Description
Physical description
Pair of matching white metal identity tags, stamped with personal details, and connected by a two bracelets of differing sizes.
History note
These identity tags were worn by Robert Felix Marx, a refugee from Germany, who went on to serve for two years attached to the US Army as a translator during the de-nazification of Germany from 1945.
Robert was born in Germany in 1924, the son of local head teacher, Ludwig Marx, and grew up in St Georgen im Schwarzwald. With the increase in anti-Jewish sentiments (and legislation) in 1930s Germany, Robert was sent by his father to study in England at the age of 12, where he arrived in 1937. He went on to win a scholarship to Exeter Public School, but his education plans were interrupted by events at home as his father was arrested and incarcerated in Dachau, following Kristallnacht in November 1938. Enduring an horrific three weeks in that camp, Robert's mother secured Ludwig's release by obtaining visas for them to emigrate to England, and so in March of 1939 they arrived in Bristol as refugees. Robert gave up his scholarship and left Exeter to be with his parents.
When France fell in May, 1940, Ludwig Marx was sent to an internment camp on the Isle of Man, not being released until December and then took up a teaching post in Herefordshire whilst Mrs Marx went on to live in Dorking, leaving Robert at school in Bristol. In 1941 Robert also moved to Dorking, where his father was able to join them when not teaching.
In the immediate post-war years Robert had the opportunity to volunteer to go back to Germany, wearing the US Army uniform as an interpreter, translator, and postal censor. Based at Esslingen, near Stuttgart, he was in Germany until 1947, and had the opportunity for much sight-seeing and ski-ing; he also met and married his first wife, Yvonne Schlüter, and included with the collection are nine photographs, three showing he and Yvonne together.
Inscription
MARX, ROBERT
OAHF.285-5 T45
E