Lewkonja in Bochum part 1

Following the arrest of her husband Lewkonja Irma tried to immigrate to the United States, but they did not manage. The letters she wrote to friends in the U.S., it notes that she was getting desperate, had suicidal thoughts. Their only hope was that Heinz, which she sent in January 1939 with a transport of Jewish children in Holland would survive. But this hope was deceptive, he was probably transported to an extermination camp, after the Wehrmacht had occupied Holland. Also Irma Lewkonja was deported to Auschwitz in 1942 and murdered.

This is just one of many families who have been reproduced by the stumbling blocks a name and a story. And if you a little bit careful, you stumble on other stumbling blocks in our city.

Liena Rumberg, Paulina Voss and Alina Wiethoff, 8d Schiller School

Stones against forgetting
Bochum and Wattenscheid, 12.11.2007
In Bochum is done with small "pitfalls" of the victims of the Holocaust gedacht.Zeus-reporters tell the story of the Jewish family Lewkonja

There are stones, over which we stumble, but there are also specific stumbling blocks. They are made of brass and recessed into the pavement. They remind us of the Jews who died under Hitler. On them are name, date of birth and death of the victims. Transferred to the obstacles of Bochum citizens who do not wish that the history of the Jews will be forgotten.

Such a stone is also at the corner Kortumstraße / Nordring and recalls the Lewkonja Jewish family who lived there: Eric, his wife, Irma, and son, Heinz. He was born in 1925 in Cologne and adopted in August 1928.

The sad story of Lewkonjas began in 1938, was taken as Erich Lewkonja after the pogrom in the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen. A month later he was discharged. Soon after, the little Wollwarengeschäft had the brothers' 32, the holders of the two brothers were Lewkonja,) are compulsorily under value ( "arianized.

The happy marriage of Irma and Erich was already over because Erich 1928, a lady arrived at a carnival celebration, with whom he had an affair. To look for a long time again, the two agreed to meet in the summer of 1939 in Berlin Grunewald. They committed a mistake when they were smoking in the forest, which was strictly forbidden. Promptly caught. At the police station turned out that Erich was a Jew. His crime was not only smoking in the forest, serious was his relation. After the Nuremberg Laws, it was in fact banned, that Jews were talking with so-called "Aryans" a sexual relationship.

Under pressure, the woman admitted having had sexual intercourse with Erich Lewkonja. Against her will, she said - probably to protect themselves. Since then, he did not come free. After he came from one prison to another, he was transferred to Auschwitz and murdered in 1942.

Bochum, 5.1.39

My dear,

I want to thank you for your efforts, we know exactly, that you haven't forgotten us and that it is not easy. If you could see us you would be shocked. I don't need any treatment and even Erich, who does not give up his humor easily, is very 'down'. You can imagine that we leave nothing undone to get away as fast as possible, what is good today is certainly a disappointment tomorrow, one is constantly writing. Erich has been in Hamburg - everything, everything in vain. With him the great fear of repetition he was threaten with if you would not come with sufficient documents as fast as he can.

Thank our Lord every day you wake up in the morning, how fine you are doing, and be ... dear Georg that your mother does not live anymore. I also have this great concern since my brothers don't know where to go neither. We probably have a number 19507, but no guarantee, and until it is our turn it's at least another two years. Your wishes are taken care of. By the way, has the packet with the Nürnberger Lebkuchen arrived? Monday I'll undergo surgery at Prof. Reich. He explained to me that I have to stay in the Elisabeth hospital for at least 10 days, that is of course longer, although i have so much work to do, but what can you do, the pains are immensly, and it is impossible for me to get away this way.

As i hear from Homberts Lili has already arrived in Sydney. I talked to Herta yesterday, she will go in june. Hanna and ??? Wittgenstein will marry on the 12th.

Yesterday Heinz was brought to Holland with a child transport, and what is happening to him right now, i don't know - whether this is temporarily or for longer, one just has to wait.
It goes without saying that we would be happy if Heinz could come (to the USA), since for us only south or central america are a possibility. We've been told already from Mr. Mendel whom we have to approach, and tomorrow a letter to the welfare office is dispatched.
We now await your next dispositions in order to get things done before our departure. For the requested personal data we inform you that Heinz was born on August, 19th, 1925 in Cologne as a child of an unmarried young lady from a good Jewish family. The father was physician. The child was brought to a Jewish children's home after his birth. After the child's mother waived all her rights the boy was adopted with a certified contract. Further details are unknown, only we like to note that before ??? we have obtained a detailed expert opinion through the principal of the children's home about the state of health of the boy as well as about the disposition of the parents. Not until we assured ourselfs that the child is descended from strong and healthy parents have we made the contract. Until now Heinz has been untroubled by any kind of illness apart from the usual colds. Before his departure to Holland again another detailed expert opinion was requested which I obtained from the school doctor. The very same confirmed the very best physical as well as health-related report for the emigration office.

Heinz has developed surprisingly recently, he is about 1,54m tall, and I attach a picture of him that was produced one year ago. Now we await your furter news about what we should do and we can decide anytime whereto we want to take Heinz from Holland.

??? requests concerning Heymanns, they wait for their entry to Montevideo, where at the moment ???
Isings go to Basel next month and we hope we have packed the rest of our stuff by then.

Best wishes to you and the children. Yours, Irma.
Today I was at ??? again. Go there as often as I can.

Berlin, February 4th, 1940

My dear friends!

You probably have received my two airmail letters by now. Through your dear mother, dear Rosi, I learned that you make the greatest efforts to get the Affidavit for me. I hope that you are successful and thank you sincerely for your great efforts that you make for me. Enclosed I send you the requested letter from Erich. I assume that my relatives, the Herrschers, got in touch with you. Should this not be the case, I would like to ask you to write to my relatives. .Following the address over again: Michael Herrscher, 443- 15th Avenue, San Francisco, Cal. As I heard, you are doing well business wise, which I'm very pleased about. How are the kids doing? I wish dear Kurt a happy birthday. I would have loved to send him something, unfortunately it is impossible right now. It's very cold here and all of us have a cold. What is Emma doing, is she comfortable with her position, is she often with you? How is your sewing doing, do you have many orders? Is Herta writing to you often? As your mother writes, Michels and Meyers are together many times. I don't hear much from Bochum. My sister-in-law wrote to me that Rosa Meyer has been in Bochum. Tell Emma that the Raus are wondering why they don't hear from her.

I have some good news from Heinz from Holland. I heard also that Heymanns are in Argentina supposedly. Erich is still in Bochum, my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law visit him every fourteen days. One doesn't know yet when he will get away. Unfortunately it's not possible for me at the moment to drive to Bochum. It would give me great pleasure to hear from you firsthand. But it only makes sense to write by airmail, because otherwise letters will take over two month. By assuming that these lines meet you at best health I remain with kind regards and thank you again for your efforts concerning me.

Yours, Irma

My mother and brothers also send their kind regards.

I wish I could be with you for just one hour to talk things out with you. I sometimes think I have to put an end to this life cause these sorrows and excitements cannot be suffered anymore. Every day comes with something different, except something pleasant. Be happy and glad that you are together. You appreciate this luck not until you don't have it anymore, especially for me.
Once again I wish you all the best,

Yours, Irma