Steffi Cohn: letters from Siegfried Hönich

This collection contains correspondence from Dr Siegfried Hönich, who lived in Frankfurt, Hesse, to his financée Steffi in Berlin. The last letters were sent to Steffi in England after she had fled anti-Jewish persecutions in Nazi-Germany. The letters document their efforts to emigrate, considering the options of either America, Bolivia or England; confusion and uncertainties about the future; conditions at the Jewish hospital in Frankfurt; the sale of a property belonging to the Hönich's family and Steffi's life as a nanny in England.

Siegfried Hönich studied medicine in Wroclaw (Breslau) and was living in Frankfurt, Hesse, in the 1930s. He had two siblings, Rosa and Georg. At the time of writing the letters Siegfried was engaged to Steffi who was living in Berlin. She was in close contact with Siegfried's sister Rosa who was also living in Berlin. Siegfried lost his job in 1938 when anti-Jewish laws prevented him from practicing medicine. However, in the following year he was granted permission to work at the Jewish Hospital in Frankfurt. Steffi emigrated to England in 1939. Siegfried's last letter was sent in August 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War. It is not known what happened to Siegfried and Rosa during the war.

Chronological

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Donated by Bettina Cohn.

2005/21

See also Photo Archive 2005/21.