G. Frank
Munich 15, February 25, 1952
Bayerstraße 31
To the
Committee “Les du Léman”
Vevey
Switzerland
Dear Sir or Madam,
I owe your address to Mrs. Goldberg of Mt. Pèlerin.
I am the father of Evelyne Gundelfinger and have been living in Munich again since April 1947. On January 10 of this year I succeeded for the first time in establishing direct contact with my daughter. Since my arrest on September 1, 1939, in Paris, I have not seen my daughter again. I repeatedly tried to get in touch with her; through her mother I did not even know whether my daughter was still alive. I have often tried, through Dr. Justiz and also through the Jewish Committee in Zurich, to obtain my daughter’s address. When I then attempted to write to my divorced wife, I did receive an answer, but never any sign of life regarding my daughter. My divorced wife only kept asking me for money, by fair means and foul; but I was unfortunately unable to send it. First, I had to build a livelihood, and second, I had no way of obtaining foreign currency. I was never sure either that any money I might send would actually be spent on my daughter.
Two years ago I again received such a reply from my divorced wife to an inquiry about my daughter. At that time I agreed to meet her at the German-Swiss border, but only on the condition that my daughter would also come. Unfortunately my divorced wife then, as so often before, lapsed into silence. Thus I was never able to find out anything definite about my daughter.
Only now do I know how things are with my daughter. For the past two months I have been receiving mail regularly and can at least speak with her by telephone every Saturday. Mrs. Goldberg has given me, in many respects and in a short letter, the information I had been awaiting for years.
Of course I want to have my daughter with me and let her learn something proper. In 1947 I remarried in Italy and I have two small children. I returned to Germany in April 1947 and laboriously built up a livelihood; three months ago I opened a business in postage stamps. I have to work very hard, but so must we all. For my daughter I have always kept a place reserved in my household; at last I can offer her a family home, which she has needed for so long.
This is the situation I wished to present to you, ladies and gentlemen. Since you surely have only the welfare of the children entrusted to you in mind, I appeal to you for your valued help. I would gladly come to you in person; however, I cannot leave my still-young business alone even for a single day, and I am also having some difficulties with my passport. My divorced wife was awarded custody by the court; at that time I was in the internment camp at Vernet in France. Of course I could challenge this today, but that would only cause great expense. I am, of course, quite willing to allow Evelyne, whenever she has holidays here, to go to Switzerland to her mother for at least 14 days each year. I am also ready to give an account at any time to a guardianship authority and to do everything else that is important for my daughter’s advancement and future.
Hoping for your kind understanding, I take the liberty of expressing my sincerest thanks for the work and care you have so far devoted to my daughter. I await your reply with impatience.
With the highest respect,
