Letters from Australia - 1946-1954

It was a great relief to Edith when the war ended and she finally got news from her family in Germany. It was 1949 and it had been a long time without news. Edith yearned to see her mother, making plans to bring her from Germany to Australia - plans which sadly never succeeded.

Sverre’s business was still struggling - cash flow was tight, people did not pay and he was still recovering from bankruptcy in 1939. Nevertheless, Edith managed to send many parcels of goods to her family across the world- fat, butter, sugar, tea and the odd piece of chocolate. She also sent clothes to her mother and for her niece Anni, clothes her daughter Marie had outgrown.

These letters describe life in and around Coolangatta in the south east corner of Queensland. They are, like all the others, filled with vivid descriptions of dealing with power shortages during coal strikes, the impact of the fear of communism on a local community, fishing competitions, shortages of supplies, and corruption in the medical profession.

Her daughter Marie, born in 1936, was now growing up, and in 1950, at age 13, was sent off to boarding school at Presbyterian Girls College in Warwick - an inland town several hours travel away. She later changed to St Peter’s School in Indooroopilly, which was much closer to home. Edith and Sverre wanted her to learn and get independent. In one letter, Edith says her wish is for Marie to become an architect and later a chemist. Marie decides in her final year of college that she wants to study to become an Occupational Therapist.

These are letters which Edith sent from Australia to her family in Germany. Letters from Germany to Edith will be added when they are ready for publication.

Notes:

  • These are transcriptions in their original language which primarily is German.

  • The transcripts are unedited and are likely to have errors. They include notes and pictures of text where it is illegible and likely Russian.

Letters

  • 1946 June to December - Finally contact after the war and there is much to tell, starting with telling about her life during the war. She also starts sending care packages with essentials to Germany, including lard, sugar and the occasional tea and lollies for the children.

  • 1947 January to June and July to December

  • 1948 January to June and July to February 1949

  • 1949 March to June and July to December

  • 1950 January to June and July to December - Edith and Sverre were committed to ensuring Marie got a good education and sent her to Presbyterian Girls College, a boarding school in Warwick. Edith transcribed several letters which Marie wrote home about her experience in the school.

  • 1951 January to June (includes rare letter from Sverre which he wrote to Meta, dated 6 June 1951) and July to December

  • 1952 January to June and July to December - Finally it looks like they have some financial success and are starting plans to return to Europe.

  • 1953 January to June and July to December - Marie is 16 and starts school at St Peter’s College in Brisbane. She appears to thrive, getting several friends she kept contact with for the rest of her life, including Kate Hoffman and Adelaide Eckert. However, Edith is concerned about Maries academic performance, but she manages to get through her exams. Sverre becomes Queensland State Amateur Fishing Champion. They settle into their new home in Pearl Street, Tweed Heads.

  • 1954 January to June and July to November - Edith continues to hope that the family will soon move back to Europe, but Sverre is uncertain and does not commit. She writes a deeply moving letter to Meta about her love for her understanding her life is coming to an end . As Marie starts her final year at St Peter’s College her friendships with friends Käthe Hofmann and Adelaide Eckert strengthen. By the middle of the year she is talking about studying occupational therapy - a degree that will become available at Queensland University starting in 1955. These letters end as Marie is confirmed by Pastor Stolz at St Peter’s College (she later said she so wanted to be religious), takes her final exams and plans to go fruit picking with Käthe in South Australia at the end of the year. Edith also receives a small parcel with jewelry from her mother, including her mother’s wedding ring.

    This is likely the last of the letters Meta ever read before she died on 14 February 1955. Edith continued to write letters to her family in Germany after her mother’s death.