Handwritten letter
[oben am Blattrand, kopfstehend und offenbar später hinzugefügt, die Empfängeradresse:] Fr. Mina Kaufmann 4806 Norfolke[?] Ave, Baltimore Md. U. S. A. [oben rechts Archivnummer:] 8465 München, den 24 Nov. 1941 Liebe Mina l. Fritz. Es waren schwere Tage die wir durchmachen mussten, nachdem wir so lange nichts von Euch hörten. Ich hoffe dass Du in Deiner neuen Stellung Glück hast u. Dich befriedigt. Viele unsere Lieben mussten diese Woche fort auch l. Frieda u. Gretl, Wolf u. Kinder alle Baaers[?] u.s.w. wohin wussten nicht wir haben es noch vor uns. Ob man sich im Leben überhaupt wieder sieht ist fraglich. Soeben hat l. Simon angerufen ist auch vor dem gleichen wie überall. Bitte gebe die Bekannt- [?]ten. Verwandten Wolf[?] Beileid u. bestelle Grüsse auch Frl. Sternheimer bitte Grüsse zu bestellen. Ihr Mutter u. Bruder ist auch mit l. Frieda. Vollits[?] Schwester Emma mit Kinder ebenfalls. Ottlies[?] Mutter werden erledigen, Karl will uns besuchen. Ob Hermann in Kuba angekommen ist? Die Grüsse Stein erwiedere dem[?] Herrn Renn[?] mich an denselben noch gut erinnern. Bleibet gesund herzl. Grüsse u. Küsse Julius Meine Lieben, nun habt Ihr uns aber ein bissl zu lange warten lassen u. sind nun glücklich gute Nachricht von Euch zu haben. Hoffe dass Ihr gesund seid u. wünschen wir Dir lb. Mina viel Glück in Deiner Stellung. Dies ist doch Deinem Beruf nahe u. wird Dir dies schon mehr befriedigen u. über den Abschied von Deinen lb. Verwandten u. Bekannten in New-York etwas darüber hinweg helfen. Grüsse alle Lieben herzlich wenn Du Ihn[en?] den Brief schickst, ebenso sende an Kriegers beiliegende Zeilen. Simon haben wir gestern telefonisch gesprochen. Er ist got- lob gesund, ebenso Margit, die in Hannover. Besten Dank für Euren lb. Brief. [?] Von Klara, Elise u. Betty haben wir schon seid mitte Okt. keine Nachricht. Am 4 Dez. ist es schon ein Jahr, dass Dein lb. Vater starb lb. Fritz. Und immer noch dasselbe mit der Auswanderung. Grüsst bitte Alle Eure Lieben recht herzlich. Plehings[?] Tochter ist auch in Baltimore lb. Mina, hast Du sie schon gesprochen. Nun bleibt gesund u. seid innigst gegrüsst u. geküsst, von Eurer Euchliebenden Else. An alle Bekannten viele herzl. Grüsse. ——
[at the top edge, written upside down and apparently added later, the recipient's address:] Mrs. Mina Kaufmann 4806 Norfolke[?] Ave, Baltimore Md. U. S. A. [upper right, archive number:] 8465 Munich, 24 November 1941 Dear Mina, dear Fritz. They were hard days that we had to live through, after we heard nothing from you for so long. I hope that you are having good fortune in your new position and that it satisfies you. Many of our dear ones had to go away this week, dear Frieda too and Gretl, Wolf and children, all the Baaers[?] etc.; where to, we did not know. We still have it ahead of us. Whether one will ever see one another again in this life is doubtful. Dear Simon has just telephoned; he too faces the same thing, as everywhere. Please give the acquaint- [?]ances. Convey condolences to the relatives Wolf[?] and pass on greetings also to Miss Sternheimer, please convey greetings. Her mother and brother are also [gone] with dear Frieda. Vollits'[?] sister Emma with her children likewise. Ottlie's[?] mother we shall take care of; Karl wants to visit us. Has Hermann arrived in Cuba? Return the greetings from Stein; to[?] Mr. Renn[?] ... [I] still remember him well. Stay well, warm greetings and kisses Julius My dear ones, now you did keep us waiting a little too long, and we are now happy to have good news from you. I hope that you are well, and we wish you, dear Mina, much luck in your position. It is after all close to your profession and this will satisfy you more, and will help you somewhat over the parting from your dear relatives and acquaintances in New York. Greet all the dear ones warmly when you send them[?] the letter; likewise send the enclosed lines to the Kriegers. We spoke with Simon by telephone yesterday. He is, thank God, well, and so is Margit, who is in Hannover. Many thanks for your dear letter. [?] From Klara, Elise and Betty we have had no news since the middle of October. On 4 December it will already be a year since your dear father died, dear Fritz. And still the same with the emigration. Please greet all your dear ones very warmly. Plehings'[?] daughter is also in Baltimore, dear Mina — have you spoken to her yet? Now stay well and be most warmly greeted and kissed, from your loving Else. To all acquaintances many warm greetings. ——
A joint letter from Munich, dated in the writer's own hand 24 November 1941 (the folder metadata gives 20 November, which the dateline contradicts), from Julius Oppenheimer and his wife, who signs "Else", to Mina Kaufmann and her husband Fritz in the United States; the later-added address on the reverse of the fold gives Baltimore, Md., and Else's remark that "Plehings'[?] daughter is also in Baltimore" together with Julius's reference to Mina's "parting from your dear relatives and acquaintances in New York" indicate she had just moved from New York to a new post in Baltimore. The first half is an explicit account of deportation: "Many of our dear ones had to go away this week, dear Frieda too and Gretl, Wolf and children, all the Baaers[?] etc.; where to, we did not know. We still have it ahead of us. Whether one will ever see one another again in this life is doubtful." The transport referred to appears to be the first Munich deportation train, which left on 20 November 1941 — four days before this letter — for Kaunas in Lithuania; its passengers, among them Frieda Sara Allersheimer née Oppenheimer, were shot at Fort IX on 25 November 1941, the day after Julius wrote. Simon (Israel) Oppenheimer, who "has just telephoned" and whom Else reports speaking to by telephone "yesterday" and being "thank God well", was still at liberty on 23–24 November; he faced "the same thing" and died in the Riga ghetto in December 1941. Julius and Elsa themselves were deported in 1942 and died in the Piaski ghetto near Lublin in April 1942 — the "we still have it ahead of us" of this letter.