Original text

English text

[Partial translation]

Wiesbaden, 20 April 1938 [first letter, again from Wiesbaden]

[Father]

Dear Karl, your letter of 16 March went first to Steeden because our move was a few days delayed. First the apartment was supposed to be put in order, which had been agreed upon beforehand. The previous tenant could not leave until the 2nd [...] Miss Besier wrote us on the 30th of March that she thought the apartment would be ready for us on the 6th. I talked to someone at the moving company in Limburg, who was to bring our stuff to Wiesbaden. Our crates were quite fragile and we did not dare send them on the train. Then we had the opportunity to get a few things, for example a good piece of pork from a recently slaughtered pig, eggs, potatoes, all manner of home-canned goods, jelly, apple sauce, dried apples, fruit sauce, and more. We were in Ennerich on the last Sunday and as we left our Aunt said she would send over various items on Tuesday via the man who picks up the milk in Steeden [...] on the morning when Ernst delivered his milk the driver gave him a whole Mahne [?] full of foodstuffs of all kinds. In [the accompanying] letter she wrote that she had lots more and could easily give us this. She also very happily gave us Karl's[?] journeyman’s piece [something he had to make in order to show that he was ready to move from being an apprentice to becoming a journeyman] which, she said, had served her very well, as well as a footstool which had been given them at the time. There was much laughing and heartwarming joy about these old pieces so full of beautiful and poignant memories. Frau Bender also handed us a ceramic pot of jam and when we said good-bye she gave us back the wax applicator which we had given her thenand said that now we would be able to make good use of it. So you can see that quite a few things turned up that wanted to come along to complete our household. I told the mover that the crates weigh between 10-12 hundredweight, he said it could be more and that he has a one ton truck [...] I think it was not much less. I had fetched 6 empty crates at Tradesman Müller’s in order to pack the beautiful and fragile things and they were all full. I was also allowed to ride along in order to fill the load. I wrote to Kelkheim that they should bring the furniture on the 6th. Mother and Johanna left from Kerkerbach at 7:10 and arrived in Wiesbaden at 9:00. The truck arrived at 7 AM, everyone was there in order to help load, Ernst Schmidt, Heinrich Victor, etc. It was loaded in 15 minutes. We left at 7:15 via Dehrn, Eschhofen, Limburg, die Hühnerkirche, Neuhof, so that we were in Wiesbaden at 8:15. Everything was already unloaded by 8:45 so that the man could return and was back in Limburg by 10:00. It cost 25 marks. With the train and delivery to the house it would not have been any cheaper. Mother and Johanna arrived toward 9:30. As the furniture had not yet arrived they went into town and bought plates, cups, etc. The furniture came toward 11:00, so that everything was in the apartment when they came back. Now we could see that our floor plan was not right and had to rearrange. The large room to the front, which we had thought would be the living room, size 13x16 ft., had to become our bedroom. The room behind it which we thought would be our bedroom was made into Johanna’s room, size 8x18 ft. The beds and mattresses are new, the two-door walnut armoire and the washstand with marble top and mirror are used. The other front room is our living room, size 10x16 ft. The kitchen behind it is 9x12 ½ ft. You can see that it is a nice roomy three-room apartment just right for us and also in a good location. It is 10 minutes away from the church, 15 minutes to the main business district. We have been here now for two weeks and are glad that we left Steeden. Wiesbaden is a lot different, there is always something to see, I came from town an hour ago and there was a parade coming from the Wiesbaden Garrison at the Wilhelmstrasse, because today is the Führer’s birthday. Germany has an army again, one could see it was quite a different army which is able to give its best should it be necessary again. Because of that it has rights again and these are no longer in question as they were some years back. When Hitler arranged for a customs union when he came to power our opponents made a huge fuss and it had to be taken back because we had no power, and today he brought Austria and its people into the Reich. That went really fast, one was just astonished. Every German who experienced the sad decline was wholeheartedly glad about this great political success. We stayed well informed because Ernst Bender got a new radio. On April 10th we also voted again. The polling place was in Blücherstrasse, we got a ballot in Steeden so that we could vote here. On Saturday night before the election Johanna and I were at City Hall where the loudspeaker transmitted Hitler’s speech from Vienna. Here all formations from Germany had marched up and afterward moved in two long torchlight processions with about 20 bands. Every torchlight procession had its own route. They met one another at the ring coming from the railroad station going to the Sedansplatz, thus we were able to see them from our window. Much has changed in this regard compared to before [...] I am sorry that Willi has to stay in bed and I send him get-well-soon wishes. There is not much one can do, stay in bed and keep warm, then one can hope for success. Mother had it also because she had caught cold. She went from Nordenstadt to Erbenheim in the rain, got wet despite the umbrella, the rain came from the side so that her stockings were thoroughly wet and after 8 days she was in such bad condition that she could no longer stand. I hope that Willi gets better soon. Many greetings, Pa.