AFTER #KRISTALLNACHT(11): LETTERS TO MARGARETE GOLDSTEIN

 

 

Wednesday 1.3. 39

My dear Gretel, although I am rather tired after a bad night, I did finally get up for an hour before the meal at noon, after I had dozed on the chaise longue all morning – if only to work up a little appetite for the meal, to have a little conversation with you, and to answer your dear letter of Sunday. In the meantime, I was glad to have a postcard from Lieschen and find out that she spent an evening with you, and I was happy that you make exceptions [to your routine] and do occasionally spend an evening with others. It is not good at all to be always on your own. Lieselein wrote to Mimi [perhaps Wilhelmine Bing, Emma’s sister] that you plan to become independent soon. I suppose that refers only to your intention to rent a small apartment for yourself. Or do you have any other plans? I was glad that you spent an afternoon with Wolfgang [Gretel’s oldest son] and his family once again and I send my heartfelt thanks to him for his kind lines and for the prospect of hearing more of him soon. Yesterday, toward evening, I had a really pleasant surprise: Willichen [?][presumably Willy, Emma’s nephew] came here with his mother [Jenny Saarbach, Emma’s sister]. He arrived yesterday morning, just for the day, and left again yesterday evening, because he will show up on your side within the next few days – finally! It took especially long in his case. Mimi also came right away, and he gave her an apparently good tip for Leo, which goes via Berthe, to whom M[imi?] wanted to write yesterday already on Willy’s instruction.

This morning I did not get around to continue writing because first my tenant, or rather the tenant of Mrs. A [?] came downstairs and brought me a wonderful bouquet of lilacs, then came my administrator with whom I always need to discuss all sorts of things, and as is the case most of the time, it was 2 o’clock until I finally ate. In future I will have even more business with him, and you will as well, because we learned yesterday that from 1 April on the lawyers and trustees are no longer permitted to work for us, so that Dr. K[raus] [former mayor of Mainz, handling Emma’s affairs] will also be history by then. It would be disastrous if this happens before your tax affairs are in order, but Director Dietz believes that you will probably hand over the matter to him. The two gentlemen are well acquainted and on friendly terms with each other, and Mr. D[ietz] is also informed about all these matters through me and through K[raus] – have you heard anything yet about this? I am sorry to hear that Hannah [Gretel’s daughter] is in such pain, I hope she will soon be well again. I am glad that your lecture was a success – a ringing [a pun? The German “ringend” can also mean “clinking”, i.e. monetary] success, yes? As for your readiness to help me, my dear child, I am very grateful for your offer and that you and Lilly [Emma’s daughter, living in Buenos Aires] are willing to look after me here. I would be sorry, however, if that became necessary. So far I still manage quite well, and what is much more important, I think I will be able to pay the two payments [taxes on assets, to be paid in 4 instalments] in May and August without further help. There is a chance that I will be able to pay on 1 April the tax … by 1 February of this year, I will be paid a sum exactly equivalent to this instalment, and the second instalment in August is also taken care of, because I will still be paid 500 Marks out of Lilly’s locked account. In February the Department of Finance in Frankfurt paid the sum directly to the local Department of Finance, but in case I am no longer in a position to do the transaction, it would be a great comfort to know that that money will not be used for other purposes. Now, lets’ hope that I am still around to see 1 April, or the money is lost to us. If I tell you that I do not want to live much longer, you mustn’t hold it against me, my dear Gretel (but keep this confidential), as I have to suffer a great deal of pain, and this will hardly improve, because miracles no longer happen! So far I still have enough courage and the will to go through with it. Nights are usually better than days, they are only occasionally bad, like last night. Ernst [her doctor], who happened to be here yesterday, gives me medications to ease the pain, and I just took a new medication with my tea a little while ago – I hope it works better than the last one. As long as you stay healthy and don’t work so hard, my dear! Indulge yourself occasionally, which you can do with the money you meant for me.

            Mimi [Emma’s sister Wilhelmine Bing] is due to come soon and probably also Georgi [probably Georgine Eller, another sister of Emma’s]. She is more frequently with me than before because she has fewer distractions than earlier – neither theatre, nor concerts, nor anything else. You could feel sorry for her and even Gustel [Auguste Gutmann, Ferdinand Gutmann’s wife] commiserates with her. And now goodbye for today, my dear. A[delheid] [Emma’s maid] should take the letter along with her afterwards. Warm greetings and kisses,

Your devoted mother

[on top of first page:] Warm greetings to the children.

 

FOR MORE LETTERS SEE MY NEXT BLOGPOST. For the originals see LBI Archives AR 7167/MF 720.The translation is by Erika Rummel and Susi Lessing.

AFTER #KRISTALLNACHT (10): LETTERTO MARGARETE GOLDSTEIN

16.2. 39

My dear Gretel, now that I have gotten the airmail letter for Lilly’s birthday ready for the mail, it’s your turn, my dear, and first let me confirm receipt of your dear lines of Sunday. But, please, have your secretaries put a new colour ribbon into your typewriter, I have to pour over [your letter] with my weak eyes until I can decipher everything. I am glad that Ernst [Gretel’s youngest son] is doing relatively well. Who knows what attending a technical school for a while will be good for (even if it’s [not good] for your wallet)? Maybe that will advance [his career] and may be closer to his own inclinations.  Chi lo sa? [Who knows?] – I too am always busy and have paperwork and I do a lot myself that would really be Dr. Kr[aus]’ [former mayor of Mainz, managing some of Emma’s affairs] business, for example the tax on assets yesterday [A decree issued in the spring of 1938 forced Jews to declare assets over 5,000 Marks and pay 20% taxes on them in 4 instalments]. I had all sorts of correspondence with the Mitteld[eutsche] Kreditbank in Frankfurt with respect to the blocked account of Lilly [Emma’s oldest daughter, now living in Buenos Aires], which is now a great blessing for me. I didn’t want to delay the matter, which would have happened with Dr. K. because these people have a crazy workload, especially this month, and so I managed the obtain confirmation from the bank in Frankfurt almost 8 days ago that they have sent my instalment to the Department of Finance. And I am all the more pleased because Dr. Kr[aus] charged me 25 Marks for his work on the first instalment, and this time I saved that amount. In addition I have a lot of preliminary work to do with the tax declaration and am now waiting for Dir[ector] Dietz, who was unfortunately sick at the end of last month. But he promised me this morning on the phone that he would come tomorrow morning because I had received from the district court a letter concerning the instalments, which must be answered. And so almost every day brings something new, and most of the time nothing useful. In the afternoon I almost always have visitors, such as an improvised tea with Mrs. Drexelius, who succeeded Miss Stockmann on the 4^th [floor], and in addition Bab. and H.D. [?]. then also Georgi and Mimi [Emma’s sister Wilhelmine Bing], and with those two I played Rommé, as usual, until about 7.30. It is touching how Bab. and her husband are looking after me, [bringing me] things that can’t be obtained easily here or can’t be obtained at all, and [their care] makes me very glad. Do send greetings to B. occasionally [in your letter], she has of course asked me to greet you many times, and she often pours her heart out to me because she and her husband are forced to stay with relatives until they get lucky and can go to their children, first to Fritz in Lfr [?] And then to Anny, who lives near Rolf. This afternoon I expect Paul M[eyer] [a relative, Gustel Gutmann’s brother]  because I have a letter for him from Lilly [Emma’s oldest daughter], which she sent to my address because she does not know his new address and thinks Gustel has already departed, but Gustel has still problems with the clearance connected with the house, the mortgage, and similar matters [Gustel eventually fled to Riga, where she was murdered]. C’est toujours la même chose [It’s always the same thing]. Lieschen’s family (6 persons) intend to sail to Canada on the 24^th of this month. An old friend of the late Mr. R. has made it possible for them all to come. I hope Karl will soon find suitable work; he is intelligent after all, and the boys (the oldest is 18 years old) can also do something. Lieschen thinks only of her obligation to watch out and take care of them all, and she is very courageous, considering the continual pain in her feet. Anna G. [Gustel’s daughter[ who visited me the day before yesterday, has a chance to go to Warrington near Manchester as a nurse – they are short of nurses in England, they say. And now don’t be alarmed: Heddel [Emma’s niece, daughter of August Saarbach and Johanna Gutmann] has given up her job because (she says) she cannot tolerate the sea climate, but also (as Anna said) because she had such a terribly small room in which one couldn’t see anything without light, even during the day. And now she has accepted a job with a lady who lives alone with her 18-year-old son. She is half an hour from London, so one fine day she is likely to appear at your place, although she does not have your address from me. But I bet she’ll find it out! Aenny [?], who has been for some months in Switzerland – in Ascona, and lately in Locarno – is not permitted to stay any longer. She too wants to go to England, probably with the help of Heddel, and (don’t laugh!) she wants to take a position as maid. You will laugh even harder when you hear that Aenny [?] (according to a report from Willy [Emma’s nephew, son of Jenny Saarbach] to his mother) earned some 70 Marks/month with short stories and the like, which allowed her to do quite well there.

Yesterday evening Lotte arrived with Juliane. They had several wardrobes and cabinets full of stuff at Lisbeth’s, which they wanted to pick up. Before she starts on her position as maid over there [in England], she will probably marry her friend, who is however a lawyer and is not likely to have many [job] opportunities. On Sunday morning I had a visit from Mrs. Wolf of Oberstein, who had already once asked her daughter in D. to convey greetings to me from…[name omitted], and I was very glad of her visit. She told me all sorts of interesting things. She had talked to you formerly, only on the telephone. I was in the middle of writing this morning, when my administrator came and stayed some two hours, as usual. First we dealt with the business of the savings account, about which I had just written a letter, and then with the tax declaration [of assets over 5000 Marks] – Mr. D[ietz] thought that could be done in a quarter hour. Hah! That declaration is so complicated this year, that no one can quite understand it and even he had to peruse each point [?] a long time. So now I have a lot of writing to do again before he comes back the day after tomorrow with the tax forms, which he unfortunately did not have with him. And tomorrow Adelheid [Emma’s maid] has to fetch a copy of the tax form from elsewhere, so I can copy it out, since he himself gives me only notes – I have to write everything myself. Today I will…[end of sentence missing]

Greetings to all

FOR MORE LETTERS SEE MY NEXT BLOGPOST. For the originals see LBI Archives AR 7167/MF 720.The translation is by Erika Rummel and Susi Lessing.

AFTER @KRISTALLNACHT (9): LETTERS TO MARGARETE GOLDSTEIN

 

7.2. 1939

My dear Gretel, because I want to enclose a few lines to dear Ernst [Gretel’s youngest son], whose letter I greatly enjoyed, I right away answer your letter of Sunday which arrived today. I’m just glad that the problem with his finger isn’t that bad, as you describe it, and that he has already returned to his work on Thursday. So, he told me a fib? I hope not. I am sorry that you have a sore throat once again and in addition a problem with your stupid knees, and I hope that this will soon improve and you will be well again all round. I suppose that this has to do with your stupid climate, where neuralgic and rheumatic pain is common, I am sure, but let me tell you of a cheap remedy which is just as effective as Gelonida neuralgica, which Ernst [her doctor] wanted to give me last week, but I told him it was too expensive. Then he immediately said I could just as well use Contraneural. (Why do local physicians always prescribe the most expensive medication first?) Some time ago I took the first medication on his advice, and it was of no use at all, whereas last week I took Contraneural for two days and felt its good effect and actually am still feeling less pain, at least not as intensive pain. Yet this medication is only 1.05 Marks for 20 tablets – so try it out! How much work you have made for yourself with your invitation and cooking! But if it gives you joy, you were right to do it. I myself would certainly have indulged in a different kind of entertainment! Were [your guests] acquaintances of old? Little Nicole appears to be a true wunderkind – I have never heard of a child of 4 and half years getting her second set of teeth – that was quite a rattling of teeth, wasn’t it? I was also glad that you finally had time again to be with Wolfgang [Gretel’s oldest son]; it is really too bad that you and the people closest to you see so little of each other – so near and yet so far! At noon yesterday I had to write a long letter to my administrator Dietz about that stupid business of [obtaining] a mortgage. Unfortunately he has been sick for a week. … had a business consultant from Baden-Baden write a rather urgent letter to me, which I received on Sunday and immediately sent on to Dietz, who in turn phoned me twice about it yesterday. This matter will be decided in court, and for this purpose I need to supply all sorts of information, which my administrator will use. It is a very stupid affair. And you always write in such a daft manner about money matters, for example today: “So they have to take out a mortgage, if there is no cash” – “if” can only mean “because” or do you suppose that I am keeping money in an old stocking? I really don’t understand your ideas about this whole matter. I assume, if one has to take out a mortgage, a forced auction cannot be far behind, because where am I to get the money to pay for the interest? Even if you think I “mustn’t worry about it”, it’s not easy for me to cope because I face these questions and negotiations too often and too much. On the other hand, I don’t want to take them too seriously and often tell myself: there are things that are much worse. – Yesterday morning I kept working long past the midday meal: I covered my warm woollen [house]shoes, which are a little worn, with old black Atlas [a silk fabric], and lo and behold, the result was excellent. In former times I often embroidered slippers, so that I still remembered the pattern very well. I just had to make a paper pattern first. “So it’s bound to come again!” [lyrics?] – [by] Ivanzelona [?]? Otherwise nothing much has happened to me. On Sunday Lenny shared my midday meal, and Mimi [Emma’s sister Wilhelmine Bing] joined us as well. She brought [woollen] hats from Lisbeth. Later Georgi also joined us, because we wanted to talk to Jenny about her birthday presents. Her birthday is on Saturday, the 12^th of this month. She will be 76 years old, and perhaps you can send her a postcard, if possible. – Strange: I called Dr. Kraus some two hours ago and asked his office to return my tax assessment concerning the second instalment of the capital levy, and just now I get a letter from Dr. K[raus] with the tax assessment enclosed, and a bill from him for 83.50 Marks, of which 25 Marks are for his consultation and work on Jewish asset release, etc., including 8.50 for tax on documents for Mrs. Margarete G[oldstein]. In addition he writes the following: “Retroactively, and to keep things orderly, I confirm [receipt of] 36.30 Marks for income tax and notary fees for Mrs. Goldstein. In the meantime I had to pay another 8.50 Marks tax on documents for transferring the power of attorney and so I must ask you to send me this amount together with the amount of the invoice.” Furthermore he writes: “Unfortunately I can make no headway in the matter of your daughter. On 16 January 1939 I wrote once again in detail to the Department of Finance and repeatedly asked to be informed in what form the Jewish tax on assets must be secured through landed property. So far I have received no answer whatsoever and will follow up again today. Mr. Singer and your daughter are informed about my efforts.”  The letter, by the way, is dated 3.2. It was probably in the hands of other people – one can see that the envelope has been opened, and the letter arrived finally today, apparently coming from the post office to me. It was addressed to Kőnigstrasse 72 instead of 27. I will see that Dr. K[raus] is paid today.

Now we’ll eat the midday meal – we’ll have potato soup…[illegible] there was rice…[illegible] there were crepes with apple compote, although that’s not certain, I didn’t follow up and ask if A. brought apples along. My dining room is now quite nicely furnished as “waiting room.” All my love and all the best, my dear child, and a 1000 kisses from your mother.

Heartfelt greetings to W’s and Judas [Gretel’s daughter was married to Hans Juda].

FOR MORE LETTERS SEE MY NEXT BLOGPOST. For the originals see LBI Archives AR 7167/MF 720.The translation is by Erika Rummel and Susi Lessing.