Letter from Wisia Kwaśnińska to Maria Łotysz (Maryla Łotyszówna) dated 26.10.1942 - manuscript, written on the obverse and reverse of a postcard, in Polish. The letter was written in Równe. In it, the author describes the last days of Barbara Klimkowska's life, before she and her family were taken away by the Germans. On the reverse of the card, the sender's address appears in the top left corner, with the continuation of the letter below. The right-hand side of the card contains the addressee's details. On the reverse, in the upper right corner, one can see the stamp imprint with the image of Adolf Hitler (in purple), next to it - a green postage stamp, also with the image of A. Hitler. Underneath them there is a sticker with the inscription: “R. Rowno (Wolhynien) 396 b”. A circular postmark overlaps the stamps and a sticker. Another circular postmark is visible in the centre of the card, with the number 527379 stamped underneath. Red, circular stamp of the Third Reich appears in the lower right-hand corner of the card.
Full letter content:
"Równe, 26th October 42.
Dear Marylka.
I received your letter last night, which made me very emotional. Now I see[,] how much you loved Basia. Do you know that my mother cried[,] having read your letter. But to the point. You ask us to write to you about Basia. Well, in recent times Baśka has been feeling very unwell (I don't know for what reasons). She would walk around sad, always telling us[:] “Oh[,] if I could have a proper cry”. Then she got a bit more cheerful as we started going to school together. She has been learning a bit. She was in love a bit and that was it. Sometimes Irka and I would come to her, or other friends, and then we were in really good moods and had fun. During the summer holidays Basia and Irka would come [2nd page] to my place in the village. It was also nice. Before the terrible accident itself, Baśka had fallen ill. I met her mother in the street, who pledged me to visit Basia. And just think that I come to her in the evening[,] and here everything is sealed[,] and she is not there. It's awful. [For now] I'm finishing[,] bye! Forgive me for writing on a postcard, but they say[,] that they arrive the quickest. I work at the Generalpostkommissariat. I have already passed my final exams. I kiss you strongly, even though I don't know you[.]
Wiśka
Be so good and write back.
[Sender:]
H. Kwaśnińska – Złota
Rowno Volhynien
Kociubynskij str. 4
[Addressee:]
An Frl. Marie Łotysz.
Lublin
Kapuzinerstr. 5/2"
prepared by Monika Harchut
