Leichte Sprache
DGSDear Friends,
One of the first emails I got last May was from Eva Schaefer – another former Berlin schoolgirl. At that time I didn’t even know that aktuell had printed my letter, since I had not received my copy yet. Dear Eva, apparently we had the same teacher, Willi Gottfeld, but in different schools. You told me that you left Berlin on 3l/1/1939 for Tel Aviv, and now live in Cheltenham, England. It was nice to hear from you.
Then I heard from Rudy Leavor, ne Librowicz, who remembered the Wannsee Schwimmbad in Berlin, with the sign: ‘Hunde und Juden nicht erlaubt.’ Rudy, you now live in Bradford, UK, and I wondered if you might know Eva Schaefer. But you are probably nowhere near each other.
So while I was awaiting my aktuell I got another email, from Rita Pomeranz. Rita, of course I remembered you – as Rita Lewin, an old friend from Berlin. But you had left earlier, in April 1940, came to Indiana and then to New York, where I visited you long ago, when I probably came for one of the peace marches. We hadn’t corresponded for years, so it was a pleasant reminder when I heard from you.
Then came the surprise email. My school buddy, Geron Puterflam, was alive, living in Australia. We actually talked to each other. It was so wonderful to hear your voice, Geron, to know that you actually remembered me, from 75 years ago. I recently got part of the Skype stuff, and as soon as I get it together, I’m going to call you again and we’ll talk while looking at each other.
In June I heard from George Fogelson, whose mother, Hilde Anker, went to the Goldschmidtschule and left Berlin on a Kindertransport in June 1939, and may have had a teacher I also had. But, George, you didn’t even tell me where you live.
I got 7 more emails in June. One was from Michael Roboz, whose mother and uncle (Helga and Karlheinz Liebenau) grew up in Charlottenburg, and were on a Kindertransport to England in May. Michael, you told me so many interesting things about your family, especially about your father who grew up Catholic in Budapest and only learned much later that his mother’s family was Jewish. What an interesting life he had, in Budapest, Berlin, Vienna, Transylvania, Stalingrad, West Africa, Canada. You said he worked with Raoul Wallenberg. You should write a book.
And Amelie Döge, who, I believe, works with the Bundesarchiv memorial book in Berlin, looked up the names of the school friends I had left behind. She found several names, some were deported, some had no record left behind, which might mean that they survived. Perhaps one of you might want to check with Mrs. Döge.
Then I heard from two relatives. Robert Lax, who lives in Israel and is a cousin on my husband’s side. Robert, we met when you visited us here in Ohio, but it’s been a long time. And Stephen Falk, who might be related through my g-g-grandmother; we had found each other some years ago through genealogy and one day might be able to trace the exact relationship.
Jehuda Perlhefter (once Heinz) wrote to me from Tel Aviv, in German. I wrote back to him in English, he wrote back in German. That worked. He left Berlin in February 1940, went to Hungary. He recognized the name Geron Puterflam, said he was a good friend and he was happy to hear that he was still alive. Jehuda, I hope you got in touch with Geron after I sent you his daughter’s email address.
Then I heard from Ursula (Mayer) Trafford in London. Her mother and aunt grew up in Lichterfelde and then moved to Bruckenallee. Just as I did. I was born in Lichterfelde and moved to Bruckenallee when I was 5. She wondered if I might have known her family. I didn’t, Ursula, but it was nice to hear from you.
Walter Phillipp’s email made me change what I tell about my life. I always said that I was the last group to leave Berlin. But Walter left Berlin on the very LAST transport on October 19, 1941. He said that he still has a “Judenstern” that he had to wear after Sept. 15. I had wondered what happened to the other families after I left. Walter said that he was living in Kaulsdorf in a “Judenhaus,” so maybe that’s what happened to the friends I left behind, before they were deported in November. Walter, I’m so glad you made it out, and thank you for telling me about it.
In July I finally got the aktuell and was able to see my article in print. I had written to Heike Kröger, who’s with the Senatskanzlei Berlin to ask why I had not received my aktuell, when several others had. She reassured me that it was on the way. Thanks, Mrs. Kröger, it arrived, and I always enjoy each issue.
The next email was from Richard Corson. Richard, you wondered what ship I arrived on. Your late wife’s grandparents, Dr. Alfred and Margarite Harf, had also come on a ship from Barcelona, as I did, but they came on the SS Villa DeMadrid in July 1941, whereas I came over on the Ciudad de Sevilla in August 1941.
Claudia Renate Simon Stool, who lives in San Antonio, wrote that in 1938 the house at Brueckenallee 5, which was then owned by the Deutschen Fussballbund, was made ‘Judenrein.’ That was interesting because I lived at Brueckenallee 13. Renee, you also recognized the name of one of my school friends, didn’t you?
Ruth Radvany (Grabenheimer), called me because she doesn’t do email. She lives in NY, and we had a nice talk.
A message from Joachim (Kim) Kaiser said that he left Berlin in September 1938, that “he had quite a story, but too much for this email.” Did I ever reply to you? I’d love to hear your story.
During August I didn’t hear from anyone else and I decided to write a reply to everyone. Before I actually started it, I got an email that blew my mind. I was from Charlie (Carlheinz) Friedman(n) (Heiner), from New York, asking if maybe we shared the trip across the Atlantic. He then went on to describe leaving Berlin on the train via Paris to Barcelona and to the CIUDAD DE SEVILLIA. And, OF COURSE, Charlie, we were on the same trip, all the way. We’ve talked and shared our memories of the train trip, the time spent in Barcelona and on the ship. He remembered a little girl on the ship, he gave her his phone number so they could see each other in New York, but after they landed, the girl disappeared. Was I that little girl? We may never know. But without the aktuell, we wouldn’t know any of this.
WHAT A MAGAZINE!!!