Letter from Curt and Regina Schönwald to Henry Wald, March 3, 1941

Seit Deinem Brief zu meinem Geburtstag mit der freudigen Nachricht, dass Du für uns ein Affidavit hast, haben wir leider nichts mehr erhalten. Heute nun war ich wegen unserer Auswanderung zum Hilfsverein bestellt und erfuhr dort, dass unsere Nummer in absehbarer Zeit wohl aufgerufen wird. Ich wollte die Sache lieber durch ein Reisebüro einleiten, aber wir müssen alles durch den Hilfsverein machen, da wir nur durch diesen eine Passage bekommen und auch nur über diesen kabeln können. Ich kabelte daher heute, dass Du die Absendung aller Papiere beschleunigen sollst, hoffentlich ist auch die Bescheinigung über das von Lothar gestellte Depot schon zu erhalten. Wenn ich wieder kabeln muss, so bitte immer die Antwort direkt an mich richten, da sonst wieder Tage vergehen, bis ich vom Hilfsverein die Nachricht bekomme. Es wurde mir dringend geraten alle Originale von Papieren an mich gehen zu lassen, da es beim Konsulat schneller geht, wenn ich hier alles selbst einreiche, anstatt das die Sachen über Washington kommen. Das Konsulat lässt in diesem Falle viel Zeit verstreichen, ehe man von dem Eingang benachrichtigt wird. Bei Deiner Auswanderung war eben die ganze Handhabung eine andere und Du kannst es mir glauben, dass ich mich richtig orientiere. Hoffentlich hast Du unsere Geburtsdaten alle richtig dort, damit keine Fehler vorkommen, ich gebe diese aber zur Vorsicht nochmals an. Onkel Adolf hatte Dir vor längerer Zeit geschrieben und hofft auf eine Antwort, die Du bei uns beilegen kannst. Tante Emma hatte am 23.2. Geburtstag, Onkel Adolf am 21.4. Was hörst Du von Walter Lubra? Plockis sind immer noch hier und wollen uns morgen besuchen, sie sind das erste Mal abgelehnt worden und nun ist es sehr schwer beim Konsulat anzukommen, trotz aller erdenklichen Mühe. Die eventuelle Passage für uns wird bestimmt von hier aus besorgt und wird Dich nicht belasten. Also: Meine Daten sind 15.2. 1880 geboren in Berlin. Muttels Daten sind 28.7.1884 geboren in Berlin.

Just a few lines to let you know we are all well off and are getting along all right. I hope the same from you. Please write me my mistakes for I am anxious to get as perfectly as possible. My teacher told me that she has learned a great deal out of your letter and the letter you wrote to me, and she is very thankful to you for it. Very soon she will send you a letter. We have got beautiful weather now, the spring is coming with all its charm. At noon we have got 15 degrees heat sometimes. My old catarrh is much better and I am coughing not much at all any longer. Did you ever hear anything from Benny? This afternoon Mrs. and Mr. Plocki are coming to see us, and I am glad for I like them very much, especially him. We soon hope to have some lines from you again. Keep well my dear boy, with all best wishes, many regards and a thousand kisses with all best love,

We haven’t received any messages from you since your letter for my birthday telling us about the affidavit. I had an appointment with the support organization and found out that our number will be called in the near future. I wanted to organize everything through a travel agency, but we have to use the support organization, because we can only obtain a passage through them. I sent a cable today for you to speed up sending off all papers. I hope you have received a receipt for Lothar’s deposit already. If I have to cable again, please send any replies directly to me, otherwise days will pass before I get the message from the support agency. People have been strongly suggesting that I have all originals of papers sent to me directly, because the consulate will work quicker if I hand in everything myself instead of routing it through Washington. The consulate lets a lot of time pass in such cases before one gets a notice that the papers have arrived. When you emigrated, everything was handled completely differently, but you can believe me that I’m well informed. I hope you have all of our correct birth dates so that no mistakes are made. I will include them again, just in case. Uncle Adolf wrote to you a while ago and hopes to get an answer. You can enclose it in a letter for us. It’s Aunt Emma’s birthday on 2.23. and Uncle Adolf’s on 4.21. What’s new with Walter Lubra? The Plockis are still here and want to visit us tomorrow. They were rejected the first time, and now it’s difficult to get accepted again at the consulate even though they’ve tried everything. The passage for us can be arranged from here and you won’t have to worry about it. Ok: My birthday is on 2.15. 1880, born in Berlin. Muttel’s birthday is on 7.28.1884, born in Berlin.

Just a few lines to let you know we are all well off and are going along all right. I hope the same from you. Please write me my mistakes for I am anxious to get as perfectly as possible. My teacher told me that she has learned a great deal out of your letter and the letter you wrote to me, and she is very thankful to you for it. Very soon she will send you a letter. We have got beautiful weather now, the spring is coming with all its charm. At noon we have got 15 degrees heat sometimes. My old catarrh is much better and I am coughing not much at all any longer. Did you ever hear anything from Benny? This afternoon Mrs. and Mr. Plocki are coming to see us, and I am glad for I like them very much, especially him. We soon hope to have some lines from you again. Keep well my dear boy, with all best wishes, many regards and a thousand kisses with all best love,