Schindler, Oskar
£4,750
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photography
Auction: 11 January 2017 at 11:00 GMT
Description
2pp. typed letter signed in red ink sent from Oskar Schindler to Emilie Schindler, dated Arndtstrasse 46, p. Frankfurt am Main, 8th October [19]57, each sheet 29 x 20.5cm, with franked airmail envelope addressed to Emilie Schindler in Buenos Aires
Footnote
Provenance: From the estate of Emilie Schindler and thence by descent
Note: In 1949, Oskar Schindler and his wife, Emilie, emigrated to Argentina and invested in a chicken and nutria farming business. However, when the business failed in 1958, Schindler left Argentina and Emilie, returning alone to Germany, where he lived until his death in 1974.
This letter is written to Emilie from Germany (in German) in 1957, where Schindler had travelled to seek restitution money for his factory and equipment. In the fifth paragraph of the letter, Schindler discusses these proceedings: "My affairs have gone well, I hope in 6 weeks to be able to request the money for the object." (At the time, Schindler had hoped he could claim 2 million DM, but only recieved DM46,000). From the letter, it is clear that money was a struggle, with Schindler writing: "Above all, I have no money for a coat, it will soon become quite cold, so that I must wait until the end of the month, somehow I will pull through."
Details of Oskar Schindler's acquintances are also discussed. For example, Schindler writes: "Joel Brand, about whom I wrote to you in my last letter, mentioning that he had had a heart attack, is still in the university hospital and his wife has arrived from Israel. (Brand is the benificiary and publisher of the book in the matter of Dr. Kastner, also a friend of Dr. Sedlatschek)." These men are known for their efforts in saving Hungarian Jews from deportation to concentration camps, and similarly important figures are mentioned throughout the letter.