Letter from married couple Felicja (Joanna) and Seweryn Tross to a couple or group of friends (addressing them collectively in the header, and addressing Emil Rosenstein, also Guta - Rosenstein?). The letter must have found its way to Tadeusz Perl, forwarded to him by the addressees of the main parts of the letter due to the last part, from Seweryn Tross, addressed to Tadeusz Perl himself. Perhaps, in fact, Perl lived with a whole group of friends and was actually one of the addressees of the first witty parts as well.
Letter on a so-called clean card. The first page of the letter was typed, the second page – with a direct continuation of the content of the first part of the letter – was handwritten, followed by Felicja's annotation, underneath it again the part written by Tross. The first part of the letter begins with a very casual discussion of Tadeusz Perl's intimate relationships, it also contains allusions to the Spanish Civil War, and later raises the issue of growing anti-Semitism in Poland; it also mentions Felicja Tross's baptism (adopting the name of Joanna); this part was not completed, and the sender did not send it, and – according to the content – the card was later found by Felicja, who began to expand the letter. She referred to the comments about her baptism; twice using the name Grynsztajn to refer to Tross – it was his former name. We do not have any other wider information about the publicist, critic Seweryn Tross – the biographies of Tross, as well as of his wife, function in the literature only in the context of their later extermination fate. They were described, among others, by Czesław Miłosz in “A year of the hunter”: they escaped from Warsaw at the beginning of the war, stayed in Vilnius in the Miłosz family home, then in the Vilnius ghetto, then escaped from it and, having received help from Andrzej Miłosz, were transported to Warsaw, where they were hidden by the Miłosz family and died during the Warsaw Uprising. Tross's pre-war journalism is often cited in, among others, historical and film literature.
The letter, in Felicja Tross's part, mentions, among other things, their mutual friend Zdzisław, who resided in Grudziądz, an important garrison town in the inter-war period (and not only) (incidentally, the address Zdzisław indicated in the city centre is very close to probably the most important building in Grudziądz constituting a material trace of the history of the local Jewish community: the building at the junction of Mickiewicza and Sienkiewicza Streets, which was built for the Jewish Orphanage of the Lachman Foundation and, since the inter-war period, purchased by the city authorities, served as a second town hall). Zdzislaw is certainly a military man, and he associates with high-ranking military men (since we are talking about Edward Rydz-Śmigły). In the part of the letter addressed to Perl, Tross asks for an article for “Głos Gospodarczy” concerning, as we can guess, the situation after the partial or total (we do not know the exact date of the letter) occupation of Bohemia and Moravia by Germany, but perhaps the major political events that Tross writes about are, for example, the end of the war in Spain (in March 1939)? In a final note, Tross reports the arrest of their mutual friend Mieczyslaw – a person mentioned in other correspondence, also the addressee of some of the letters.
Full content:
Dear friends from Paris.
Save Tadzio. That's the first thing. The poor man has fallen into the hands of a seasoned “slut” with a Spanish “syph” who leeches off him as much as she can, depriving him of the possibility of eating his dinner, putting him at risk of dying of starvation. Give me a rest – paying so much for one dumb slag, even from Morocco, isn't worth it. Unless she's a seasoned Falangist, a member of General Franco's militia or something similar. But to go to Paris in order to “shell out” 30 dinners on such a “woman” – this is definitely excessive. Dear Emil, you are taking poor care of Tadzio. Get him a nice French girl so that he can learn French and benefit a little from his stay in the country of “democracy and freedom”, as opposed to a Spanish girl from Tangier or Morocco. Tadzio is, after all, a proper city boy, used to a regular dinner, breakfast, and girl[,] potty under the bed – and here you are suddenly turning him into a gypsy, reveller or bon viveur. I understand that the situation's unpleasant, that it's difficult to count on any pleasant political or spiritual transformation at the moment – but aren't there still decent girls in Paris? So why are you pairing Tadzio with an expensive tramp?
In any case, I'm sincerely glad that your gloomy mood has changed. Surely now, Tadzio will no longer follow Baudelaire in summoning death, nor lead the grim life of a misanthrope. He didn't have to go from Warsaw to Paris for that. One could perfectly well read French Fin de siècle texts on Chłodna Street, and indulge in decadent moods, especially topical in such a pleasant political conjuncture as the present one. About those Jews that Tadzio wrote of[,] it wasn't as terrible as he portrayed it. There were dead – but not that many. Maybe 5 – 10. But not dozens or hundreds. Nevertheless, the situation of the Jews in Poland isn't the best. Ozon is currently preparing special anti-Jewish laws. Jews will be classified into 4 categories. The first one, having full civic rights, will include veterans, participants in the fight for independence and neophytes who were baptised before 1926. The second one (limited civic rights) will include persons who received crosses of merit, etc. awards. The third one will include descendants of Jews who have lived in Poland since ancient times. The fourth category will be deprived of rights altogether. These are the Jews who settled in Poland as a result of the restriction of Jewish rights in Russia (1878). In short, the news is not good. You won't experience similar pleasures in Paris for the time being. Although that too will come [this sentence was handwritten]. Speaking of Jews and non-Jews... Felicja is Joanna as of Sunday. She was sprinkled [from here – the other side – handwritten content] and walks around proudly, as if, I don't know, something good had befallen her. She forgets that the profits from this deed will only benefit her grandchildren. [next to it Felicja writes in green pen:] (???)
In any case, it's not cheerful. I'd be very honest if I said that it's very sad. And that's why I sincerely envy you, with [this part of the letter stops here].
Hello! Felka here. I accidentally found this letter from that bastard Tross in a drawer, and I'm adding a few words. I'm admittedly Joanna, but I'm not going about it proudly at all. Grynsztajn writes about that to fill this piece of paper. I don't pay any attention to this fact at all, and I don't think about myself or my grandchildren in the process.
You know what's going on in Warsaw from Grynsztajn. Nothing particularly interesting in Grudziądz, either, apart from the fact that Zdzisław goes to banquets with Marshal Rydz-Śmigły and seems to be taking it seriously. Write to him. Grudziądz, 9/5 Sienkiewicza Street. I wish you good luck and good humour. It is rather sad in Warsaw. Kisses to Tadzio, and tell him that I miss [him] dearly in Warsaw. I think he'll duly understand it. Kisses to you and Guta and even though Joanna – I remain always devoted and loving
Red Felka
Now it's me again – Tross. “My” secretary Felka has written to you – and now I continue... She's no longer my secretary because married women aren't employed in our office....
To Tadzio:
The forthcoming issue of “Gł. Gosp.” (the “Economic Voice“) will be devoted to the economic perturbations caused by recent political incidents. Write an article on this topic and select a press review in line with this issue accordingly.
Why don't you, moron, write for “Nasz Przegląd” (the “Our Review“)
Latest news: I just found out that Mietek Bibr has been arrested. They took him the day before yesterday... Why – I don't know yet. (Don't tell Belusia [?]).
