Link to Family Tree to understand family relationships.

See May 13 post for Zerzawy sibling family tree.

Today we have two World War I postcards from Helene’s nephews - brothers Erich and Paul Zerzawy - both written on September 2, 1917.

Beresowka 2/IX.1917

My dear ones!

I was so happy the mail had been working out well, at least halfway for the last few months, but now I’m not getting anything anymore. I have a strange sort of bad luck. Comrades get everything regularly, such as money, packages, etc. It’s only me who hasn’t gotten anything except for money just one time. I don’t want to say it got lost — it probably is just delayed. How did Robert do on his high school exam? And what does my Katerina look like? Send photos of yourselves as simple postcards so that your Erich has something of you.

Hermannstadt, 2.IX.1917

My dear ones!

After another 2 days of travel coming from Arad, we have arrived here. From here we will continue to ? city, which I mentioned in my card from Arad. I am doing very well in everything and I hope to hear the same from you when you are able to write to me.

With most heartfelt greetings and kisses,
Your Paul

At this time, Erich was a POW in Beresowka in Eastern Siberia, while Paul was a soldier, just arriving at Hermannstadt (now Sibiu). Erich writes to his family in Brüx, Bohemia. Paul addresses his letter to their father Julius at the same address. Julius was also a soldier in the war -- perhaps he was home on leave at this time. From other letters we’ve seen this year, sending mail between soldiers or soldiers and POWs was often not possible.

Erich asks for photos of his siblings. His sister Käthe/Käthl/Katerina was born in 1904, so she would have changed a lot over the previous few years.

Paul’s unit is on the move: Arad was more than 150 miles from Hermannstadt. Letters he wrote from 1916 were sent from Belgrad,

Home must have felt a lifetime away for both Paul and Erich, both due to their experiences in the war and to the actual distance. Brüx (now Most) was 545 miles from Arad, 730 miles from Hermannstadt. Beresowka was almost 5000 miles from Brüx.