Letters From Germany

Köhler cousins (page 7) in 1948

Letters sent by Martha Köhler to August Maas in Walnut Grove, MN. Martha was the daughter-in-law of Carl Friedrich August Köhler, a brother of Emilie (Köhler) Maas. Her deceased husband, Hermann, was a first cousin to August Maas.

See page one for additional information about these letters. [The accession numbers (A/N) are for reference and cataloging purposes.]

A/N - KOH001 [translation by Michael Kolterjahn in Stockholm, Sweden]

Glückstadt
17 March 1948

Dear loved ones,

You’ll be surprised to hear something from us for once. Don’t be angry with us that we write to you once. Unfortunately, all of us relatives share the same heavy lot. So that you know who is writing these lines to you, I’ll introduce myself to start with. My sister in law, Anna, who is living in Hesslingen, gave me your address. My late husband, Herrmann Köhler, is the brother of Anna Michaelis née Köhler. My husband left us very early. He died already in 1932 from a virulent lung disease. From that time on I had a difficult fate with my three children who still were small at that time. I had to raise them without a cent of relief payment. I have been working much and hard and have been able to let them all learn something (a profession, she means) Now, when they were earning their own money and could give me some help, fate hit us so severely as we had to leave our beloved home district. We had to leave everything to fate, and now we stand destitute of means and poor as many, many others. And for the time being it’s awfully difficult to acquire anything again. My youngest son, Willi, 21 years old, is working here as a turner (lathe operator). Willi has to help me economically now.

My daughter, Elfriede, has to work in a factory and gets 15 RM (Reichsmark) a week, because she cannot get any employment in her profession. I do not want to write you a big lament, we all do have to take it as it is given to us. But still, you dears, I do have a small modest request. Our belongings are completely threadbare and we haven’t got a thing in this town. Should you have some worn things, I would be glad if you would think of us some time. Unfortunately, we are personally unacquainted, but we are part of your circle of relatives. I’ll be heartily thankful to you for every little gift, not that I perceive it as obvious; you have to know for yourselves if you’ve got a little something left over. Please don’t be angry with us that we are asking; unfortunately, we are forced by our great distress.

We send you all our kind regards,

Your Martha Köhler

as do my daughter and son

A/N - KOH002. [translation by Ursula Peterson of the MN Pommern Research Group]

Martha Köhler
Glückstadt/Elbe. von Graba Str. 19.
17 October 1948

My Dear Relatives,

In the middle of the week we received your so very nice and big return package. We were overwhelmed with joy. It was such a large unexpected present for us that we are hardly able to express our thanks in words. All these beautiful things are delicacies for us. Since we have become refugees, we have learned to appreciate delicacies like that twice as much. We miss our dear home every place and every time. Nothing is harder than to lose one's home. We have had very hard years behind us since the spring of 1945. Life was always bad and hardly the necessary (clothing) to put on one's body. Now since the Mark has changed and stabilized, it is somewhat better, but everyone pays in cash. For that our money is not quite enough. I am together with my youngest son. We live in one room where we cook, sleep and we have to be happy that we still have a roof over our head. My daughter lives with other people. She got engaged the 12th of September and found a very nice man.

Today they both went to visit with our dear home teacher?? Herbert. He has been in Russia over seven years, 4 years in the combat, and over 3 years behind barbed wire, which means a lot. He is in Langenhorn Hospital, Hamburg; we can easily pay him a visit because the distance is not too great. He still has much edema and also something with his lung which is making a scar and will not progress any further. The physicians make a lot of efforts with this refugee from the East. He is a trained mechanic. From age 20 to 28, he had terrible times in Russia. I happen to be his foster (step?) mother and his daddy, Hermann Köhler, did leave us so soon: he died as early as 1932. Then, I had to struggle in life with my three children, going to work daily in the construction sector. I received no pension, just 10.50 Marks per child. At that time, they were 12, 10 and 6 years old. My daughter Elfriede had such a good occupation: savings bank book keeper. 7 years active at home in our dear little home town of Freienwalde, Pommern. She was very talented as a child and in the school and got a scholarship for the middle school. And that was a great accomplishment for her. Here, she again works in an office. And Willy is a lathe operator here in the R. A. W. Reichsbahn.(State Railway "Regional -Ausbesserungs-Werk" = regional maintenance workshops) He was trained in this profession back home in a larger town. When his apprenticeship was over he became a soldier. His time in the military was good, though, and he was up to the last in Denmark, not involved in fighting. From there he came to us. About Herbert, we have only known since last year where Herbert was. Willy now has to support his mother. I am now 56 years old and still work afternoons with a vegetable farmer. I make 50 pfennigs an hour. I am just a small person, but very healthy, which is the greatest wealth on earth. As soon as Herbert is with us, we will have a photo of us taken and will send a picture to each of you over there.

Your sister, Martha Buss sent us a package in July. All those wonderful things were also very welcomed. Many warm regards to her and also to the Lau's and when you get together, also give her this letter to read. Family Brietzke is in mourning. Their beloved daughter, Lotte, has left forever her man and child and you all. Yes, the suffering she endured patiently for 6 years, how wonderful it is that she is now freed from this. Time heals wounds, which I also learned young with my husband. Our marriage happiness lasted only 11 and three quarter years. I didn't want to impose a stepfather on my children, that is why I worked all this time from sunrise to sunset for the 3 of them. Often it was very hard, but this escape was the worst that we could experience. We still hope very much to get back to our dear homeland. Here, I am always a stranger. The children have adjusted quite well. This little town had 7,000 inhabitants and now with the refugees 14,000. Therefore everything is double in town and country.

is so welcome to us and so we greet you all there from far away.

A/N - KOH003 [Translation by Siegfried Krause]

Glückstadt
10 December 1948

Dear loved ones,

Hope that you have gotten my dear letter in November. Thank you still today heartily for the dear package, it benefited us very much. Otherwise, we are fine, healthy, which always is the best. On Sunday, Herbert, our repatriated prisoner of war, will come to us. He will be released from the hospital; he isn’t healthy at all, has always had influenza now with fever, and he still has so much edema. He will not be able to work for a long time yet. He is really happy to be able to be with us again. He was separated from us for 7 Christmases. So he has been through hard years.

Tomorrow, the 11th of December, it will be16 years since our dear Dad left us forever; if one thinks back, where have all the years gone. It was also hard for me at that time, because the children were still small, but the flight was the hardest blow, one that probably cannot be overcome so easily, especially when the dear Holidays are coming, it is all the harder, our dear homeland is missing everywhere.

Merry Christmas

Now we are already somewhat better off than 3 years ago. I don’t like to think back anymore. Everything is available now, but incredibly expensive. The simple worker can't get anything, and we are not able to even buy a chair or table for ourselves. Unemployment is already high enough here. Willi is still employed at the railroad as a lathe operator. One week he is on early shift from 6 o'clock until half past 2 in the afternoon and then the night shift from half past 2 o'clock in the afternoon until 11 o'clock in the evening. He is well pleased with the work. Friedchen will be married at Easter-- that she is engaged, I also already wrote.

I am not working now, but in the spring I will continue again, if I am healthy and living. I will also be pleased very much now to get a few lines from you. During the holidays all my children now will be with me and we will spend them as well as possible. In the hope, to hear something from you dear ones soon,

greet yourselves all quite dearly

your Martha and children.

and we wish you a healthy new year

Martha and children