These pages document the histories of hidden Jewish children Manfred Wildmann and Sylvia Birnbaum Wildmann and their families in Germany, France, and Belgium during World War II. Sylvia translated the wartime letters exchanged by Manfred’s family members as they attempted to survive in France. Later, she published her own memoirs about her childhood in Germany, escape to Belgium, and life as a hidden child.
This is the first letter we wrote after my sister Lorle left the Camp of Rivesaltes on November 15, 1941 for Pringy (Haute Savoie), to work in a children’s home, operated by the Swiss Red Cross.
Dear Lorle,[1]
Today I want to write to you also since I have time today because it is Sunday. Last Sunday we went for a walk to Opoul with the Swiss Schwester [2]. That is at a distance of 10 km from here in the mountains. It was very pretty. (more…)
Rivesaltes, 12/28/1941
Dear Lorle,
Now I want to write to you as I have time now. Today I know a lot about the many celebrations. The Chanukah celebration was on Thursday a week ago in barrack 33. It was very nice. Liselotte took part in a play. All the teenagers got a package at the end. In mine there were 2 fig bars, 2 pieces fig bread, 3 crackers and 1 cookie. (more…)
My dear Manfred,
I hope that you arrived well and that we’ll hear from you tomorrow or the day after. We learned from Ilse Gottschalk’s letter how pretty is is there and we were pleasantly surprised, also a heavy weight fell from my heart. Hopefully you will like it there too, my dear child and then I’ll be happy, but write honestly how things are with you. (more…)
My dear, darling Manfred,
Your long awaited letter arrived today. I am glad that things are better for you there than here and that you eat your fill, which is hopefully the case, right? To make your own bed is not bad at all. (more…)
My dear, cute little Fred!
We received your dear letter and you will have received our card. We sent your letter to Lorle, she will surely do her best. In the meantime you should be well settled down and should like the new place. (more…)
My cute, darling little Fred,
Today your letter arrived which made us all very happy especially that you, dear child, are so well off. To get positive mail from my dear ones who are so far away is my only treat. A letter from Lorle came too which I am sending to Papa. I am expecting mail from him. Mr. Wolf[1] wrote that he found him doing better. (more…)
Enclosure: 1 censored letter
Dear Manfred,
How are you? What do you do all day long? So far I am OK. I am still in the convalescence barrack in îlot J. Visiting hours are this afternoon and until then I want to finish the letter for you. I also wrote Lorle. I have plenty of spare time. Mama could use some of it. Got mail from Papa last week. According to him, he is OK. (more…)
Enclosure: 1 censored letter
My cute little Fred!
We are having a good day today; a letter from you, from Lorle, Uncle Sally, Albert and 2 little packages. Then, as I stopped at Hugo’s on the way back, 100 Fr. from Bloch for the class in religion. We were very happy with your letter and the wonderful drawing of your castle. (more…)
My dear Lorle,
Today I received your letter with great pleasure and so I want to write to you right away a long and detailed letter on a double notebook page exactly as you want it. Mama wrote me already the approximate contents of Papa’s letter which you sent me, but I still enjoyed it very much. (more…)
Enclosure: 1 censored letter! Rivesaltes, 3/28/1942
My good little Fred, my dear Lorle,
You are going to wonder about the heading Manfred; that is because I want to describe exactly our move today and so that I don’t have to write it twice, you are supposed to send this letter to Lorle. The big day was on Thursday and we sure could have used you and Lorle. The other barracks had been moved one by one during the whole week except (Barracks #) 20, 30 and 32. (more…)
My dear All,
Yesterday I received your letter with great pleasure and also Papa’s letter. Lorle wrote to me too. She wrote to me that I should write in full detail how it is here. I wrote her a very long letter, a double notebook sheet. (more…)
Sally Neuburger
311e Gr J.E.
My dear Manfred,
Although you haven’t yet written to me, I will send you a few lines.
I have a friend, who was directeur of a Rothchild Home before the war and who, at present, manages a big children’s group in the Château de Chabannes.
I am trying everything so that you can get there in case I am not successful in placing you with Lorle. (more…)
My dear good Manfred!
This time you kept us waiting a long time for mail and I worried about you. Yesterday your letter arrived with the wonderful drawing. You drew this very well. Did you copy it or did you draw it outside in the yard? In any case it is beautiful. Your menu doesn’t seem to be so outstanding. (more…)
My Dear Lorle,
The same thing happened to me today as to you last week. I just wrote to you on Friday but I am writing to you again as Mama wrote in full detail about her move and as she doesn’t want to describe it twice, I am supposed to send you the letter. At the same time I am enclosing a letter from Papa which Mama sent too. He writes that he feels better and stronger. (more…)
Heinrich Wildmann, Hôpital St. Louis, Salle A, Lit 86
My dear Child!
Lorle wrote that she sent you my letter, in which I reported about my well-being. So you are informed about that. Likewise I can report the same today: I have no pain, no fever, but I have a good appetite. When I get something to eat, I eat until I am really full. It is Pessach this week. (more…)
My dear All,
Today I was happy to receive your letter. I was also happy to hear that Margot visited Papa and that he is better. Now I want to write to you right away so that you don’t have to wait a long time and so that you, dear Mama, don’t have to worry. (more…)
Enclosed 1 censored postcard and 1 censored letter
Dear little Fred!
Now Pessach is also over. The matzos lasted too. We each had a little over 2 Kg. There were even matzo balls twice. Papa even got bread and matzo in Perpignan. For Easter, everybody got 2 bars of chocolate. (more…)
My dear Lorle,
Today I received your letter and a package from Mama with 3 dried bananas, 2 pieces of fig bread, 1 box dates, 2 matzos, 2 fig sticks, 1 shirt and 2 caps. Such nonsense as she could use it so much better than I. There were also hazelnuts. (more…)
Dear little Fred,
Today I am writing to you in pencil because my fountain pen is empty. On Shabbos I went to the Oneg. I was off until 5 PM. I gave a little speech there about the counting of the Omer. (more…)
Dear Child,
I gather from your letter that you are well and that you like to get mail. I can quite believe it as I feel exactly like you. Postage is expensive though and one has to be satisfied with less mail. (more…)