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This letter to Helene’s nephew Paul Zerzawy must have been sent with the letter we saw yesterday that she wrote to her children. They both have the same Clipper number 103. She tells much of the same story but in a different tone. As Helene sees the end in sight and a family reunion in San Francisco seems likely and imminent, she takes a “farewell tour” of her beloved Vienna. Click on the links below to join her on the tour.
Vienna, 3 June 1941
Dear Paul! Thank you, a thousand thanks for your telegram of May 31. You should not believe that I have been writing alarm letters to you when something doesn’t go the way I want. You know me better than that. But when I wrote you that letter which you answered with the cable, our situation was worse than bad and the information that we had gotten from the religious community and from Prinz Eugenstrasse [likely the Turkish Embassy which is currently at Prinz Eugen Strasse 40] were more than hopeless. In the meantime, you will have received my letter from May 13 in which I was so joyous and which I told you there had been an amazing turn in our situation, as far as our possibility of leaving goes. That the American consulate had broken its silence and had let us know that everything was all right and mention that our matter is proceeding normally. It is happening too slowly for us which is understandable, but I believe that it is the last phase of our obstacle course but we will win the derby.
Yesterday, we began making visits to say good-bye. We went to the Lusthaus and went down the Hauptallee, which still has floral candles as decoration. We walked by foot to the Praterstern. We went down the middle of the street since we wanted to have the most incomparably beautiful view of the Tegetthoff monument in front of us and we had the view of the Lusthaus behind us and from time to time I turned around to get the panoramic effect. Individual cars containing Firmling [Catholic children becoming confirmed] were decorated with flowers were going to the Lusthaus, but otherwise it was just the usual hustle and bustle that you find on Pentecost Monday. I said I really wanted to take a trip on the Riesenrad [ferris wheel] and see the Prater and the Viennese surroundings in this way. I remembered enjoying the sight with you for the first time. I went to the places that my children enjoyed so much before. I said good-bye to the Prater, and I also want to see Schönbrunn, and Kahlenberg and Cobenzl still remain, and I plan to spend next Sunday doing that. The rest of the time is busy with all sorts of preparations. It takes an awful lot of time and nerve. There was an interruption caused by the Pentecost holidays and hopefully we will make up for that and we hope that the errands we need to do as far as the paperwork that will come from Berlin - we hope that will arrive. Then it’s a matter of getting up on our feet and running, flying. The days are getting longer and one can convince oneself that everything is going more quickly and more easily. This week there is a very important matter to take care of, but I will tell you more about that when I’ve got the problem solved.
I no longer ask how you’re doing, what you’re doing or what you hear from Robert. For one thing I never get any answer from you and for another I hope to get these answers myself in person, as Vitali has advised me when I was so long without any news and kept whining.
Farewell Paul, and do expect to receive us soon.
My greetings to the Zentners, Schillers, Firestones, and to Erwin Fulda, for whom I’ve only made trouble so far, even though all that he knows about me is that I exist.
My dearest hugs to you
Helen