Description
Object description
German Jewish civilian in Frankfurt, Germany, 1933-1938; emigration to GB, 12/1938; refugee in GB, 1938-1947; civilian in Palestine and Israel, 1947-1953; civilian in GB from 1953
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Frankfurt, Germany, 1923-1938: family including death of mother; father's army service during before and during First World War; coping with inflation; family home; memories of childhood; education including changes following Hitler rise to power; expulsion and education in Jewish School; events on Kristallnacht, 9- 10/11/1938 including reaction of Confino and others; organisation of journey to Britain including details of passport; departure from Frankfurt including items taken to Britain; reactions on departure; death of father including methods of avoiding deportation; fates of school friends; emigration of brother, Oswald, to France.
REEL 2 Continues: details of brother, Oswald's, life in France; story of Oswald's deportation from Vichy France, 1942, including letter written during deportation; later learning of Oswald's fate and reactions to letter; arrival in GB. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 12/1938-1947: settling into life with relatives in Hampstead including details of letters written to friends in Frankfurt; impressions of London; education at boarding school in Eastbourne including learning of English; news of father's death and cremation; religion; emigration of relatives to Canada; classification and reports made to police station in Betws-y-Coed; contact with grandparents including compilation of family history; family items kept by family friends in Frankfurt; another example of help received by Jews from German civilians.
REEL 3 Continues: outbreak of war; evacuation of school to Betws-y-Coed including air activity; school holiday in Hadley Wood; education in Hadley Wood; details of secretarial course undertaken; gaining of work with BBC; details of translation and broadcasting work with Austrian Department at Bush House including memories of colleagues; daily routine and sleeping arrangements; journey to work; experiences of air raids including shelter taken; attitude to Germans; news of war; stories of VIPs and Home Guard at Bush House; VE Day celebrations; learning of Holocaust and fates of family members.
REEL 4 Continues: background of husband; marriage; reason for visit to Tel Aviv. Aspects of period as civilian in Palestine and Israel, 1947-1953: arrival at airport and journey into Tel Aviv; decision to prolong stay; family; reason for return to Britain; rationing; reflections on transition period, 1948; contact with European immigrants. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1953: reactions on return; awareness of Holocaust; return visits to Frankfurt from 1974; correspondence with German students and resulting reunions with school friends; details of Jewish memorial in Frankfurt; Nazi indoctrination of German schoolchildren during 1930s; speaking about experiences in Germany.
REEL 5 Continues: story of cousin, Helmut Salter, including war service and theft of Oswald Jacobi's identity; story of Frankfurt teacher who teaches about the Nazi period; details of family history books; relationship with Germans.