Description
Object description
German civilian lawyer in Germany, 1933; refugee wine importer in London, GB, 1933-1940; internee in Winter Quarters Internment Camp, Ascot and Kempton Park Racecourse Internment Camp in GB, 6/1940-7/1940 and Hutchinson Internment Camp, Douglas, Isle of Man, 7/1940-12/1940
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Germany, 1902-1933: family; initial employment in family wine business; career as lawyer; political activities including anti-Nazi German Jewish students organisation; story of going into hiding with relations of Hermann Goering; decsion to emigrate to GB, 1933. Aspects of period as refugee in GB, 1933-1939: arrival, 1933; application for naturalisation; attitude of British to German refugees; treatment of father and brother by Nazi regime.
REEL 2 Continues: story of brother bribing way out of Esterwegen Concentration Camp in Germany; initial problems with language and finding employment; contact with Woburn House; story of obtaining money to start wine brokerage business in London; police visits to office and home in King's Langley; arrest, appearance before tribunal and classification as 'enemy alien', 9/1939; attitude of police. Aspects of period as internee in Winter Quarters Internment Camp, Ascot and Kempton Park Racecourse Internment Camp in GB, 6/1940-7/1940: living conditions at Ascot; theft of personal property of internees at Kempton Park Racecourse Camp; voyage from Liverpool to Isle of Man. Recollections of period as internee in Hutchinson Internment Camp, Douglas, Isle of Man, 7/1940-12/1940: description of camp and accommodation.
REEL 3 Continues: food supplies; special diets; clothing; situation of 'destitutes' and help they recieved from other internees; organisation of camp; election as camp welfare minister and duties; medical provision; professions and trades of internees; artist Kurt Schwitters' paintings; daily routine; sporting activities; educational classes; inspections; attitude towards Communist internees; relations with camp staff; British Army recruitment meeting and question of internees being enlisted; recreational activities; story of officer reprimanded for fraternization with internees.
REEL 4 Continues: demography of camp and relations between different religious and political groups; elections for camp leaders; attitude to other internees including survivors of SS Arandora Star; camp languages; comparison of conditions in Hutchinson Internment Camp and Kempton Park Racecourse Internment Camp; opinion of treatment by camp commandant, Captain H O Daniel; memories of prominent internees; observation of Jewish holidays and religious services; eve of release parties.
REEL 5 Continues: degree of contact with women; camp wedding; music recital by Maryan Rawicz and Walter Landauer; sexual relations and activity in camp; visit by Home Office employees; question of why brother Otto and other 'enemy aliens' not interned; communications with family and business friends; reason for improvement in news on progress of war; internees' letters to press and reaction to Parliamentary debates on internment; contingency plan in case of German invasion; duties as welfare officer;; opinion of British Government's internment policy; administrative structure of camp; punishments.
REEL 6 Continues: question of length of internment; circumstances leading to release; reaction to possible deportation, 7/1940; application for release inside and outside camp; problem of confusion over identity; release, 12/1940; comparison of experiences with other internees; passing messages to internees; attitude towards internment; story of saving Algerian wine from being dumped after release; opinion of British treatment of internees.