Edith Herzer: correspondence re restitution

The family owned property in Potsdam-Babelsberg (which was eventually appropriated by the East German government, having been used for delegates to the Potsdam Conference in June 1945); and at Neue Jakobstr. 14, Berlin. Property compensation claims had to be made through the Foreign Compensation Commission, the authority established by the DDR regime to handle claims made by those who suffered under the Nazis [see 1234/73 for correspondence and forms].

Edith's claim for loss of profession at one point hinged on her ability to prove that her opera singer training was cut short by the Nazis because her schooling was terminated. Edith was unable to do this because she had only been receiving private tuition at the time [see affidavit of former student colleague at 1234/42]. The URO managed to successfully dispute this pre-condition on the grounds that Nazi policies re the exclusion of Jews from all professions would have precluded her from starting official training [see 1234/38-41; 43-49]. She was awarded 5000 DM for loss of profession by the Entschädigungsamt, Hildesheim in 1961 and 1500 DM for 10 months loss of freedom which her mother suffered between incarceration at Drancy concentration camp and murder at Auschwitz, in1944. It is not clear why the same sum was not forthcoming for the father nor how the figure was reached.

Having emigrated to Great Britain in October 1938, Edith worked at a succession of house keeping jobs in London, then as a nursery nurse and finally as an office worker at Pearl Life Assurance, Holborn, from 1953.

(Briefcase of reparation documents from Edith Herzer)

Donated October 1995

Donor: Christine Moynihan