Номер объектаM2009/066:005
ОписаниеHandwritten letter, folded in half to create 4 pages, written by Imre Goldner, Sarosd, Hungary, 7 June 1946, to George Medak, Sydney. Imre was one of the few Jewish survivors of Sárosd. There has been previous correspondence between the two. Imre talks about destroyed property and that his brother’s mill was usurped by the Arrow Cross and he can not get it back. He talks about the cemetery and how he will fix any damage. The writer is suffering from his wartime experiences and has lost the will to live.
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.
Место изготовленияHungary
Дата 1946-06-07 - 1946-06-07
Темаvictims, searching, families, final solution
Наименованиеletters
Материалpaper
Размерность
- width: 168.00 mm
height: 175.00 mm
Язык
- Hungarian Dear Mr Medák!
I received your letter dated 12th of May, that you wrote in reply to my previous letter. Looks like nowadays there is no distance between continents, if we get mail this fast from Australia. The fact that only a year ago a telegram from Budapest to Sárosd took six day only increases my amazement. Although then the Post Office didn’t have the telegraph cables in place. By now normalcy has been reestablished.
I forwarded your letter to Eszterházy, to Zirc, they settled down there. They live in a 3 room flat, as the principal lessee. The castle in Sárosd is uninhabitable after the fightings that took place there. Even if this destruction wouldn’t have happened, they wouldn’t be allowed to live there, his castle and landholdings were confiscated. Regarding the Medák house, I can relate you that it could be repaired, but you have to wait for the time being, because the necessary building materials are not available. If nobody from your family intends to live in it, (end of page 1) probably is not even worthwhile to repair it. Some time in the future, the best is, if you sell it. You are thinking about indemnizations, when to us, that accidentally survived and came back, they don’t pay a cent. Regardless, if the stealing was committed by office bearers or perpetrated by individuals. My brother’s mill is usurped by an ex-Arrow Cross (note: infamous gendarmes, known for their cruelty to Jews) with help from officialdom, and I, as the only returned family member, can’t receive it back. In the meantime, the workshop is completely destroyed. Forgive me that I came out this strongly, but unfortunately this is the truth.
Regarding our cemetery, it didn’t suffer much damage. All in all a trench and 3 Russian mass graves were dug out. The fallen Russians were taken away from Sárosd. If the situation improves a little, I myself will get it repaired. All the graves are untouched.
Your grandparent’s and Braun Lacika’s tombstones are standing. Then again, aunty Marcsa and aunty Tercsi’s common, very nice white marble headstone came off the base and is lying on the grave. The stone is absolutely undamaged. Probably it was some air pressure from a blast. (end of page 2)
The only headstone that was broken is the one from my cousin Lowler Izidor, the baker. I will order a new one for him. I can assure you, that I will take care of the cemetery. Because they were Jews, and all my closest relatives in Sárosd are there.
There could be another Jew from Sárosd that might come back, beside myself. Klein Erno, the tailor. I served with him in the labor unit, but then we were split from each other. The wretched was taken to Russia as a P.O.W., to Rustarvy (Caucasus), close to Tiflis. First, prisoner of the fascists, until liberated by Russians, and then prisoner of the Bolsheviks.
It is true that during our stay at the ghetto in Sárbogárd the local postmasters sent milk for Nándor’s little son. Even if some other things, they don’t deserve reciprocity. ( it is not clear if they provided some other things, beside milk, or, they deserve something, but not reciprocity) I learnt this from the Jews that returned to Sárbogárd. His name: Bokor József, Sárbogárd.
Regarding if I am staying in Sárosd (end of page 3) I haven’t decided yet. I lost the will to live, I am goalless. Despite our house apart from some minor damage due to artillery fire being safe and sound, I can’t live in it, because every corner reminds me of my lost family members. It is a nice, modern building, we constructed it in 1928. I am living in my brother’s house, which is next to the mill, with my sister Teri, who as a widow of mixed marriage and long time convert, stayed home. But she never was such a candid and good sibling like the others. I am with her under duress. In 1943 Nándor also converted, but that didn’t save him.
I will always reply gladly to you in any matter that you turn to me for information. Moreover, if some of your above mentioned living relatives come to Sárosd I will give them your address.
With my appreciation, kind regards
Goldner Imre (surname is hard to read)
Sárosd, 7th of June, (1)946
Кредитная линияSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Dr Veronica Goldrick