Link to Family Tree to understand family relationships.
22.3.1966
Dear Eva,
Helen Rose’s birthday offers the welcome opportunity and impulse to break the deadlock in our correspondence which, I am afraid, is this time entirely my fault. I in turn blame my state of mind, or rather the inability to write in concrete from the letters which I conceive in thoughts but never seem to manage to put into shape.
Once more the question arises: where to start? How to bridge the gap in the knowledge of each other’s live and doings? — I feel terrible that I did not properly acknowledge your letter from 25th August last year. I think, it was just before I left for Vienna to visit Artur and Lotte Zerzawy, namesakes of mine who accepted me in their family circle. It was then a welcome diversion but when I came back I had a relapse into my depressive state which lasted until recently. Now I am again in control of my nerves and try to pick up the threads. I do hope you can understand and will accept my sincere apologies for what must seem an abominable behavior, to say the least.
Last year you had a series of illnesses and operations and I am naturally in the first line concerned to learn how you got over it how you are now. I sincerely hope you are restored in health and strength to be able to run your home without undue exertion and that the unfortunate spell of last year has come to an end. — There are so many questions I would like to ask but can I do it, not even knowing how you are physically and which problems you might have to cope with. I must leave it to you to inform me in outlines how things are with you and your family — I do not and cannot expect an extensive report but a few words in telegram style would help to overcome the impasse and reassure me, at least I hope a new and better era has started for you.
So much for to-day. Accept please my warmest wishes for your good health and well-being and convey my kind regards to Paul.
Love,
Robert
My birthday is later this week, which gave Helene’s nephew Robert Zerzawy an excuse to write to his aunt and cousin in the U.S. after a long silence. In 1966, Robert was 66 years old and had lived in England for more than 25 years. We’ve seen earlier letters where we learned that his intention in the 1940s was to join his family in San Francisco. For some reason, that never happened. Although he traveled to Europe after the war, as far as I know, he did not visit the U.S. except once in the 1947. His brother Paul died in 1948 (the Paul mentioned at the end of the letter is Eva’s husband/my father). Despite all the years of letter writing, by this time it appears that the family did not correspond very often. Robert talks about his depression. In letters we have seen earlier, Helene and Hilda Firestone both wrote about his sensitive and gentle nature. He had endured many tragedies, upheavals, and hardships in his life, and his was not a resilient temperament. After his brother Paul’s death in 1948, he was the only Zerzawy sibling still living.
I was too young to know (or be told) what was going on in 1965, but I recall visiting my mother in the hospital a few times. I know once was for a gall bladder operation but don’t know the other reasons.
One of the challenges in keeping up a relationship with each other is that I don’t think that Robert spent much time with Eva and Harry earlier in their lives. Robert would have many memories and shared experiences with Helene before she was married, but much less connection after that. He and Helene had a strong bond.
Robert was born in 1899, more than 20 years earlier than his first cousins. He was closer in age to his aunt Helene than to her children. I believe that Robert lived in Prague before moving to England. His brother Paul was a much bigger presence and influence in their lives. He lived in Vienna and socialized often with Helene and her family. Paul came to the U.S. first and helped Eva and Harry follow. They saw each other often until his death in 1948.
An aside: one disconcerting thing for me looking at Robert’s writing is how much it looks like my mother’s.