Recently I added this postcard to my collection, ghetto - and concentration camp mail isn't really that rare but because it is censored the texts on these letters and cards are usually not very interesting, this one is different because it somehow got passed the censor with a warning for the family in the text.
Also because of several holocaust research programs we know not only the story behind this card but we can also put a face on the names and they aren't longer anonymous victims.
Karl Löwy (°1875) and his wife Irma (°1880) are Czech Jews from Sudovo Hlavno, just like everywhere else in Nazi occupied Europe Jews are also prosecuted in the "Protektorat Bohmen und Mähren" and Karl & Irma end up in the Jewish ghetto of Theresienstadt.
In 1942 the Nazi's decided to take their prosecution of the Jews to the next level, the final solution, the extermination of all Jews living under their rule.
They decide to execute their mass murder program in occupied Poland and especially for this program they build extermination facilities with gas chambers in Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec, Madjanek and Auschwitz plus an operation with gas vans in Chelmno.
Not all Jews from outside Poland are directly transported to these extermination camps, a lot of them first end up in transit ghettos in Poland.
This is also what happens with Karl & Irma Löwy, at the end of April 1942 2.000 Jews from the Theresienstadt ghetto are transported to the area of Zamosc, 729 will be sent to the ghetto in Komarow, they belong to this group and on May 2 1942 they arrive there.
The next day to make room for the Czech jews, 2000 local Jews are deported to Sobibor where they will be gassed.
On May 7 1942 Karl & Irma write this postcard to their daughter that still lives with her husband and son in Prague.
The text on the card is written in terrible German, fractured German written by someone that doesn’t really speaks German.
This is the translation:
We arrived in good health after a long journey.
(These transports were often way longer underway then really necessary)
We are thinking about you and our grandson Peter.
(Then the most important line of text on the card).
Stay were you are as long as possible. Be scared of Theresienstadt.
The ground here is wet and heavy.
Most of the local Jews here are poor.
Please write us back as soon as possible.
Give our regards to everyone.
We kiss you all!
Karl & Irma
Two weeks after they sent this card the Germans with aid of the ghetto police round up all those that can't work and lock them up in a beet storage facility near a local station, the elderly couple is amongst those rounded up.
The next days these unfortunate people are put on transports to Belzec and Sobibor to be murdered.
Their daughter Zdenka Epstein dies on May 27 1944 in the Theresienstadt ghetto, her husband docter Pavel Epstein and their son Peter end up in Auschwitz in 1944 were they are gassed.
Karl Löwy
Irma Löwy
Zdenka Epstein
Dr Pavel Epstein
Peter Epstein
Also because of several holocaust research programs we know not only the story behind this card but we can also put a face on the names and they aren't longer anonymous victims.
Karl Löwy (°1875) and his wife Irma (°1880) are Czech Jews from Sudovo Hlavno, just like everywhere else in Nazi occupied Europe Jews are also prosecuted in the "Protektorat Bohmen und Mähren" and Karl & Irma end up in the Jewish ghetto of Theresienstadt.
In 1942 the Nazi's decided to take their prosecution of the Jews to the next level, the final solution, the extermination of all Jews living under their rule.
They decide to execute their mass murder program in occupied Poland and especially for this program they build extermination facilities with gas chambers in Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec, Madjanek and Auschwitz plus an operation with gas vans in Chelmno.
Not all Jews from outside Poland are directly transported to these extermination camps, a lot of them first end up in transit ghettos in Poland.
This is also what happens with Karl & Irma Löwy, at the end of April 1942 2.000 Jews from the Theresienstadt ghetto are transported to the area of Zamosc, 729 will be sent to the ghetto in Komarow, they belong to this group and on May 2 1942 they arrive there.
The next day to make room for the Czech jews, 2000 local Jews are deported to Sobibor where they will be gassed.
On May 7 1942 Karl & Irma write this postcard to their daughter that still lives with her husband and son in Prague.
The text on the card is written in terrible German, fractured German written by someone that doesn’t really speaks German.
This is the translation:
We arrived in good health after a long journey.
(These transports were often way longer underway then really necessary)
We are thinking about you and our grandson Peter.
(Then the most important line of text on the card).
Stay were you are as long as possible. Be scared of Theresienstadt.
The ground here is wet and heavy.
Most of the local Jews here are poor.
Please write us back as soon as possible.
Give our regards to everyone.
We kiss you all!
Karl & Irma
Two weeks after they sent this card the Germans with aid of the ghetto police round up all those that can't work and lock them up in a beet storage facility near a local station, the elderly couple is amongst those rounded up.
The next days these unfortunate people are put on transports to Belzec and Sobibor to be murdered.
Their daughter Zdenka Epstein dies on May 27 1944 in the Theresienstadt ghetto, her husband docter Pavel Epstein and their son Peter end up in Auschwitz in 1944 were they are gassed.
Karl Löwy
Irma Löwy
Zdenka Epstein
Dr Pavel Epstein
Peter Epstein