APPEAL BY JEWESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 August 1938, Page 7

APPEAL BY JEWESS

GERMAN WOMAN’S LETTER TO MAYOR HOME IN NEW ZEALAND DESIRED. CONDITIONS IN EUROPE HOPELESS. As an indication of conditions in Europe at the present time a let’ter received by the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, from Miss Hilde Marx, a Jew, is of interest. Miss Marx, who writes from Prague, states that she had read in Czechoslovakian papers about a declaration in which it was stated that the Mayor was ready to receive persecuted Western Europeans in his town, and that he would secure positions for them, if that were possible. Mr Jordan, however, has made no such statement. Miss Marx’s letter continues:

“I beg your pardon for my frankness to apply to you directly, but I do not know any other way to realise my wish I had already for a long time to come. to New Zealand. Allow me to give you a short career of life: I was born at Bayreuth (Bavaria) on November 1, 1911. I went to school there and finished the Humanistic Gymnasium. In the last but one class I got the Jean Paul Prize 1929, a literary scholarship of the town of Bayreuth-. After having finished school I’went to Berlin at the university for five terms. I took part in the lectures of journalism, history of arts, foreign languages and philosophy. But in 1933 I was obliged to give up my studies and since then I am writing for newspapers and journals. For some time I had been no more allowed to publish in German newspapers, so that I 'had to confine me to the Jewish ones (I forgot to say that I am Jewish). In 1935, I got my second literary distinction called “Chor der judischen Frauen in Deutschland.” In 1934 my first collection of poetry appeared under the- title ‘lm Vers Gefangen’ which soon had been sold. In 1935, the second collection of poetry ‘Dreiklang’ was edited by the PhiloVerlag, Berlin, and now there are six books by me ready’ for the edition. “Beside my activity as a writer and reporter during these last three years I gave a lot of my own recitals in Berlin, in nearly all the great towns of the Reich and abroad, on which occasions I recited my own poems and sketches; I got a lot. of first-class critics about my books and recitals. In 1937, November, I had to emigrate from Germany and went to Czechoslovakia. This country was for me the only one where to go, as I have some relatives in it who could support me for the beginning. Having been in this country four weeks I already was able to live independent, although very modestly. I got specialised in publicity. That means I wrote advertising slogans and verses for the best known firms, as Bata a.s.o. I had done such work also in Germany, f.i., for the Rosenthal-Porzellan. Besides, I had my own recitals in a lot of places and wrote for newspapers and journals. “Nevertheless I do wish to leave Europe, because there are no chances at all for young people on this Continent. Now the difficulties are increasing not only in my own profession and I have to look forward to find a place where I could live and would have a chance to work seriously. Beside my profession, I am determined and willing to do every work offered to me; I am perfect in typewriting, driving mo-tor-car,' I can keep company with children, assist a household, give lessons in Latin, Greek, German, recitation, gymnastics. I am entirely healthy and -not married. “If ’ the Czechoslovakian National Bank agrees to, I would be able to bring some money with me. lam sure that I would start living on my own account from the very beginning of my stay in New Zealand. “Once more, do not mind my frankness and answer me, please, if you can see any chance for me to live and to work in your country.” A photograph was enclosed., with the letter.