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June 1, 1935 – Hopefully we can celebrate for many years to come.

June 1, 1935 – Hopefully we can celebrate for many years to come.

6/1/35

Dear Sisters,

After finishing my last letter we went to Gray’s and showed homemade movies in their “penthouse” on the roof of their home. Had a nice evening.

[Continued 6/2/35]

Sunday we had beautiful weather and we visited with [LJG’s daughter] Flora Mae. Afterwards we went to a very good movie: “Going to Town” with Mae West.

May West

Click image for YouTube

Monday night with I went with Aunt Henny to a movie show about her current business. Then we went for about an hour to Leonard’s office.

Tuesday at Samuels, met a Mr. Bartenstein, who will call you when he is in Germany the beginning of July for 2 weeks.

Wednesday eve we met Henny in the office so the three of us could celebrate my first year in Chicago at the Chez Paree supper club. We had a very excellent meal, good wine, and 2 beautiful floor shows. Left past midnight. Hopefully we 3 can celebrate that anniversary together for many, many years to come.

Chez Paree

Chez Paree

Thursday – Decoration Day. Excellent dinner at Gwen and Eddy Bishop, then to Grays who have a fur business in the same building where they live. I tried on several silver fox scarves. Nothing for me! We were there from 5:00 until 10:00 p.m. Eddy drove us home.

Friday – no work – holiday – we are not busy at all. Have to find money for Leonard’s birthday July 4th.

Click for YouTube

Beautiful weather. Take several walks.

Saturday morning breakfast downtown. Then starting this letter after talking to Gene Weil for ½ hour.

Aunt Jenny has not been well for some time already.

We went shopping with Flora Mae and her “kinderfraulein” who had come downtown. Then we went to see the movie “G-Men.” It was pretty good.

Much mail this week. Doris, Hilde Meyer, Ernst Goldschmidt etc.

Now I am hungry again. I have lost 12 lb. since I am here.

Love,
Trudel

Decoration day 1935



Trudel celebrated her life in Chicago for more than 70 more years.

This is the first of the letters Trudel translated in a more abbreviated style. I wish she hadn’t thrown away the originals when she finished translating so that I could fill in details.

Trudel’s Son

 
 

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May 2, 1935 “I hope my brains are waterproof.”

May 2, 1935 “I hope my brains are waterproof.”

May 2, 1935

My Sweets:

Since I do not have anything better to do in lunchtime today I will start this letter to you.

So, what happened this week. Friday evening for Shabbat I was at Samuels and met Mr. Eggener. His trunks have not arrived here yet [from Germany] and I am looking forward to the cookies. He tasted them and said they are very good. Well, the later I receive them the longer will I enjoy them. Rudy Gerson, from Dresden, was there again too.

Cole Bros Circus

We walked for one hour towards home and then wanted to take the I.C. [Illinois Central electric train]. After waiting for ½ hour for a train, we left to take the streetcar. Just as we left a train came. It was warm but raining and I did not get home until 2:00 a.m. Nuts!

Saturday I went to the dentist and then a little shopping. At 2:00 p.m. I met Flora Mae and “kinder-Fraulein” [governess, nanny] in the office and the 4 of us went to the circus. This was the 1st time Flora Mae went to a circus. We all 4 enjoyed It very much. It was really a nice change.

We listened to the president on the radio

Leonard and I took a nice walk afterwards, ate a good supper and went to the office. While I wrote an English letter to Ilse Niederman, Leonard slept in his chair. At 10:00 p.m. Alfred and Luise Hamburger came and we talked until 2:00 a.m. It was very relaxing.

FDR-FiresideChat

FDR Fireside Chat - Click on image for YouTube

Sunday, April 28, the weather was bad and I slept all day. I read the papers for about 3 hours and it was 9:00 p.m. before we went to eat. At 10:00 we listened to the president on the radio.

Monday evening I went again to the dentist. Since he is on the same floor as Leonard’s office, I waited and we went to eat together. Then he went back to the office and I walked home, visited with Mrs. Saunders for about 1 hour and then to bed.

Sunbathing without spectators

I like this room so much better than the other one. The sun shines in so very nice that I can lay on my bed and get fresh air and light and sunbathe without having to be afraid that I might have spectators.

Tuesday night I was at Aunt Henny’s again. She had a very bad cold, so I got her some aspirin and made her go to bed.

How Henny earns her money

I finally found out how she earns her money. She gets people to sign contracts for home remodeling, painting, etc., and she gets a commission for each agreement she gets. She also works for another outfit selling land along the lake for summer and weekend homes. She gets a little money daily and of course commission on every sale.

[Continued 5/3 at lunchtime]

Trudel answers her father’s questions

First I am going to answer dear Dad’s nice letter dated 4/7. I hope the cigar you were smoking while writing it agreed well with you.

Aunt Henny was delighted with your beautiful birthday card.

There were more votes for Grace Gray than we had expected, but it was not published. Leonard has had too much experience with his own election campaigns so he will not take money for his speeches but does it only for his own convictions.

Yogi Fned

Yogi Fined


Yesterday he received the newspaper you sent [about a German yogi]. Our Yogi is really not such a magician. Yogi Roy [LJG’s client] uses only herbs for healing. He himself is a vegetarian. He only got a fine of $100 while some papers thought he would go to jail for several years. The judge in that case got many insults in the newspapers.

It was really Leonard’s work that made him set such a light sentence. When you compare [Frankfurt attorney] Bruno Fürst with Leonard you are not wrong. I too have made that comparison. But please only in their professions, not in private life, thank G’d.

About my finances I think I have given you explanations. Everything is reciprocal.

At that Atheist Club we went only once for fun and my drinking is not nearly as bad as it sounds. Since that Sunday with the Bishops I have been very sober.

The going to bed so late is in my opinion a family sickness. You really read my letter thoroughly even between the lines!

Ripley's Believe it or not

By Ripley

I wrote before that Marie Bing was trying to find me a job. My old boss, Gus Bing, her husband, is also working.

You asked what means “by Ripley” on the newspaper clipping. Mr. Ripley finds out very unusual things and has them in the newspaper daily.

Frankfurters are of course frankfurter sausages, a very much enjoyed food here. Now I think I have answered all your questions. My lunchtime is almost over.

Yesterday I had a postcard from Baden-Baden on Easter Sunday. Did you have nice weather? Here it was beautiful.

They do not keep Good Friday or Easter Monday here. Only Sunday was a holiday.

At Samuels’ last week I saw a business card from “Allgemeine” presented by Lotte Adler. I hope that means a raise in salary.

Now continue my weekly report. I was Tuesday night at Aunt Henny’s. Sure hope she is O.K. again and am glad I did not catch anything from her.

Now I am sitting again in a streetcar on my way to Samuels. After it was so hot and dry last week that I feared my brains would dry out, today it is miserably raining, snowing and cold. I hope my brains are waterproof.

Click on Image for YouTube

Last Wednesday I was again at the dentist. Although he is nice and careful, I keep thinking of Dr. Samuel in Frankfurt, comparing his nice big office with this little room and equipment. As usual after I had my 2 fillings done I waited for Leonard and we went to eat together.

Afterwards we saw a very good movie at the Chicago Theater, “Go Into Your Dance” with Al Jolson. Although he appeared as a Negro in part of the film I like him best of all the movie actors.

Chicagp Theater

Chicago Theater

The rest of the program was excellent too with a fantastic violinist etc. It is really a special treat to go to the Chicago Theater. It costs a little more than other movies but it is really worth the difference. As you notice neither one of us has money to spare, but we both manage to get along with what we earn.

I am just now passing the fairground from last year. Too bad it is all over.

Did Max Wolfe ever write to Alfred Hamburger?

By the way, Julius Seckbach and Isi Koesterlitz are now living in the same boarding house.

Yesterday, Thursday, we worked only until 3:00 p.m. Since the weather was miserable, I went straight home, did some laundry, sewed a little. I went out to eat and right home again, lengthened my raincoat with the help of electric tape, gave myself a shampoo, manicure, pedicure and went to sleep at 11:30 p.m.

I think I have sleeping sickness (G’d forbid). No matter when I get to sleep and get up I am always tired. Maybe it’s spring fever. I am yawning again, by the way. Doris K. wrote me some time ago that my sisters had promised to call her!! Now I am going to sleep a little. I hope I will wake up before I have to get off [the street car]. That has happened to me already.

Weils, Samuels, Aunt Henny all send their best regards. Please remember me to the whole meshpoche and friends.

Your ever loving daughter and sister,
Trudel

PS Special regards to Liss.
It would be nice to get a letter from my sisters again sometime.

PPS What kind of postage stamp was on the envelope with the newspaper? Was it something special? Somebody had taken it off before Leonard received it.



On April 28, 1935 President Roosevelt gave a radio broadcast on the WPA and Social Security. The link above is edited. The complete broadcast can be found in two parts as follows:
President Roosevelt’s April 28, 1935 Fireside Chat on the economy: Part 1
President Roosevelt’s April 28, 1935 Fireside Chat on the economy: Part 2

 

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January 25, 1935 “….setting my hair with curlers and pins as it is proper for a real American lady.”

January 25, 1935 “….setting my hair with curlers and pins as it is proper for a real American lady.”

Friday Eve 1/25/35

My Dear Good Daddy:

As you can see this was only an empty threat to my sisters that I would not write unless they wrote to me. I would never think of not writing to you regularly. I was very happy to receive your nice letter of Jan. 10th yesterday.

Please excuse my writing with pencil tonight. I am already undressed after giving myself my weekly, very necessary manicure, a shampoo and setting my hair with curlers and pins as it is proper for a real American lady. Now I am wondering how my hair is going to look tomorrow. Who knows what kind of wild look I will have when I am planning to go to Weils tomorrow.

Tonight I went downtown and the stores were trying to close right before my nose. I managed to get in one, so they closed behind my back.

Yes, you are right. My letters are written just as I happen to think of it. But I am trying to answer your letters as well as possible. I always read them over a few times but in the future will have them at hand when I write to make sure I answer everything.

Trudel with flowers

Not so wild

Did Liss receive my Xmas letter? I wrote about 10 of them. I picked the nicest one for her and at the same time thanked her for the sweet greeting she sent me. Hope she got it.

Have not heard from Aunt Henny again all week. I suppose I have to send her a postal card again to remind her that I still walk among the living. (And hopefully for a very long time as well and happy as now.)

I have not talked again to Mrs. Greenfelder-Stein’s sister in law. I will probably call her next week since we are starting work later.

Thanks G’d. I have now found a way so I do not have to eat alone every night in a basement restaurant (for about 35¢). Wednesday nights I usually eat at Gwen Bishop’s and stay overnight. Sat. and Sunday of course I am with Leonard.

The other evenings I shall sometimes eat with a very nice Jewish couple here in the building. I made her a hat out of some fur she had and I got the bright idea to ask them. I asked her if she would mind very much to cook for 3 instead of 2. I pay the same as I would in the restaurant but get good home cooked food and nice company. Tonight I had my 1st meal with then and I enjoyed it so very much.

Also I am very glad if I can go home directly after work in this lousy weather. It was bitter cold all week–12 degrees Fahrenheit. You have to figure out yourself what that would be Celsius. Today it was melting and the streets are awful slippery.

If you should talk to Rabbi Salzberger please give him my regards. I am concerned that he never answered my letter from Sept.

How do you like Leonard’s German writing? In the future I will write a translation of what he writes in English.

Now I am tired I want to go to sleep.

My loving greetings to everybody.

Your ever loving Trudel

 

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January 1, 1935 “Happy New Year! It was the most beautiful New Year’s Eve I ever had.”

January 1, 1935 “Happy New Year! It was the most beautiful New Year’s Eve I ever had.”

Jan 1, 1935

Happy New Year!

In my last letter I forgot to put a number, so today with the New Year I shall start with #1 again.

LaSalle Hotel New Year's Eve Menu

Menu Cover from LaSalle Hotel (a decade later)

Between midnight and 1 a.m. this morning I wanted to write a postal card to you but no matter how hard he tried, my sweetheart could not find a postal card in the whole La Salle Hotel. So now you know already where we started the New Year with good friends.

But now I want to tell things in chronological order.

I had a very enjoyable Xmas. We played Santa Klaus for darling Flora Mae. We spent the afternoon with her with a lot of presents. In the evening we went to a movie and then had a cognac at one of Leonard’s friends and we came home very late.

LaSalle Hotel

LaSalle Hotel

I told you already about the stockings I filled for my darling. Well, I never had more fun than when I watched him take out each little package and carefully unwrap it. And I got an extra kiss for each of the 32 packages* and I also received a beautiful Xmas card with a saying just perfect for both of us, and a gorgeous evening dress, made to order this week especially for last night. Enclosed samples.

The dress was made from the white and silver brocade and the short jacket is red velvet with a matching coat, silver shoes, and a small white pearl evening bag. From the left over materials I made myself a pretty turban. I really looked beautiful. I felt like the prettiest and most elegant woman there. I even went to a beauty parlor to have my hair and fingernails (not bright red) done.

We were together with Gwen and Ed Bishop. She is the one we tried to see horseback riding on my birthday. It was a great beginning for the New Year. We drank quite a bit and several times to your good health and well being and a good 1935.

Walkathon Ending

Near the End of a Walk-a-Thon (Life)

After supper we went to a walk-a-thon. You probably remember the marathon dancing. Here instead of dancing these poor people are walking or dragging themselves around for 22 days continuously now.

Leonard knows the manager and he announced us when we arrived over the microphone. I felt very funny having to stand up and get applause. We stayed only a very short time. By the way, at the La Salle Hotel we were followed by a newspaper photographer. If they print a picture I will of course send you a copy. We went to several other places and came home at 7:15 a.m. It was the most beautiful New Year’s Eve I ever had.

I better go to bed now to sleep out my hang-over.

Love,
Trudelchen

(On the edge of the letter, In German)

Greetings to you all. We celebrated the most beautiful New Year’s eve in our lives, with my beautiful sweetheart the prettiest young woman in the world. I wish you all as much happiness as Trudelchen is bringing me.

Devotedly,
Leonard


* In her handwritten corrections to the typescript of her translation, she inserted the Yiddish word chalomes before “packages.” But that doesn’t seem to make sense. It seems to mean “dreams.”

Shortlink: http://wp.me/p1yA95-8w

 

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October 12, 1934 “He claimed I did not iron his underwear properly and burnt his breakfast bacon on purpose.”

October 12, 1934 “He claimed I did not iron his underwear properly and burnt his breakfast bacon on purpose.”

Oct 12, 1934 9:00 p.m.

My dear, dear ones.

I am in such a good happy mood that I want to share it with you and try to write as sensible a letter as possible.

I have been very concerned why Papa did not thank me personally for his birthday letter. He has written otherwise. Is something wrong? I sure hope every thing is o.k.

Yesterday I received Ernale’s letter with newspaper clipping and a postcard from Alex. In the evening I was at Weils. It is always very nice and relaxing there.

How do you like the picture of my newest and hopefully last friend on his stationery. Two weeks ago after we met in his office, we went for dinner as I told you on the postal card. Then I had a date with him one week later. And now we see each other almost every day.*

A week ago Monday I appeared as a witness in the divorce case between Aunt Henny and Uncle Julius. It was really fun for me. It seemed to me like a movie. I did not testify against either one since after all they both were instrumental in bringing me here. He claimed I did not iron his underwear properly, and burnt his breakfast bacon on purpose. After all I told them I did not know how to iron and had never seen bacon especially those thin slices they eat here for breakfast.

Next Monday is another hearing in Court.**

Chinatown

Chinatown

After court Aunt and I went to Chinatown. First a big dept. store and then chop suey dinner. It was very interesting. The day before Mr. Grossberg, aunt’s lawyer took me to an Italian restaurant.

On Sunday I was for the first time in a really Reform temple. Gigantic big, wonderful Rabbi, excellent choir and quite crowded. Tuesday I had a real German dinner at Rose’s and afterwards went to Samuels, they are a very nice family. The next night a real American dinner at Grossbergs. As you see I can get everything here.

temple sholom

Temple Sholom

On Saturday I did something for the first and probably the last time. I went to a Beauty Parlor school where I got for only 35¢ my hair set. But it took almost 2 hrs. It looked very nice once I was done but after 2 days it was all gone. And I was 3/4 hrs late for my date with Leonard.

I think I [will] have my hair cut as I used to have it tomorrow. The last time I had it cut was May 5th!

In the meantime I have been to the movies a few times. With Mr. Grossberg, I saw “Notorious Sophie Lang” a very exciting diamond smugglers story and with Opa “Of Human Bondage,” excellent and “The Love of Ariane” with Elisabeth Bergner. Very nice.

Of Human BondageMany people claim that I resemble Elisabeth Bergner, anyway the story could almost be my story. And then there were second movies [double features]. Some with Charlie Chaplin, extremely funny. But “Death on the Diamond” which I saw with Leonard was awfully upsetting.

The reason I tell you all this is to let you know what you should or should not see when it comes to you.Ariane

At work things are slowing down already. We don’t start until 1:00 p.m. every day and naturally earn much less money. But I manage o.k.

Glad to hear you found a new milliner. Tomorrow I have a date with Louise Hamburger to fit some hats. I had dinner with Alfred [Hamburger] one night last week. He is as nice and goodhearted as ever, but he is very stubborn and in business very hard to get along with.

You must have found a lot of junk when you cleaned out the old apt. I got $10 for that figurine and will buy a dress and pair of shoes with it. It is very easy to spend money here.

Ernale’s last letter came via San Francisco but still took only 13 days.

Elizabeth Bergner

Elizabeth Bergner

I would love to have a snapshot of Beethoven Str 5B so I can get an idea which building it is and I would also like to know how you have your furniture arranged so I can get an idea.

The weather is here now beautiful –like May or June in Ffm [Frankfurt]. In the evening it gets nice and cool.

Did you know that we have here 2 different times. One is called Standard Time – the same always for railroads and buses, etc., and then they change the clock 1 hr in the summer for Daylight Savings Time. Very confusing.

Since I meet Leonard often, I talk a lot of English. Sometimes he tries to talk German to me and it really sounds very funny.

By the way my boss Gus Bing will get married next week. Our forelady Marie told me and she is very happy. Die Fledermaus Poster

Today I received postal cards from Gaby and and heard from Richard Bloch. In the meantime I did hear from [Kurt?] Stevenhagen.

Shame on you Ernale for getting drunk. And flirting with 10 men at the same time!!

Regards as usual from Aunt Henny who calls me her sister now. I doubt that I will go with her to Florida. It is expensive and I do not feel like it. She plans to leave Nov. 1.

CarmenIt is already 11:30 and I should retire. Tonight I was all alone at home. Henny left me a note that she is visiting with some friends for a few days. It was delightful to be alone for a change.

Civic Opera Building

Civic Opera House

Tomorrow I hope to see Carmen in the opera house and in 2 weeks hope to hear the Fledermaus in German, also in the opera house.

Somebody on the radio just said “Good Night” and so do I.

Love,
Trudel


*[A “comment” at this point in Trudel’s handwritten translation of this letter reads, “When Aunt Henny heard that he was divorced over one year, she urged me to date him. She even would have liked to join us because she thought he had a lot of money. When she found out that he lost everything in his attempt to be re-elected as alderman of his ward, she tried very hard to talk me out of meeting him again.” It is not clear whether this comment was in her original letter or whether she added it when doing her translation. ]

** [ A comment here says, “My new friend did not take the case but certainly took the supposedly witness.” My father had been asked to represent one of the parties, but he refused. Again, It is not clear that this sentence was part of the original letter, but the line, in one variant or another was part of family lore. ]

 
 

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