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[Envelope]
{recto}
Wohlg. Frau Dr. Heinrich Schenker
Wien
Küb am Semmering
Pension Homolka

[lower-left corner, in pencil:]
Wien 89
XXIV. Sanatorium Perchtoldsdorf
Neue-Welt Gasse 1a [illeg]

[top-left corner, in pencil:]
Wien XIII
St. Veit Gasse 7
[lower-right corner, in pen:]
Antw. Br[ief] [envelope torn]

[postmark:] || SIRET | [envelope torn] ||

{verso}

[postmark:] || KÜB | 25.IX.39–7 | a ||
[postmark:] || WIEN-PERCHTOLDSDORF | 27.9.39–9 | a ||

[Letter]
[printed letterhead:]

Medio Dr. S. GUTTMANN
SIRET


Meine liebste Lilli! 1

Endlich kann ich deinen l. Brief 2 beantworten. Es gab bei uns einige Wochen, die ziemlich aufregend waren. Gottlob dass ich dir schon schreiben kann. – Wie gerne möchten meine Kinder 3 deinem Sohne 4 helfen, hat doch mein l. Julko ganz fremden Leuten Existenzen verschafft. – Aber jetzt ist's ausgeschlossen. – Man bekommt ja her keine Einreisebewilligung. – – – um Nichts in der Welt. – Vielleicht kommt einmal die Zeit?? Momentan ist das nicht möglich durchzusetzen. Näheres kann dir beim besten Willen nicht sagen – – –

{2} Wir sollen auf Wunsch unserer Kinder im November nach Czernowitz übersiedeln, damit wir nicht so allein in dem Nest dasitzen. – Nun heisst es Wohnung suchen, fahren, wieder ein Heim auf die alten Tage gründen. Unsere Nerven sind schon aber verbraucht, von diesen Nachrichten in dem kleinen Stätdchen – – – so werden wir in der Nähe unsere reizenden Mäderl 5 haben, und unter Menschen sein. Gott gebe mir Ruhe!! –

Also: meine Liebste, ich versichere dich bei allem Heiligsten dass wenn nur eine Möglichkeit wäre, dir sofort dein Wunsch erfüllt wäre. Vielleicht kommt eine andere Zeit?? Ich war jetzt einige Tage bei meinen Kindern, was ich dort gesehen habe – – – Ich kann nicht weiter, Oskar ist angekommen u. ich will den Brief wegschicken.


Mit vielen herzlichsten Grüssen
verbleibe deine treue
[signed:] Sophie

Siret am 20. Sept. 939

Grüsse von meinem Alten.

© Transcription Ian Bent, 2008, 2024


[Envelope]
{recto}
Mrs. Heinrich Schenker
Vienna
Küb am Semmering
Guesthouse Homolka

[lower-left corner, in pencil:]
Vienna 89
XXIV, Sanatorium Perchtoldsdorf
Neue-Welt Gasse 1a [illeg]

[top-left corner, in pencil:]
Vienna XIII
St. Veit Gasse 7
[lower-right corner, in pen:]
Reply letter [envelope torn]

[postmark:] || SIRET | [envelope torn] ||

{verso}

[postmark:] || KÜB | 25.IX.39–7 | a ||
[postmark:] || VIENNA-PERCHTOLDSDORF | 27.9.39–9 | a ||

[Letter]
[printed letterhead:]

Medical Dr. S. GUTTMANN
SIRET


My dearest Lilli, 1

At long last I can reply to your dear letter. 2 We have had several weeks here that were quite alarming. Thank God that I can at last write to you. – How gladly my children 3 would like to help your son 4 ; my dear Julko has rescued several people entirely unknown to him. – But now it is out of the question. – No one can get hold of an entry permit here. – – – not for love nor money. – Perhaps the time will come? At the moment, it is not possible to do it. With the best will, I can't say anything more to you than that. – – –

{2} At the wish of our children, we will be moving to Czernowitz in November, so that we are no longer nest-sitting so alone. – Now it is a matter of finding a house, moving, and building a home again on the basis of the old days. But our nerves are already in tatters from this news coming out of the small towns – – – So we will have our charming little girls 5 close to us and be among [good] people. God give me peace!! –

So, my dearest, I assure you by all that is holy that if only it were possible your wish would be fulfilled immediately. Perhaps a new day will come?? I have just been with my children for a few days: what I saw there – – – I can't go on any longer: Oskar has arrived and I will send the letter off.


With many heartfelt greetings,
I remain your faithful
[signed:] Sophie

Siret, September 20, 1939

Greetings from my old man.

© Translation Ian Bent, 2008, 2024


[Envelope]
{recto}
Wohlg. Frau Dr. Heinrich Schenker
Wien
Küb am Semmering
Pension Homolka

[lower-left corner, in pencil:]
Wien 89
XXIV. Sanatorium Perchtoldsdorf
Neue-Welt Gasse 1a [illeg]

[top-left corner, in pencil:]
Wien XIII
St. Veit Gasse 7
[lower-right corner, in pen:]
Antw. Br[ief] [envelope torn]

[postmark:] || SIRET | [envelope torn] ||

{verso}

[postmark:] || KÜB | 25.IX.39–7 | a ||
[postmark:] || WIEN-PERCHTOLDSDORF | 27.9.39–9 | a ||

[Letter]
[printed letterhead:]

Medio Dr. S. GUTTMANN
SIRET


Meine liebste Lilli! 1

Endlich kann ich deinen l. Brief 2 beantworten. Es gab bei uns einige Wochen, die ziemlich aufregend waren. Gottlob dass ich dir schon schreiben kann. – Wie gerne möchten meine Kinder 3 deinem Sohne 4 helfen, hat doch mein l. Julko ganz fremden Leuten Existenzen verschafft. – Aber jetzt ist's ausgeschlossen. – Man bekommt ja her keine Einreisebewilligung. – – – um Nichts in der Welt. – Vielleicht kommt einmal die Zeit?? Momentan ist das nicht möglich durchzusetzen. Näheres kann dir beim besten Willen nicht sagen – – –

{2} Wir sollen auf Wunsch unserer Kinder im November nach Czernowitz übersiedeln, damit wir nicht so allein in dem Nest dasitzen. – Nun heisst es Wohnung suchen, fahren, wieder ein Heim auf die alten Tage gründen. Unsere Nerven sind schon aber verbraucht, von diesen Nachrichten in dem kleinen Stätdchen – – – so werden wir in der Nähe unsere reizenden Mäderl 5 haben, und unter Menschen sein. Gott gebe mir Ruhe!! –

Also: meine Liebste, ich versichere dich bei allem Heiligsten dass wenn nur eine Möglichkeit wäre, dir sofort dein Wunsch erfüllt wäre. Vielleicht kommt eine andere Zeit?? Ich war jetzt einige Tage bei meinen Kindern, was ich dort gesehen habe – – – Ich kann nicht weiter, Oskar ist angekommen u. ich will den Brief wegschicken.


Mit vielen herzlichsten Grüssen
verbleibe deine treue
[signed:] Sophie

Siret am 20. Sept. 939

Grüsse von meinem Alten.

© Transcription Ian Bent, 2008, 2024


[Envelope]
{recto}
Mrs. Heinrich Schenker
Vienna
Küb am Semmering
Guesthouse Homolka

[lower-left corner, in pencil:]
Vienna 89
XXIV, Sanatorium Perchtoldsdorf
Neue-Welt Gasse 1a [illeg]

[top-left corner, in pencil:]
Vienna XIII
St. Veit Gasse 7
[lower-right corner, in pen:]
Reply letter [envelope torn]

[postmark:] || SIRET | [envelope torn] ||

{verso}

[postmark:] || KÜB | 25.IX.39–7 | a ||
[postmark:] || VIENNA-PERCHTOLDSDORF | 27.9.39–9 | a ||

[Letter]
[printed letterhead:]

Medical Dr. S. GUTTMANN
SIRET


My dearest Lilli, 1

At long last I can reply to your dear letter. 2 We have had several weeks here that were quite alarming. Thank God that I can at last write to you. – How gladly my children 3 would like to help your son 4 ; my dear Julko has rescued several people entirely unknown to him. – But now it is out of the question. – No one can get hold of an entry permit here. – – – not for love nor money. – Perhaps the time will come? At the moment, it is not possible to do it. With the best will, I can't say anything more to you than that. – – –

{2} At the wish of our children, we will be moving to Czernowitz in November, so that we are no longer nest-sitting so alone. – Now it is a matter of finding a house, moving, and building a home again on the basis of the old days. But our nerves are already in tatters from this news coming out of the small towns – – – So we will have our charming little girls 5 close to us and be among [good] people. God give me peace!! –

So, my dearest, I assure you by all that is holy that if only it were possible your wish would be fulfilled immediately. Perhaps a new day will come?? I have just been with my children for a few days: what I saw there – – – I can't go on any longer: Oskar has arrived and I will send the letter off.


With many heartfelt greetings,
I remain your faithful
[signed:] Sophie

Siret, September 20, 1939

Greetings from my old man.

© Translation Ian Bent, 2008, 2024

Footnotes

1 The four successive addresses on the envelope of this letter illustrate Jeanette’s constant move from place to place as she tried to evade coming to the attention of the Nazi authorities. The postmarks show that this letter, written on September 20, was delivered to Küb am Semmering (the first address) on the 25th, then to Perchtoldsdorf (the second address) on the 27th; it must then have gone to Neue Welt Gasse in Vienna XIII (Hietzing – the third address), before being delivered to the fourth address, the nearby St. Veit Gasse. — Both paragraph-breaks here are editorial.

2 No letters from Jeanette to Sophie are known to survive. We know from the recto of OJ 11/31, [3] that Jeanette wrote to Sophie on June 27, 1939, and again on September 1, and October 12.

3 i.e. Hans, Frieda, and Julien (Julko).

4 Jeanette Schenker had two sons: Erich, and Felix, both of whom had been arrested by the Nazis in November 1938 and later released. Felix wrote to Jeanette on August 23, 1939 (OJ 14/7, [1]) seeking help; she replied on September 1, and this must be what Sophie is referring to. He was later taken to Theresienstadt, and ultimately perished in Auschwitz.

5 Frieda's daughters, Hilde and Edith Fränkl.

Commentary

Format
2p letter (Bogen format): letter: printed sender address, holograph salutation, message, valediction, signature, and postscript; envelope: holograph recipient address with substitutions in three unknown hands, annotation in the hand of the recipient, and postmark partly torn, recto; postmarks, verso
Provenance
Schenker, Heinrich (document date‒1935)—Schenker, Jeanette (1935‒1938)—Oster, Ernst (1938‒c.1939)—New York Public Library (c.1939‒)
Rights Holder
Heirs of Sophie Guttman, deemed to be in the public domain.
License
All reasonable attempts have been made to identify heirs of Sophie Guttmann. This document is deemed to be in the public domain. Any claim to intellectual rights should be addressed to the Schenker Correspondence Project, Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, at schenkercorrespondence[at]mus(dot)cam(dot)ac(dot)uk.

Digital version created: 2024-03-13
Last updated: 2011-09-23