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In the June 21 post, we saw several attempts by Helene from 1947-1955 to find out what had happened to Vitali at the end of the war. Today we have a few more letters, this time from 1947 and 1949. She never lost hope that her husband was still alive.
In the earlier post, the form dated July 7, 1947 was addressed to Georg Weil who was writing from Frankfurt on Helene’s behalf. I do not know who he was but from the August 30, 1947 letter below, it appears that he and Helene had a personal connection.
Dear Mrs. Cohen,
We were happy to receive your letter of August 21 and to see that we really were able to help you by taking away a small amount of your troubles. Now we just have a sincere desire to find your husband. That has not happened yet. However, every morning at 9:15 on all radio stations in Germany, we now hear reports of missing persons. We have asked to have your husband’s name mentioned in these reports. If he has perhaps already left Germany, possibly someone knows something about him. We hope so.
My wife and I send you warm greetings.
Georg Weil
From August 17, 1949 via the Zionist Organization of America in San Francisco to the Jewish Agency for Palestine in Jerusalem:
Subject: Inquiry into whereabouts of Haim Cohen
Nationality: Turkish
Last Place of Residence: Seidlgasse 14 Vienna, Austria
Born: 1888
Place of Birth: Istanbul, Turkey
Migrated to Austria: 1919Gentlemen:
I have last seen the above, my husband, in October 1943, when I was transported to Ravensbruck, while he was arrested and interned in Buchenwald. I received his last letter in February, 1945 from Buchenwald.
I have received on July 7, 1947 information from the I.R.C. Search Tracing Division in Wiesbaden that my husband was registered in Buchenwald under the number 31452, that the reason for his imprisonment was “political”.
Last information available: “Alive in camp at time of liberation.”
Inasmuch as my husband does not know of my whereabouts, I am most anxious to have him traced wherever there might be a chance to find him. Ther eis still hope that he might have entered Israel recently.
I would be extremely grateful to you if you could conduct an inquiry as to whether this is the case and have me informed.
Should you desire any further information I would only be too pleased to furnish it.
I wish to thank you heartily in anticipation for the trouble you are taking.
Yours very respectfully,
Helene Cohen
Without the computer and telecommunications tools we have today, somehow people found each other after the war. There were millions of pieces of papers in disparate locations around the globe. In the first letter above, we see that one method of searching was to name missing persons on the radio. Amazing that anybody found anyone. Helene’s requests went to organizations around the globe.