German Correspondence from the World Wars Collection
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
German Correspondence from the World Wars contains letters to/from German soldiers and their friends and family. Only one set of correspondence, that of soldier Hermann Lappan, is from the First World War. The collection also contains two diaries of a German soldier involved in the Balkan Campaign, miscellaneous soldiers' documents, as well as correspondence (in English) between a young Italian soldier and a young American student.
Historical Note
We lay aside letters never to read them again, and at last we destroy them out of discretion, and so disappears the most beautiful, the most immediate breath of life, irrecoverable for ourselves and for others.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The estimated death toll of the Second World War (1937-1945), perhaps the most extensively studied event in the twentieth century, is between 50 and 56 million people. This includes democides, military and civilian casualties, and those missing in action throughout all of the war's various theatres. It may seem difficult to imagine "life" in such a deadly and uncertain time, and yet, as these letters mainly written by German Wehrmacht soldiers and their families demonstrate, the everyday, or a nostalgia for it, persisted. Here, a soldier's letter back to his parents might complain about a small ration of sausage, and how his mother's cooking is missed, only to be followed by a letter that details an injury sustained on the front. The "immediate" quality of the letters obviously cannot always be taken at face value. A soldier, aware of the severity of censors, was probably not able to write as freely as he wished. The letters often do not contain as detailed information of military activities as some researchers might wish. Apart from the generally strong sense of Heimat, political attitudes and statements about the government, especially critical ones that could lead to the death penalty, are infrequently broached directly. Yet, this collection reveals, sometimes strinkingly, the often missing "human" aspect of a seemingly very inhumane time and place - National Socialist Germany. These Feldpostbriefe[letters from/to the front], though an infinitesmal representation of the 40-50 billion sent and received in Germany throughout WWII, will prove interesting to researchers interested in the Axis from "the bottom up" and in German war correspondence in general. A short bibliography on Feldpostbriefeand the German soldier, which may assist the researcher, follows.
Fritz, Stephen G. Frontsoldaten: the German soldier in World War II. Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky, 1995.
Buchbender, Ortwin, and Reinhold Sterz, eds. Das andere Gesicht des Krieges: Deutsche Feldpostbriefe, 1939-1945. Munich: Beck, 1982.
Golovchanski, Anatoly. "Ich will raus aus diesem Wahnsinn": deutsche Briefe von der Ostfront 1941-1945: aus sowjetischen Archiven. Wuppertal: P. Hammer; [Moskow]: Verlagsvereinigung des Schriftstellerverbandes der UdSSR, 1991.
Knoch, Peter. "Feldpost - eine unentdeckte historische Quellengattung." Geschichtsdidaktik11, no. 2 (1986): 154-71.
Knoch, Peter, ed. Kriegsalltag: Die Rekonstruktion des Kreigsalltags als Aufgabe der historischen Forschung und der Friedenserziehung. Stuttgart: Metzler, 1989.
Kretschmer, Volker, and Detlef Vogel. "Feldpostbriefe im Zweiten Weltkrieg: Propagandainstrument und Spiegelbild von Kriegsauswirkungen. Sozialwissenschaftliche Informationen2 (1990): 103-10.
Lakowski, Richard, and Hans-Joachim Büll. Lebenszeichen 1945: Feldpost aus den letzten Kriegstagen. Leipzig: Militzke, 2002.
Wette, Wolfram, ed. Der Krieg des Kleinen Mannes: Eine Militärgeschichte von unten. Munich, Piper, 1992.
Arrangement
At the series level, the correspondence is arranged first by its larger historical context (i.e., first World War I, here represented solely by the Lappan correspondence, and then World War II), and then alphabetically by the last name of the soldier by/to whom the correspondence is written.
At the folder level, correspondence is arranged alphabetically by last name of the writer. When a writer's name is either not present or not at all legible, that writer's correspondence is presented at the end of the series. Each writer's correspondence is presented chronologically in his/her respective folder(s). When an item's date is either not present or not legible, that item is presented at the end of the writer's folder(s).
Series X contains miscellaneous items that, at the time of acquisition, were, seemingly arbitrarily, grouped with the correspondence of Gottlob Zieher. These items, labelled as miscellaneous documents, include soldier identification books, certificates of military honor, and an application to the Evangelical church, among others.
Missing Title
- Series I: Hermann Lappan
- Series II: Wolfgang Berger
- Series III: Engelhard Hellmuth
- Series IV: Kurt Jensen
- Series V: Helmut Riedel
- Series VI: Pietro Schiavi and Shirley Messinger
- Series VII: Eugen Uhl and Josef (Sepp) Jung
- Series VIII: Jakob Werle
- Series IX: Gottlob Zieher
- Series X: Miscellaneous Wartime Documents
- Oversize - Series VI: Pietro Schiavi and Shirley Messinger
Scope and Content Note
The majority of German Correspondence from the World Wars consists of letters to and from German soldiers and their families. The correspondence varies from a brief New Year's postcard to a long letter from the front. There is also correspondence (the only in English) and related ephemera mailed between a young American student, Shirley Messinger, and a young Italian soldier. There are two small diaries, which include details of the German campaign in the Balkans, of WWII soldier Engelhard Hellmuth. The collection also contains two Soldbuecher (military identification cards), certificates of honor (e.g., Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer), as well as some photographs and newspaper clippings accompanying individual pieces of correspondence.
SERIES DESCRIPTION
SERIES I: Lappan, Hermann
The majority of these letters are from Hermann Lappan to his family. This is the one series in the collection that dates from World War I.
SERIES II: Berger, Wolfgang
The majority of these letters are to and from Wolfgang and Richard Berger and their family.
SERIES III: Hellmuth, Engelhard
Series III contains two diaries of Engelhard Hellmuth, who, in 1942, was a Hauptscharführer [Head Company Leader] (the equivalent of the Wermacht rank of Oberfeldwebel, which is roughly equivalent to the American Master Sergeant) with the S.S., or Schutzstaffel [Protection Unit]. During this time, Hellmuth was involved in the German campaign in the Balkans.
SERIES IV: Jensen, Kurt
Series IV is entirely comprised of letters from Jensen back home to his parents in Schleswig, a city that is between Hamburg and Denmark, closer to the latter. From late January of 1942 to February of 1943, Jensen was on the Russian front. His last letter (April 1, 1945) bears the postmark of Wittenberge, which was bombed by the American Ninth Air Force on April 10 and 12.
SERIES V: Riedel, Helmut
The majority of the letters in this series are to Helmut Riedel, who was an Obergefreiter [Corporal] in World War II. There are also a number of letters addresed to Matrose [Sailor] Riedel. Most letters are from family and freinds in Chemnitz. There are some letters, usually sans envelope, penned by Helmut. There is a large number of letters without a corresponding envelope.
SERIES VI: Schiavi, Pietro, and Shirley Messinger
Series VI contains the letters of a young Italian, Pietro Schiavi, to his Rhode Island penpal, Shirley Messinger. The correspondence of this series is in English, not German. The letters, which date from April 1935 to January 1945, trace Schiavi's trajectory from student to soldier to prisoner of war in Germany. Schivai signs his name first as Pietro, then as Pete and Piero; he also begins to refer to Shirley as Wally. The series contains the various "gifts" that Schiavi sent - a pressed flower, photos, newspaper clippings, and a postcard book. The series also contains memorabilia from Messinger's high school and college (Pembroke) years and a manuscript, "Facts about Pietro Schiavi," which includes an inventory of "Letters Received."
SERIES VII: Eugen Uhl; Josef (Sepp) Jung
Subseries A: Uhl, Eugen
Series VII, Sub-series A contains roughly 450 pieces of correspondence dating from 1936 to 1946, with the majority of the letters dating from 1942 to 1944. The letters center around Eugen and Waldemar Uhl, both of whom were in the German army, and their parents in St. Ingbert (Saar), Ernst and Therese Uhl. Waldemar's last letter home is from June 23, 1941. The letters from Ernst and Therese begin in late 1942; almost all are addressed to Eugen. It appears that Ernst Uhl successfully petitioned for his son Eugen's removal from the front to "[a less dangerous post]" in March of 1943 (see Atbacher, March 18, 1943, and Hauptmann [...], March 22, 1943). The majority of letters in this subseries are between Eugen and his parents.
Subseries B: Jung, Josef
Interspersed with the Uhl family letters were about 35 letters addressed to Obergefreiter [Corporal] Josef (or Sepp, with the familiar form Seppel, which can be abbreviated as Sepp'l) Jung. No immediate relationship between Jung and Uhl is apparent.
SERIES VIII: Werle, Jakob
The majority of the letters in this series are to Jakob Werle. The remaining letters are addressed either to the Werle Family or sent by Jakob himself. The reader will notice that Werle's hand is radically different in the letter of February 14, 1944 from the military hospital at Wenden due to his injuries from a grenade explosion in Russia. From the German hospital in Wenden, Werle was transferred to a military hospital in Choroszcz, near Bialystok, in Poland. From Poland, he was moved back to Germany, to the hospital at Erfurt, from where his last letter, the latest dated (February 15, 1945) letter in this series, was sent.
SERIES IX: Zieher, Gottlob
With the exception of a single letter, dated February 18, 1943, Gottlob Zieher's correspondence is comprised of letters received. The majority of these are letters from Zieher's siblings, many from Frieda Zieher, who wrote from the family's hometown, Dinkelsbühl. The last letter sent to Zieher, from his sister Lina, is dated August 20, 1944.
SERIES X: Miscellaneous wartime documents
Series X contains miscellaneous items that, at the time of acquisition, were, seemingly arbitrarily, grouped with the correspondence of Gottlob Zieher. These items, labelled as miscellaneous documents, include soldier identification books, certificates of military honor, and an application to the Evangelical church, among others.
Oversize
All three items placed in oversize are from Series VI: Schiavi and Messinger.
Subjects
Genres
Topics
Access Restrictions
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Use Restrictions
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Collection title, date (if known); German Correspondence from the World Wars; MSS 161; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.
Provenance
The collection was purchased from Charles Apfelbaum Rare Manuscripts and Archives in 2003.
Separated Material
There is no record of materials that are associated by provenance to the described materials that have been physically separated or removed.
About this Guide
Repository
Series I: Hermann Lappan
Scope and Contents note
The majority of these letters are from Hermann Lappan to his family. This is the one series in the collection that dates from World War I.
Dabow, Hermann- December 24, 1916- April 1, 1917, 1916-1917
Dabow, Hermann- June 3, 1917- October 11, 1918, 1917-1918
Ehrenburg, Gottlieb- February 15, 1917- June 4, 1917, 1917
Grossmit- November 11, 1916, 1916
[Hanow], Erich- January 24, 1917- July 6, 1917, 1917
Kaiger, Ferdinand- September 10, 1918- December 6, 1918, 1918
Klauck, H- February 12, 1917- August 8, 1917, 1917
Krause, [Artur]- March 29, 1918, 1918
Lappan, Hermann- August 4, 1914- March 18, 1916, 1914-1916
Lappan, Hermann- March 20, 1916- April 21, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- April 26, 1916- May 3, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- May 21, 1916- June 14, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- July 8, 1916- July 26, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- July 25, 1916- August 6, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- August 12, 1916- September 14, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- September 21, 1916- October 5, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- October 6, 1916- November 16, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- November 18, 1916- December 17, 1916, 1916
Lappan, Hermann- December 17, 1916- February 11, 1917, 1916-1917
Lappan, Hermann- May 8, 1917- September 26, 1917, 1917
Lappan, Hermann- October 19, 1917- November 1, 1917, 1917
Lappan, Hermann- November 3, 1917- November 15, 1917, 1917
Lappan, Hermann- November 22, 1917- January 13, 1918, 1917-1918
Lappan, Hermann- January 29, 1918- March 17, 1918, 1918
Lappan, Hermann- April 20, 1918- May 13, 1918, 1918
Lappan, Hermann- May 24, 1918- June 21, 1918, 1918
Lappan, Hermann- July 2, 1918- August 7, 1918, 1918
Lappan, Hermann- August 11, 1918- January 21, 1919, 1918-1919
Lappan, Hermann- Miscellaneous, undated, undated
Lappan, Wilhelm- October 8, 1918- October 20, 1918, 1918
Loh, Hermann Johann- March 3, 1917, 1917
Muller, Heinz- April 15, 1917- June 23, 1917, 1917
Passig, Felix- May 31, 1918- November 24, 1918, 1918
Roggaty, Fritz- November 12, 1916- March 9, 1917, 1916-1917
Schmidt, Martin- June 16, 1917- August 9, 1917, 1917
Urban, Gottfried- March 21, 1917, 1917
Miscellaneous, Unidentified- October 27, 1916- December 6, 1917, 1916-1917
Series II: Wolfgang Berger
Scope and Contents note
The majority of these letters are to and from Wolfgang and Richard Berger and their family.
Balthaus, Marta- April 9, 1940- September 16, 1940, 1940
Balthaus, Willi- April 10, 1940- July 26, 1940, 1940
Balthaus, Willi- August 22, 1940- December 1, 1946, 1940-1946
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- October 15, 1934- April 26, 1938, 1934-1938
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- January 1, 1940- February 11, 1940, 1940
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- March 23, 1940- July 1, 1940, 1940
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- July 13, 1940- October 7, 1940, 1940
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- October 13, 1940- December 26, 1940, 1940
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- March 8, 1941- March 28, 1941, 1941
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- May 15, 1941- June 23, 1941, 1941
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- July 11, 1941- August 30, 1941, 1941
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- September 15, 1941- November 24, 1941, 1941
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- February 4, 1942- February 23, 1940, 1940
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)- March 2, 1942- April 7, 1942, 1942
Berger, Friderike (Mutter)-April 13, 1942- January 8, 1943, 1942-1943
Berger, Richard- October 17, 1934- March 16, 1942, 1934-42
Berger, Richard- June 20, 1942- June 28, 1942, 1942
Berger, Richard- July 5, 1942- July 29, 1942, 1942
Berger, Richard- August 10, 1942- August 22, 1942, 1942
Berger, Richard- August 26, 1942- September 27, 1942, 1942
Berger, Richard- October 1, 1942- October 16, 1942, 1942
Berger, Richard- October 22, 1942- December 8, 1942, 1942
Berger, Richard- December 13, 1942- December 29, 1942, 1942
Berger, Richard- January 22, 1943- February 7, 1943, 1943
Berger, Richard- February 28, 1943- March 15, 1943, 1943
Berger, Richard- March 18, 1943- April 4, 1943, 1943
Berger, Richard- April 6, 1943- May 16, 1943, 1943
Berger, Wolfgang- January 25, 1935- April 10, 1940, 1935-1940
Berger, Wolfgang- April 18, 1940- June 30, 1940, 1940
Berger, Wolfgang- July 5, 1940- August 2, 1940, 1940
Berger, Wolfgang- August 7, 1940- September 8, 1940, 1940
Berger, Wolfgang- September 15, 1940- October 10, 1940, 1940
Berger, Wolfgang- October 12, 1940- December 15, 1940, 1940
Berger, Wolfgang- January 1, 1941- January 26, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- January 30, 1941- February 6, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- February 8, 1941- March 3, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- March 8, 1941- March 30, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- April 5, 1941- April 27, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang= May 5, 1941- May 19, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- May 23, 1941- May 31, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- June 15, 1941- October 5, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- October 19, 1941- November 19, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- November 27, 1941- December 15, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- December 21, 1941- December 31, 1941, 1941
Berger, Wolfgang- January 4, 1942- February 12, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- February 16, 1942- March 17, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- April 11, 1942- May 8, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- May 13, 1942- June 6, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- July 6, 1942- July 22, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- July 26, 1942- July 29, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- August 6, 1942- August 17, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- August 18, 1942- September 4, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- September 11, 1942- September 30, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- October 8, 1942- October 17, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- October 23, 1942- December 17, 1942, 1942
Berger, Wolfgang- December 20, 1942- February 28, 1943, 1942-1943
Berger, Wolfgang- March 3, 1943- March 17, 1943, 1943
Berger, Wolfgang- April 1, 1943- May 8, 1943, 1943
Berger, Wolfgang- undated, undated
Diercks, Arnold- July 16, 1941, 1941
Finger, [ ]- September 27, 1947, 1947
Fromme, Fran- September 23, 1947, 1947
Haack, Heinz- January 27, 1940- February 15, 1940, 1940
Heath, Richard- June 26, 1940- June 29, 1942, 1940-1942
Hennings, Carl H.- June 2, 1940, 1940
[ ], Hildegard- April 8, 1954, 1954
Hinz, Robert- January 27, 1957, 1957
[Hoar], Theo- September 22, 1947, 1947
[Hoffmann]- July 30, 1940, 1940
Jomacek- May 2, 1943, 1943
Kimm, Fritz- September 24, 1947, 1947
[Kloar], Fritz and Gretel- August 29, 1936-September 1, 1936, 1936
Loewe, Ernst- September 22, 1947, 1947
Steen, Ernst- March 7, 1941- December 3, 1944, 1941-1944
Volz, Annalisa- October 21, 1942- May 1, 1943, 1942-1943
Volz, Annalisa- undated, undated
Volz, Friedalore- June 13, 1940- May 2, 1943, 1940-1943
Volz, Friedalore- undated, undated
Volz, Hans- May 8, 1943- May 11, 1943, 1943
Weist, Adolf- December 18, 1950, 1950
Willi and Lotti- December 19, 1941, 1941
Unidentified- 1916-1951, 1916-1951
Unidentified- undated, undated
Envelopes- 1938-1941, 1938-1941
Series III: Engelhard Hellmuth
Scope and Contents note
Series III contains two diaries of Engelhard Hellmuth, who, in 1942, was a Hauptscharführer [Head Company Leader] (the equivalent of the Wermacht rank of Oberfeldwebel, which is roughly equivalent to the American Master Sergeant) with the S.S., or Schutzstaffel [Protection Unit]. During this time, Hellmuth was involved in the German campaign in the Balkans.
Diary of Engelhard Hellmuth about the "Balkanfeldzug"- Jan 12, 1941- June 5, 1941, 1941
Diary of Engelard Hellmuth- March 17, 1942- May 10, 1942, 1942
Series IV: Kurt Jensen
Scope and Contents note
Series IV is entirely comprised of letters from Jensen back home to his parents in Schleswig, a city that is between Hamburg and Denmark, closer to the latter. From late January of 1942 to February of 1943, Jensen was on the Russian front. His last letter (April 1, 1945) bears the postmark of Wittenberge, which was bombed by the American Ninth Air Force on April 10 and 12.
Jensen, Kurt- November 23, 1941- April 6, 1942, 1941-1942
Jensen, Kurt- April 23, 1942- July 19, 1942, 1942
Jensen, Kurt- July 20, 1942- September 10, 1942, 1942
Jensen, Kurt-September 10, 1942- December 16, 1942, 1942
Jensen, Kurt- December 20, 1942- April 3, 1943, 1942-1943
Jensen, Kurt- April 7, 1943- May 27, 1943, 1943
Jensen, Kurt- May 31, 1943- August 1, 1943, 1943
Jensen, Kurt- August 8, 1943- September 4, 1943, 1943
Jensen, Kurt- September 6, 1943- December 20, 1943, 1943
Jensen, Kurt- December 14, 1943- March 25, 1944, 1943-1944
Jensen, Kurt- April 3, 1944- June 15, 1944, 1944
Jensen, Kurt- June 16, 1944- August 29, 1944, 1944
Jensen, Kurt- August 27, 1944- October 13, 1944, 1944
Jensen, Kurt- October 18, 1944-November 26, 1944, 1944
Jensen, Kurt- November 29, 1944- March 1, 1945, 1944-1945
Jensen, Kurt- March 17, 1945- April 1, 1945, 1945
Jensen, Kurt- undated, undated
Series V: Helmut Riedel
Scope and Contents note
The majority of the letters in this series are to Helmut Riedel, who was an Obergefreiter [Corporal] in World War II. There are also a number of letters addresed to Matrose [Sailor] Riedel. Most letters are from family and freinds in Chemnitz. There are some letters, usually sans envelope, penned by Helmut. There is a large number of letters without a corresponding envelope.
[ ], Albert- March 7, 1943, 1943
[Anafel], [ ]- November 2, 1942- December 26, 1942, 1942
[ ], Annemarie- December 21, 1943, 1943
Berger, Willy- December 29, 1939, 1939
Daum, Oskar- February 26, 1942- August 14, 1942, 1942
[ ], Erich- December 2, 1942, 1942
Frank, E.- December 13, 1941- February 27, 1942, 1941-1942
Frank, E.- March 30, 1942- March 4, 1942, 1942
Grossmutter (Riedel)- May 2, 1942- May 7, 1943, 1942-1943
Habel, Fritz- January 29, 1939- January 27, 1940, 1939-1940
Hamel, Hans- March 22, 1942- August 28, 1942, 1942
Heyn, Hildegard- September 18, 1939- October 28, 1939, 1939
Heyn, Hildegard- October 30, 1939- November 3, 1939, 1939
Heyn, Hildegard- November 6, 1939- November 8, 1939, 1939
Heyn, Hildegard- November 10, 1939- November 14, 1939, 1939
Heyn, Hildegard- November 15, 1939- November 18, 1939, 1939
Heyn, Hildegard- November 18, 1939- November 25, 1939, 1939
Heyn, Hildegard- November 26, 1939- December 2, 1939, 1939
Heyn, Hildegard- December 3, 1939- December 10, 1939, 1939
December 12, 1939- December 23, 1939, 1939
Heyn, Hildegard- December 23, 1939- January 4, 1940, 1939-1940
Heyn, Hildegard- January 9, 1940- January 16, 1940, 1940
Heyn, Hildegard- January 21, 1940- January 26, 1940, 1940
Heyn, Hildegard- January 28, 1940- February 8, 1940, 1940
Heyn, Hildegard- undated, undated
Hofmann, Ilse- October 27, 1941, 1941
Hoffmann, Lotte- August 26, 1941- October 24, 1941
Hoffmann, Lotte- undated, undated
Jensen, Lotti- October 17, 1943, 1943
Klaussner, Ursula- January 5, 1942- September 13, 1942, 1942
Klaussner, Ursula- September 23, 1942- October 3, 1942, 1942
Klaussner, Ursula- October 4, 1942- October 14, 1942, 1942
Klaussner, Ursula- October 21, 1942- November 4, 1942, 1942
Klaussner, Ursula- November 8, 1942- November 24, 1942, 1942
Klaussner, Ursula- November 29, 1942- March 21, 1943, 1942-1943
Knauss, Rudolf- January 4, 1942, 1942
Lars, Martin- March 2, 1941, 1941
Lelumka, M.- April 2, 1942, 1942
Linke, Anneliese- February 25, 1941- April 11, 1941, 1941
Linke, Anneliese- April 29, 1941- July 17, 1941, 1941
Linke, Anneliese- August 9, 1941- August 22, 1942, 1941-1942
Lunkwitz, Eolith- March 8, 1941- September 24, 1941, 1941
Madicke, Adele- April 28, 1941- December 23, 1941, 1941
Madicke, Horst- May 24, 1941- December 9, 1941, 1941
Meischner, Elfriede- September 10, 1941- November 19, 1941, 1941
Meischner, Elfriede- November 24, 1941- December 28, 1941, 1941
Meischner, Elfriede- January 6, 1942- February 14, 1942, 1942
Meischner, Elfriede- February 21, 1942- April 11, 1942, 1942
Raible, Annemarie- April 8, 1943, 1943
[Rasa], [Ulm]- September 24, 1942, 1942
Richter, Werner- April 16, 1941- July 27, 1941, 1941
Richter, Werner- August 17, 1941- October 5, 1941, 1941
Riedel, Eberhard- November 18, 1939- February 23, 1942, 1939-1942
Riedel, Hans- February 16, 1942- March 1, 1943, 1942-1943
Riedel, Helmut- October 25, 1939- January 20, 1940, 1939-1940
Riedel, Helmut- March 2, 1940- June 5, 1940, 1940
Riedel, Helmut- June 8, 1940- July 13, 1940, 1940
Riedel, Helmut- August 26, 1940- May 5, 1941, 1940-1941
Riedel, Helmut- May 2, 1941- June 29, 1941, 1941
Riedel, Helmut- July 24, 1941- December 6, 1941, 1941
Riedel, Helmut- January 15, 1942- April 29, 1943, 1942-1943
Riedel, Helmut- undated, undated
Riedel, Helmut- undated, undated
Riedel, Helmut- undated, undated
Riedel, Kurt- November 2, 1939- June 5, 1941, 1939-1941
Riedel, Kurt- July 18, 1941- November 23, 1943, 1941-1943
Riedel, Kurt- undated, undated
Riedel, Lisbeth (Mutter)- December 4, 1939- June 16, 1940, 1939-1940
Riedel, Lisbeth (Mutter)- February 24, 1941- July 16, 1941, 1941
Riedel, Lisbeth (Mutter)- July 25, 1941- August 10, 1941, 1941
Riedel, Lisbeth (Mutter)- October 6, 1941- March 10, 1942, 1941-1942
Riedel, Lisbeth (Mutter)- March 14, 1942- April 12, 1942, 1942
Riedel, Lisbeth (Mutter)- July 8, 1942- October 6, 1942, 1942
Riedel, Lisbeth (Mutter)- October 11, 1942- October 25, 1942, 1942
Riedel, Lisbeth (Mutter)- October 28, 1942- December 9, 1942
Riedel, Paul- February 20, 1941, 1941
[Rofler]- undated, undated
Schneider, Traudel (Gertraude)- January 2, 1940- November 19, 1941, 1940-1941
Schneider, Traudel (Gertraude)- December 30, 1941- October 17, 1943, 1941-1943
Schubert, Else- November 19, 1939- August 19, 1943, 1939-1943
Singer, H.- May 1, 1941, 1941
Swoboda, Elfriede- July 29, 1941- May 7, 1942, 1941-1942
Telle, Elfriede- January 28, 1942- May 13, 1942, 1942
Vater (Riedel)- December 10, 1939- April 27, 1941, 1939-1941
Vater (Riedel)- May 11, 1941- August 21, 1941, 1941
Vater (Riedel)- February 16, 1942- April 14, 1942, 1942
Vater (Riedel)- October 6, 1941- March 14, 1943, 1941-1943
[Wander], Werner- March 9, 1941- May 19, 1941
[Wander], Werner- June 15, 1941- January 9, 1942, 1941-1942
[ ], Willy and Gertrud (Onkel and Tante)- January 15, 1940, 1940
Wittig, M.- September 27, 1943, 1943
Wolf, Walter- December 29, 1941, 1941
Unidentified- December 13, 1939- August 14, 1941, 1939-1941
Unidentified- August 22, 1941- September 26, 1942, 1941-1942
Unidentified- April 11, 1943, 1943
Unidentified- undated, undated
Envelopes- 1939-1942, 1939-1942
Series VI: Pietro Schiavi and Shirley Messinger
Scope and Contents note
Series VI contains the letters of a young Italian, Pietro Schiavi, to his Rhode Island penpal, Shirley Messinger. The correspondence of this series is in English, not German. The letters, which date from April 1935 to January 1945, trace Schiavi's trajectory from student to soldier to prisoner of war in Germany. Schivai signs his name first as Pietro, then as Pete and Piero; he also begins to refer to Shirley as Wally. The series contains the various "gifts" that Schiavi sent - a pressed flower, photos, newspaper clippings, and a postcard book. The series also contains memorabilia from Messinger's high school and college (Pembroke) years and a manuscript, "Facts about Pietro Schiavi," which includes an inventory of "Letters Received."
Schiavi, Pietro- April 27, 1935- September 18, 1935, 1935
Schiavi, Pietro- February 29, 1936- December 14, 1936, 1936
Schiavi, Pietro- January 28, 1937- August 17, 1937, 1937
Schiavi, Pietro- September 23, 1937, 1937
Schiavi, Pietro- December 18, 1937- April 28, 1939, 1937-1939
Schiavi, Pietro- July 9, 1939- November 24, 1939, 1939
Schiavi, Pietro- December 6, 1939- January 31, 1945, 1939-1945
Schedule for Freshmen and Transfer Students, Pembroke College, Brown University, October 27- November 3, 1943, 1943
Miniature Flyer for a production of "A Foul Plot That Failed" by the G.P. Club, 1935
Newspaper clipping from a listing of "Society" events, undated
"Facts About Pietro Schiavi," Inventory of "Letters Received," and outline of Mussolini's Life, Manuscript of Shirley Messinger, [1940]
Invitation and Materials for induction into the Providence Assembly, NO. 1, Order of the Rainbow for Girls- March 1937, 1937
Postcards depicting Abbiatgrasso, Roma, and Ethiopia, annotated by Pietro Schiavi for Shirley Messinger, undated
Report Cards of Shirley Messinger, 3rd Grade to High School, 1930-1940
Date Book ("Engagements") of Shirley Messiniger for the 1940-1 Academic Year at Pembroke College, 1940-1941
Dance Card for East Providence High School's Class of 1938 Senior Prom, 1938
"Roma: Parte IIa," small fold-out picture book of Roman sights with brief histories of each in four languages, 1933
"Algebra Notebook of Rules," handwritten by Shirley Messinger on small, spiral memo pad, undated
Badge for East Providence High School, undated
Pennant for East Providence High School, undated
Charms awarded to Shirley Messinger for "Service" and "Petitions", undated
Daily Planners of Shirley Messinger, 1941-1943
Remington, Pearl M.T. (Assistant Superintendent for the Department of Public Schools, East Providence, RI)- letter of congratulations on finalist standing in the Good Citizen Pilgrimage competition, 1940
Photo of Pietro Schiavi's brother, "where we go to bathe", undated
Series VII: Eugen Uhl and Josef (Sepp) Jung
Scope and Contents note
Series VII, Sub-series A contains roughly 450 pieces of correspondence dating from 1936 to 1946, with the majority of the letters dating from 1942 to 1944. The letters center around Eugen and Waldemar Uhl, both of whom were in the German army, and their parents in St. Ingbert (Saar), Ernst and Therese Uhl. Waldemar's last letter home is from June 23, 1941. The letters from Ernst and Therese begin in late 1942; almost all are addressed to Eugen. It appears that Ernst Uhl successfully petitioned for his son Eugen's removal from the front to "[a less dangerous post]" in March of 1943 (see Atbacher, March 18, 1943, and Hauptmann [...], March 22, 1943). The majority of letters in this subseries are between Eugen and his parents. Interspersed with the Uhl family letters were about 35 letters addressed to Obergefreiter [Corporal] Josef (or Sepp, with the familiar form Seppel, which can be abbreviated as Sepp'l) Jung. No immediate relationship between Jung and Uhl is apparent. These 35 letters compose Sub-series B.
Subseries A: Eugen Uhl
A[]bacher, J.; Major, Batl. 12- March 18, 1943, 1943
Benesch, Eberhard- October 13, 1943, 1943
Hauptmann and Kompaniefuhrer of Batl. 12, 2. Kompanie- March 22, 1943, 1943
Hel[]en, R.- March 31, 1943, 1943
Hermann, Karl- May 15, 1943, 1943
Hugo, Adalbero- January 3, 1943- February 21, 1945, 1943-1945
Hugo, Alois and the family- January 11, 1943- November 9, 1943, 1943
Hugo, Alois and the family- January 31, 1944- December 12, 1944, 1944
Hugo, Arthur- July 26, 1942- January 29, 1945, 1942-1945
Hugo, Ernstl (see also Hugo, Alois and the family)- May 17, 1942- March 3, 1944, 1942-1944
Hugo, Hans- August 13, 1942- October 27, 1942, 1942
Hugo, Joseff- January 10, 1945, 1945
Hugo, K[a]thi and Leni- January 10, 1943- March 11, 1945, 1943-1945
Hugo, [Maria]- September 17, 1943, 1943
Hugo, Ruth- September 15, 1943- December 15, 1943, 1943
Kessler, Rudolf- February 4, 1943, 1943
Klein, [Hans]- December 21, 1943, 1943
Leder, Babette and Fritz- January 2, 1943, 1943
[Michel], K. Leo- October 14, 1942- June 6, 1943, 1942-1943
Muller, E.- October 12, 1943- October 31, 1943, 1943
Muller, the family- January 18, 1944, 1944
Oberstaatsanwalt bei dem Landgericht in Frankenthal (Pfalz)- March 25, 1943, April 9, 1943, 1943
Pfeilstucker, Jette- October 20, 1943, 1943
Plein, Theo.- April 19, 1943- August 5, 1943, 1943
Rosemann, Kurt- June 1, 1943, 1943
Sander, Marlis- October 24, 1943, 1943
Schmitz, W.- January 3, 1940, 1940
Schroder, Emma- February 21, 1944, 1944
Shroder, [Lotti]- December 14, 1943- February 23, 1944, 1943-1944
Stumpf, Rud.- September 9, 1942, 1942
Suss, Leo[pold]- August 25, 1943- March 9, 1944, 1943-1944
Trauthering, K.- November 27, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Ernst and Therese ("Papa" and "Mama")- December 15, 1942- January 14, 1943, 1942-1943
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- January 21, 1943- March 4, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- March 8, 1943- May 6, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- May 10, 1943- July 2, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- July 5, 1943- September 21, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- September 22, 1943- November 10, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- November 16, 1943- January 14, 1944, 1943-1944
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- January 16, 1944- March 2, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- March 15, 1944- May 12, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- May 14, 1944- July 2, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- July 6, 1944- August 18, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- August 19, 1944- September 24, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- September 25, 1944- November 23, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Ernst and Therese- November 28, 1944- January 5, 1945, 1944-1945
Uhl, Eugen- May 26, 1940- January 13, 1943, 1940-1943
Uhl, Eugen- January 31, 1943- March 22, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Eugen- April 5, 1943- May 16, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Eugen- June 15, 1943- July 30, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Eugen- August 1, 1943- October 10, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Eugen- October 10, 1943- November 7, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Eugen- November 8, 1943- December 16, 1943, 1943
Uhl, Eugen- December 20, 1943- March 1, 1944, 1943-1944
Uhl, Eugen- March 6, 1944- April 21, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Eugen- April 22, 1944- June 16, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Eugen- June 17, 1944- July 28, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Eugen- July 29, 1944- September 9, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Eugen- September 11, 1944- October 20, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Eugen- November 8, 1944- December 21, 1944, 1944
Uhl, Eugen- December 23, 1944- February 6, 1945, 1944-1945
Uhl, Eugen- February 6, 1945- March 3, 1945, 1945
Uhl, Eugen (II, Uncle of Eugen Uhl)- July 16, 1942- July 16, 1944, 1942-1944
Uhl, Otto- December 27, 1942, 1942
Uhl, Waldemar- April 2, 1936- December 10, 1939, 1936-1939
Uhl, Waldemar- December 16, 1939- January 14, 1940, 1939-1940
Uhl, Waldemar- January 18, 1940- March 9, 1940, 1940
Uhl, Waldemar- March 14, 1940- April 30, 1940, 1940
Uhl, Waldemar- May 3, 1940- June 21, 1940, 1940
Uhl, Waldemar- June 26, 1940- August 20, 1940, 1940
Uhl, Waldemar- September 1, 1940- October 2, 1940, 1940
Uhl, Waldemar- October 7, 1940- November 25, 1940, 1940
Uhl, Waldemar- December 3, 1940- January 11, 1944, 1940-1944
Uhl, Waldemar- January 14, 1941- February 16, 1941, 1941
Uhl, Waldemar- February 17, 1941- March 23, 1941, 1941
Uhl, Waldemar- March 25, 1941- May 18, 1941, 1941
Uhl, Waldemar- May 25, 1941- June 23, 1941, 1941
Uhl, [ ]- August 10, 1943, 1943
Werner, Herman- September 2, 1943, 1943
Wolgast, Prof. Dr.- February 14, 1941, 1941
[ ], [P. Romwald]- December 22, 1943- April 3, 1944, 1943-1944
Unidentified- October 23, 1941- November 24, 1943, 1941-1943
Subseries B: Josef (Sepp) Jung
Banilloy, Annette- January 6, 1943, 1943
Gl[u]ck, Ruth- November 27, 1942- November 5, 1943, 1942-1943
Grass, Alfons- April 4, 1940- August 25, 1944, 1940-1944
Grass, Josef- December 29, 1943, 1943
Grieges, Hugo- July 28, 1940, 1940
Hadrich, Traute- April 21, 1944- June 2, 1944, 1944
Hickmann, Gerda- May 14, 1944- March 16, 1946, 1944-1946
Jahns, Gerda- April 27, 1944- July 14, 1944, 1944
Jung, Albertus- May 18, 1944, 1944
Klein, Hein- June 17, 1942- February 27, 1944, 1942-1944
Lehberg, Anni- May 17, 1944, 1944
Marz, Oswald- November 2, 1942, 1942
Schappert, Fr. Julius- May 30, 1940- June 12, 1940, 1940
Schnuss, [ ]- July 3, 1940, 1940
[Sinsner], Lisl- March 27, 1946, 1946
Weingeder, Heinz- December 15, 1942- December 30, 1942, 1942
Wittcheu, Marga- April 5, 1943, 1943
Series VIII: Jakob Werle
Scope and Contents note
The majority of the letters in this series are to Jakob Werle. The remaining letters are addressed either to the Werle Family or sent by Jakob himself. The reader will notice that Werle's hand is radically different in the letter of February 14, 1944 from the military hospital at Wenden due to his injuries from a grenade explosion in Russia. From the German hospital in Wenden, Werle was transferred to a military hospital in Choroszcz, near Bialystok, in Poland. From Poland, he was moved back to Germany, to the hospital at Erfurt, from where his last letter, the latest dated (February 15, 1945) letter in this series, was sent.
Althaus, Kurt- June 4, 1942- April 5, 1943, 1942-1943
Becher, Tilly- March 31, 1942- April 3, 1942, 1942
Bier, Hedwig- July 28, 1942- June 6, 1943, 1942-1943
Dinges, Albert- November 18, 1942- March 4, 1943, 1942-1943
Dinges, [ ]- October 29, 1941, 1941
Grotsch, August- December 12, 1943, 1943
Hoffmann, Gunther- February 25, 1944, 1944
Hoffmann, Gunther- February 25, 1944, 1944
Kreishandwerkerschaft Birkenfeld-Baumholder- May 10, 1944, 1944
Kuhn, Elisabeth- February 6, 1942- April 6, 1943, 1942-1943
Laas, Sauni- February 22, 1944, 1944
Lanz: Heinrich Lanz Aktiengesselschaft- May 10, 1944, 1944
Leinges, Leo- December 8, 1942- April 5, 1944, 1942-1944
Muller, Jakob- November 3, 1941- May 17, 1944, 1941-1944
Schmidt, August- October 20, 1941- October 4, 1943, 1941-1943
Schmidt, August- undated, undated
Schmidt, Robert- July 15, 1944, 1944
Schmitt, Hedwig- July 24, 1942- August 17, 1943, 1942-1943
Schmitt, Willibrand- March 1, 1944- June 13, 1944, 1944
Schneider, [ ]- March 8, 1942- June 9, 1943, 1942-1943
Schuck, Alois and the Schuck Family- October 8, 1941- June 16, 1942, 1941-1942
Schuck, Alois and the Schuck Family- July 13, 1942- March 14, 1943, 1942-1943
Schuck, Alois and the Schuck Family- March 21, 1943- June 28, 1943, 1943
Schuck, Alois and the Schuck Family- August 1, 1943- January 3, 1945, 1943-1945
Schuck, Elisabeth- October 15, 1941- August 16, 1942, 1941-1942
Seutner, Georg- November 27, 1942- March 19, 1943, 1942-1943
Spader, Waldemar- February 1, 1942- September 11, 1942, 1942
Spader, Waldemar- October 16, 1942- June 27, 1943, 1942-1943
Su-[ ]rf, [ ]- December 10, 1942, 1942
Wagner, Albert- March 22, 1942- March 15, 1943, 1942-1943
Werle, Alfons- November 23, 1941- June 30, 1944
Werle, Alois- May 5, 1942- January 30, 1943, 1942-1943
Werle, Alois- February 2, 1943- June 12, 1943, 1943
Werle, Alois- June 16, 1943- December 14, 1944, 1943-1944
Werle, Jakob- September 16, 1942- November 16, 1942, 1942
Werle, Jakob- March 2, 1943- February 16, 1944, 1943-1944
Werle, Jakob- February 20, 1944- February 15, 1945, 1944-1945
Werle, Joseph and the Werle family- February 1, 1941- February 22, 1942, 1941-1942
Werle, Joseph and the Werle family- March 1, 1942- May 17, 1942, 1942
Werle, Joseph and the Werle family- July 12, 1942- August 30, 1942, 1942
Werle, Joseph and the Werle family- September 16, 1942- December 21, 1942, 1942
Werle, Joseph and the Werle family- January 1, 1943- March 7, 1943, 1943
Werle, Joseph and the Werle family- March 14, 1943- April 30, 1943, 1943
Werle, Joseph and the Werle family- May 6, 1943- July 18, 1944, 1943-1944
Werle, Joseph and the Werle family- undated, undated
Werle, Maria- January 3, 1942- February 21, 1943, 1942-1943
Werle, Maria- undated, undated
Werle, Maria- March 11, 1943- July 20, 1943, 1943
Wernig, Hans- November 17, 1941- December 28, 1942, 1941-1942
[ ], Agnes- April 29, 1943, 1943
[ ], Agnes- undated, undated
[ ], Friedrich- March 10, 1944, 1944
Unidentified- undated, undated
Series IX: Gottlob Zieher
Scope and Contents note
With the exception of a single letter, dated February 18, 1943, Gottlob Zieher's correspondence is comprised of letters received. The majority of these are letters from Zieher's siblings, many from Frieda Zieher, who wrote from the family's hometown, Dinkelsbühl. The last letter sent to Zieher, from his sister Lina, is dated August 20, 1944.
Brand, Ernst- April 5, 1944, 1944
Doberer, Wilhelm- September 24, 1943, 1943
Fischer, Luise- July 25, 1941, 1941
Fischer, Luise- June 19, 1944- July 23, 1944, 1944
Jung, Willy- January 13, 1942- March 3, 1942, 1942
[ ], Marie- May 10, 1941- June 1, 1944, 1941-1944
Zieher, Ernst- April 5, 1938- January 9, 1940, 1938-1940
Zieher, Ernst- January 13, 1940- July 12, 1940, 1940
Zieher, Ernst- May 25, 1941- June 2, 1942, 1941-1942
Zieher, Ernst- June 16, 1942- March 5, 1943, 1942-1943
Zieher, Ernst- October 11, 1943, 1943
Zieher, Frieda- May 8, 1941- November 10, 1941, 1941
Zieher, Frieda- November 5, 1941- February 1, 1942, 1941-1942
Zieher, Frieda- February 7, 1942- May 29, 1942, 1942
Zieher, Frieda- June 7, 1942- December 10, 1942, 1942
Zieher, Frieda- December 12, 1942- May 3, 1943, 1942-1943
Zieher, Frieda- May 9, 1943- October 4, 1943, 1943
Zieher, Frieda- October 9, 1943- March 1, 1944, 1943-1944
Zieher, Frieda- March 5, 1944- June 18, 1944, 1944
Zieher, Frieda- July 2, 1944- July 27, 1944, 1944
Zieher, Fritz- May 27, 1941- July 2, 1942, 1941-1942
Zieher, Fritz- June 15, 1942
Zieher, Fritz- undated, undated
Zieher, Gottlob- February 18, 1943, 1943
Zieher, Karl- May 17, 1941- October 30, 1942, 1941-1942
Zieher, Karl- February 9, 1943- July 20, 1944, 1943-1944
Zieher, Lina- June 8, 1941- February 14, 1942, 1941-1942
Zieher, Lina- May 26, 1943- August 20, 1944, 1943-1944
Zieher, Maria- November 10, 1943, 1943
[ ], Kurt- March 8, 1943, 1943
[ ], Hans- August 24, 1943
Unidentified- November 19, 1941- March 16, 1944, 1941-1944
Series X: Miscellaneous wartime documents
Scope and Contents note
Series X contains miscellaneous items that, at the time of acquisition, were, seemingly arbitrarily, grouped with the correspondence of Gottlob Zieher. These items, labelled as miscellaneous documents, include soldier identification books, certificates of military honor, and an application to the Evangelical church, among others.
Miscellaneous documents- 1935-1945, 1935-1945
Oversize: Series VI- Pietro Schiavi and Shirley Messinger
Scope and Contents note
All three items placed in oversize are from Series VI: Schiavi and Messinger.