Dorothy Anker Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Dorothy Anker 2 5
A. No, our business was some 1mw more internatianal. We brought in the
foreign exchange . . .
Q. Which Hitlxr needed badly.
A. . . . which Hitler needed badly. And we also were in the nutrition
bushes9 in that kind of nourishment which wa8 very important for
military purposes.
Q. Oh, of course, this is the kind of food that the country can use
because it does got spot1 like fresh food,
A. We were kind o'f an exception among the Jewish people. It was even
srrange that in the year 1934 or 1935, I think my farher had the largest
rurnaves in buslness he had ever had before.
Q. Did he
A. Yes.
Q. He did . He actually sold to the German government.
A. He had
have government contracts?
government contracts and it was, and he had so much money
outside. He probably should have seen the warning because he . . .
Q. You did not leave your money outside?
A. We could have left wfth a lot more money outside of the country and
leave our other possessions but we felt too much German, as Geman
nationals and good German Burghers, citizens, that we never would have
done anything of that kind. Rut many people did. I mean they had their
fortdnes outside which we brought into. And we could have told the
people to leave that property and to just tha whole family pick up and
leave, there would have been nothing. But it was not my parenrs ideal.
Q. They were patriots, they were good patriots and good Germans.
A. And they thought that nothing could happen to us.
(1. There was no fear on their part that thetr money would be
confiscated and all their possessions?
A. No, not in those days.
Q. In those days. Tkat early.
A. This came at a later date, when rhey put us in the government
official commissioner and hc took over our business. By that time the
business was, it was about 1936 or 1937. I don't know exactly. And
there of course we knew what the writing was and we wanted a11 to leave,
especially the younger people.
Q. Was this commissioner who took over your business, was he a member
of the S.S. or S.A.
Dorothy Anker Memoir -- Archives, University of Illinois at Springfield