although the conditions here are getting worse and so we close our eyes and keep on living and keep on expecting. And so dear Else, I am counting on getting further news from you again. In the meantime best wishes from Hetti too, Your Arthur.
M2020/040:011c From Arthur Seidl, Lodz, 22 April 1939.
The letter, written by Artur, contains allusions regarding to Else’s relationship to Mr. Bingham and their marriage. He complimented her and encouraged Else for her further steps and future. He also wrote about Hetty and his evaluation of the circumstances: “Furthermore I am pleased, that Hetty has new opportunities. She has become an independent little human being. […] But we should not forget, in periods of easing of tension that it is very important to stand on one’s own feet. […] Unfortunately the political situation become more and more tense, what you might feel as well. The reaction to the business and personal situation become increasingly noticeable, on the other hand one see intensively that one couldn’t do anything against it. And so one remain at one’s position, as long as it works out. One is so reckless and keeps on to continuingly calm oneself down in order to find a way out. And this is how it might will be.”
He hops he will see Else and her family again soon. “For the time being I ask you to let me hear from you as often as possible and in detail.”
M2020/040:011d from Artur Seidl to Else 13 may 1939
Dear Else, many thanks for your letter. Am delighted to hear from you again ensuring your decision, which will deliver what you wanted to achieve, above everything the proper future on human relationship. It would be beautiful if you will succeed. To really save Moosbrunn… and as it seems there is every hope for that. How are you going in your new surroundings? It can’t be very easy to fit in, into the completely strange conditions. But I can well imagine that for a person like yourself the new surroundings will appear like a paradise, remembering the adventures in our joint past living place. As for the postcard, after a lengthy search, I managed to establish that your present home is a small island on the French coast, I didn’t even know that a thing like that exists. From Hetti I only managed to… water… is this the permanent residence of your husband or did you only now choose it? In any case, just at present, a place like that, lonely and yet in the heart of Europe is a place of yearning of many people. In your letter you have been very kind to mention that you have taken some steps in the Stern situation. I am very grateful for this and am asking you to continue your efforts as far as possible. I have in fact received a letter from Lily which, full of despair, is a departure from her normal type of writing. It is however impossible to conclude the clear facts which understandably it contains in mentioning “I have heard that it is our turn now… so that I am afraid that Else’s help will come too late”. Of course I can’t judge whether this mood is connected to nerves mentioned earlier or to real facts. In any case one can imagine that these poor people have runout of any more strength. It is clear enough that for many reasons it is not easy, conclusively as you might wish, to deal with it. But I hope that you won’t blame me if I am asking you again to try all possible to help the Sterns to persevere in security a few of the months till their departure to America. A secure life, which I mentioned earlier will be possible to realise within the borders. How is Hetti? Is she happy with her ongoing situation? What do you hear about Richard? What is he doing, mainly coming to terms with the climate, where is he heading with his intentions? What plans have you got concerning your mother? I am thinking that your daily correspondence is quite considerable but am counting to receive more news from you soon. Apart from that what can one be doing for a whole day on a lonely island? Best wishes, Your Artur. Please recommend me to your acquaintances.
Кредитная линияSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by David Hardy
In appreciation to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) for supporting this archival project.