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Wiesbaden, 28 April 1938 [Father]

Got your letter of April 8th [...] as we can see Willi is sicker than we thought [...] it is a good thing that you put his leg in a cast [...] a sick nerve like that can only be healed through rest [...] let us hope it gets better soon [...] You ask why we write so little [...] it was because of the move and getting used to the change in things [...] now it will get better [...] we are glad to be back in Wiesbaden [...] the large area in front of the railroad station at the Kaiserstrasse to the right near the fountain was planted with flowers and grass, no fence. The benefactor of the fountain was a German-American who was born in Wiesbaden. At night the six jets of the fountain are illuminated from below which looks great in the dark. We saw something similar in Washington, only larger [...] the park in front of the spa building is also completely redone, the old fences have been entirely removed. The colonnade in the direction of Sonnenbergstrasse have been redone and are now the pump room where you walk and drink water from the hot springs. The area in front of the former Paulinenschlösschen [small palace] to the left of the Sonnenbergstrasse and on an incline is almost completely free of trees but with plantings of different flowers which will make quite a show in May. Karl, I invite you and your wife to come and see it, why don’t you think about it.

Yesterday afternoon I took the opportunity to visit Heinrich Reithmann and his family and to hand him that what he had asked for. As usual at such gift-giving occasions there were happy faces. Heinrich still works at the shoemaking trade and his son, who is your godfather, is in the process of becoming his successor. The young man is not that sturdy, his figure and appearance are more like his mother’s; after him there is a 13-year old healthy girl and at the end there is a 10-year old boy who looks a lot like Heinrich. After half an hour he had told me all he knows and all I said was that you were also astounded by his letters and have your doubts with regard to his membership in the free church. To be on the safe side I did not stay very long [...] I gave Heinrich 40 marks and think that it is enough, especially as you wrote that he could expect something from us. Karl, it is hard to judge whether we can and should do such a thing in future. As for our mortgage, we will let it alone as the debtors have until July 1st [...] and should we get the money we could not do anything with it, we would have to find somewhere else to invest it. For the time being we will ration what we have and what we get in interest in such a way that we have enough. Should it become necessary, we hope not, that you have to send us money we would not get more than 2.40 – 2.50 for a dollar. Even money for assistance is not exchanged at a higher value unless the receiver has nothing at all or is dependent on welfare [...] The weather in March was so good that people sowed and planted potatoes, then those which had already sprouted froze during the beginning of April. Up until now all of April has been cold and frost every night down to seven below, so that the blossoms of the early fruit have been destroyed [...] I think Mother also wants to chat [...] Greetings, Pa.

[Mother]

[...] last Sunday Father and I were in Frankfurt at Martins. Luise-Lotte had confirmation [...] Walter had already finished one year of apprenticeship [...] Johanna was in Steeden at the wedding of Hilda Prätorius, she is marrying a Martin in Schadeck. Next Sunday is May 1st, there will again be great festivities here. We still have to get ourselves some flags. We will buy two small ones for the windows, that’s how everyone here does it. We have a good view from our windows to see parades, of course then we have to greet all the flags that come by. With time one gets used to everything [...] just now the first [white] asparagus has come on the market, but the Pfund costs 1 mark, also nice Boston lettuce, in fact it is much better here with food than in the fall. One can also have as much oil as one wants and it has been all right with butter here lately [...] so far we do not have a gas stove, but I think we must get one soon [...] Willi’s illness is dragging on. It took me 4-5 months that time [...] all things having to do with nerves take time. Little Paul has started to walk, that is early enough [...] I though Paul was rather quiet but it seems otherwise [...] it does no harm that Joän is outside all day [...] she is already four [...] we don’t have to do much clean-up, it was all done before we came [...] Greetings [...] Mother.