Objects

A letter from the father from the Warsaw Ghetto, early June 1942. Address details written in his hand, with the return address – as in each letter – of Maria Karczmarek (Powiśle, Warsaw).

The letter, unusually for Leon Perl, disrupts a typical correspondence pattern of reporting: it begins with information about a current event, about parcels and what use the family makes of them, followed – usually given in the conclusion and briefly – by remarks about the weather, only to be followed by an account of everyday life, as always intended to be optimistic.

Content (spelling has been partially updated):

My Dear! Ms Sophie's [an unidentified person] uncle visited us. She wrote to him that you were not visiting her. It's a mistake because she could give you advice on many things. So please don't forget to visit her as soon as possible, write how she is and how her three kids are doing. No changes here. There's a lot of activity in the house, as Roma is currently dining at our place, too. So nine people sit down at the table. As you can see, we're effectively a restaurant now. It takes a large pot to cook so that everyone gets a decent serving of soup. On top of that, there is always some other dish, and some meat 2 times a week. So it's not too bad. Everybody's in good health. I look forward to hearing about Ms Sophie's children and send my love. LP

9/6 1942