Mat Schwitzer Wartime Correspondence

From the Personal Papers of M.K.Schwitzer.

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Correspondence Timeline Corresp & Timeline

Ref Date Description Language Original Translation

On 2-11-1938 the First Vienna Award awarded a strip of southern Slovakia (map) approx 30km-50km wide to Hungary, including Kassa/Košice (now Slovakia's second city) where Alice & Ernö were later living. The area was under military administration (which in 1941 meant Alice could not visit her daughter Anny and father Simon in Hlohovec as described in letter 005) and continuing political turmoil, with reprisals against Slovak 'colonists' (leaflet).

On 30-1-1939 MKS left Prague by train and travelled through Germany and Holland (not yet occupied) to England, travelling with Herbert Lom (whose girlfriend Didi was turned back at Dover), and arriving at Harwich on 31-1-1939, as recounted in MFTY page 223. He registered as a refugee, and from Feb to Dec 1939 worked on a Hampshire Farm, the only allowable occupation for refugees.

On 14-3-1939 the First Slovak Republic was formed under Jozef Tiso, effectively a puppet state of Nazi Germany, sending men to help Hitler invade Poland (1939) and Russia (1941), and (from 1942) deport Jews.

In May 1939 MKS's sister Jean Bolton came to England, and started work as a student nurse in London.

In Dec 1939, MKS was offered a place on a UCL Chemical Engineering Course with living costs paid by the International Student Service, and moved into a bedsit with Bratislava friend Jenő Rees at 18 Gordon Street, see MFTY page 245.

In June 1941 Alice & Ernö moved to Košice, see MFTY page 270.

In July 1941, MKS was offered a job as a Chemical Engineering Draughtsman, 1 of 20, at BAMAG at 60 Buckingham Palace Road, where he worked on the design of Nitric Acid Plants. BAMAG was a German company, but the UK office was run by German Jewish escapees who had brought with them crucial factory plans for Nitric Acid production, an essential chemical used in the production of explosives (and fertiliser), and was taken over by the (government) Alien Property Administration (technical background, mentions Bamag). See MFTY page 271. The classification of this role as essential war work was later to result in MKS being exempted from service with an allied Czech regiment.

At some point in late 1941, between sending 006 and receiving 009, Ernö could no longer work, and Alice and Ernö moved from Kassa/Košice to Budapest. MFTY page 270 says it was in September 1941.

On 19-3-1944, Hitler invaded Hungary and forced Horthy to appoint a German puppet (Sztójay) as prime minister, whose government 'eagerly participated in the Holocaust'.

On 9-4-1944, Sztójay and the Germans forced Hungary to place 300,000 Jewish people 'at the disposal of the Reich', thereby sentencing most of Hungary's remaining Jews to death. Under Endre, Baky, and Eichmann, implementation of the Yellow Star and Ghettoisation Laws and the actual deportations of Hungarian Jews took about 8 weeks. Wikipedia

On 14-5-1944 the deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz began, and continued with about 12-14,000 per day until 24-7-1944. Wikipedia

In Autumn 1944, Alice, Ernö, Anni and Pali went into hiding in Hlohovec, Slovakia. On 2-12-1944 they were deported from Slovakia, as related in letter 040 below.

Your assistance with translations and interpretation of this archive will be greatly appreciated, please send all updates, material and suggestions to William Schwitzer.

MKS = Mat Schwitzer
MFTY = "My First Thirty Years", MKS's memoirs
Items 0nn are the main archive of wartime correspondence. WPS has the original documents. Items received by Alice & Ernö were given to MKS after the war by Pali Adler, see MFTY page 237.
Items 1nn are from MFTY, in most cases LAS has the originals.
Items 2nn are from the personal papers of Béla Szemző, for which ZS has the originals.
Items 3nn are from Andrew & Edith Fejér's archive, sent by their daughter Ilona (Bia) Wiss.

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Ref	Date	Description	Language	Original	Translation
On 2-11-1938 the First Vienna Award awarded a strip of southern Slovakia (map) approx 30km-50km wide to Hungary, including Kassa/Košice (now Slovakia's second city) where Alice & Ernö were later living. The area was under military administration (which in 1941 meant Alice could not visit her daughter Anny and father Simon in Hlohovec as described in letter 005) and continuing political turmoil, with reprisals against Slovak 'colonists' (leaflet).
On 30-1-1939 MKS left Prague by train and travelled through Germany and Holland (not yet occupied) to England, travelling with Herbert Lom (whose girlfriend Didi was turned back at Dover), and arriving at Harwich on 31-1-1939, as recounted in MFTY page 223. He registered as a refugee, and from Feb to Dec 1939 worked on a Hampshire Farm, the only allowable occupation for refugees.
On 14-3-1939 the First Slovak Republic was formed under Jozef Tiso, effectively a puppet state of Nazi Germany, sending men to help Hitler invade Poland (1939) and Russia (1941), and (from 1942) deport Jews.
In May 1939 MKS's sister Jean Bolton came to England, and started work as a student nurse in London.
In Dec 1939, MKS was offered a place on a UCL Chemical Engineering Course with living costs paid by the International Student Service, and moved into a bedsit with Bratislava friend Jenő Rees at 18 Gordon Street, see MFTY page 245.
In June 1941 Alice & Ernö moved to Košice, see MFTY page 270.
In July 1941, MKS was offered a job as a Chemical Engineering Draughtsman, 1 of 20, at BAMAG at 60 Buckingham Palace Road, where he worked on the design of Nitric Acid Plants. BAMAG was a German company, but the UK office was run by German Jewish escapees who had brought with them crucial factory plans for Nitric Acid production, an essential chemical used in the production of explosives (and fertiliser), and was taken over by the (government) Alien Property Administration (technical background, mentions Bamag). See MFTY page 271. The classification of this role as essential war work was later to result in MKS being exempted from service with an allied Czech regiment.
At some point in late 1941, between sending 006 and receiving 009, Ernö could no longer work, and Alice and Ernö moved from Kassa/Košice to Budapest. MFTY page 270 says it was in September 1941.
On 19-3-1944, Hitler invaded Hungary and forced Horthy to appoint a German puppet (Sztójay) as prime minister, whose government 'eagerly participated in the Holocaust'.
On 9-4-1944, Sztójay and the Germans forced Hungary to place 300,000 Jewish people 'at the disposal of the Reich', thereby sentencing most of Hungary's remaining Jews to death. Under Endre, Baky, and Eichmann, implementation of the Yellow Star and Ghettoisation Laws and the actual deportations of Hungarian Jews took about 8 weeks. Wikipedia
On 14-5-1944 the deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz began, and continued with about 12-14,000 per day until 24-7-1944. Wikipedia
In Autumn 1944, Alice, Ernö, Anni and Pali went into hiding in Hlohovec, Slovakia. On 2-12-1944 they were deported from Slovakia, as related in letter 040 below.