Dorothy Anker Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Dorothy Anker 3 3
Q. Then you could use your own money up to B predetermined amount each
year.
A. Yes. Yes. We had to give a detailed account of what we would use.
Q. Now how were other people making out who perhaps did not have the
wealth that your family had?
A. Now they reduced, I mean, they reduced their working abilities,
whatever they had and lived by it. I had for instance . . .
Q. But would they be employed by, they wouldn't be employed by the
government?
A. No. They lost all their government jobs. I had thought, shall I
give you the example I told you before? Would that be interesting?
Q. Yes, very interesting. Yes. Tell me about people you know.
A. Ja. I had for instance a cousin who was aa electrician, mare like
an engineer, add had very good chances with one of the bigger electrical
companies in Hamburg. And lost of course this position with all his
chances for life time. But he stlll had to make a livin$ for his young
family, his wife and child. And he worked as a custodian of a Jewish
school in Hamburg. I mean with his abilities he could da that very
well. In fall maybe that school had a non-Jaw working and here this
fellow could do the job. Then there *re chances for young artists. We
had founded, the Jewish organizations in Germany had founded a, called a
~ewf sh Kul tvr Bund .
Q. Will you spell it?
A. Shall I . . .
Q. K-U-L-T-U-R, B-U-N-D.
A. Yes. And in the different cities they performed, different artists.
Some were reading poetry, some were performing, singing, some dancing,
anything you liked to see performed. Piano playing. In the bigger
cities like in Berlin they even had an opera company where some of ow
friends were employed. And when we would travel ro Berlin, we saw them
in an opera, A very good friend of mine I s ~ at w the Carmen.
Q. Were you find Hans involved in this at all?
A. Ye8, Ha18 and I were in Koenigsberg very much involved in this and
it brought a lot of stimulation to our lives. We very often housed
these young artists and our biggest crown was to have the famous
Alexander Kipniss staying with us just like a wonder from the outside
world. Because he had come from a trip from Australia and England and
Russia and made a stop in our Koenigsbcrg and stayed with us. And we
spent a delightful few days with him.
Dorothy Anker Memoir -- Archives, University of Illinois at Springfield