ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 97013 - Translation - German - France - Gurs - Konigsberger

Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - German
Approval Date: 1/23/2022 11:42 AM
Family Surname: Konigsberger
Country: France
Town: Gurs
Date of Image: July 13, 1940

Click the picture to enlarge

My grandmother, Elise Konigsberger, was incarcerated in Gurs concentration camp. She wrote several postcards to her husband, Paul, and son, Joseph (my father), who were in a separate camp for men in St. Cyprien. They had been living in exile in Belgium after fleeing their home in Aachen, Germany. When the Nazis attacked and occupied Belgium, they were arrested as enemy aliens and sent to these concentration camps in southern France.

Response

1/25/2022 12:54 PM

13. July 1940, 11 a'clock
the first line is written upside down: Dein Lieschen. Koko ist sehr alt geworden.

Your Lieschen (little Lise). Koko is going to be very (underlined) old.

Gel. Mann! Es kommt mir ganz unwahrscheinlich vor, dass ich mit Koko an einem Tisch sitze und Spiegeleier esse!

Dearest husband! It seems unreal to me to sit at a table together with Koko and eat fried eggs!

Seit 1st liegt das Camp hinter mir, nachdem Koko seit gestern früh vergeblich gewartet hatte, es war doch nicht so einfach.

Since the first (of this month?) I have survived the camp, after Koko was waiting since yesterday unsuccessfuly, because it wasn't so easy.

Die Fahrt wird nicht leicht sein, die Verbindungen sind schlecht, mir ist alles egal. Ich bin glücklich und habe nur noch den einen Wunsch, das du und Küttel auch bald befreit seid und wir ? wieder zusammen sind.

The ride was not so easy, the connections are bad, but I do not care. I am happy and I have only one wish, that you and Küttel soon will be freed too and we ? be together again.

Koko ist sehr dünn geworden, ich hoffe, dass er in der Ruhe sich erholen wird. Er ist voll des Lobes, wie gut du für ihn gesorgt hast, gutes liebes ?

Koko has become very slim, I hope, he will recover, now he have peace. He is full of praise, how you have care for him, good dear ?.

Könnte ich nur nun wieder für Euch alle sorgen! Ich bekam gestern vom 5.6.7. Nachricht, das war schön.

Just could I care by myself for all of you again! I received a message from 5.6.7. yesterday, that was nice.

Wir haben uns so viel zu erzählen, wir sind so glücklich miteinander. Viel liebes, auch für Küttel!

We have to tell a lot each other, we are so happy together. All the best, to Küttel too!

1/26/2022 10:11 PM

[comments]
Spiegeleier: eggs "sunny side up" - I can think of few other things that indicate civilized, "at home" living than a plate of eggs sunny side up.

"Koko has become very thin".[I think slim is too mild a word in this context....]

Last line:
We have so much to tell each other

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ViewMate Posting VM 97013

Submitted by Roger Paul Kingsley