schoolmaster Posser, Radauti
No 1, Moghilau, December 14th, 1941
Dear Professor,
Though I wrote to you through Mr L a few days ago, I – as a precaution – write again as Mr Tw. arrived here in the meantime and he will go back home tomorrow. Once again I ask you, dear venerated Professor, to get in touch with Mrs Bindewald so that she´ll make her way to Czernowitz right away, or Jassy respectively, and call on Mr K in our matter. The documents are with Mrs Bindewald. Defray all expenses, please. Please discuss everything with Mrs Bindewald in person. We will make up for all your efforts. Our situation gets more and more unbearable day by day and we will perish for sure, if you won´t rescue us at this last hour. We have changed so much that you, dear venerated Professor, wouldn’t recognize us any more. We urge you to send us two certificates, that is to say, one in Romanian and one in German, stating that we are of German descent, German spirit etc., showing that you, as a German
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scholar are requesting from the authorities to assist us in every way. In case of need these two certificates could be of great use to us both with Romanian and German authorities. Only, these certificates would need to have an inscription saying Deutsche Gauleitung Radauti as well as a stamp, at least one of the two. Should you have neither of these, dear venerated Professor, we ask you to have it made immediately at our expense. Possibly, one could let the parish office confirm them as well. Please let us have the documents either through Mr Tw. or another reliable person at the next opportunity.
Forgive us for our insolence, only our distress is indescribable and we are turning to you, dear venerated Professor, like to a good father. God will reward you and Mrs Bindewald for helping decent, unfortunate people in such extremity. This is a matter of life and death. We are literally starving, as we no longer have any money and food is unobtainable. We would be happy about dry bread and potatoes, but even this you cannot get for money. But please, don´t talk to anyone about that, except for Mrs Bindewald.
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We´ve heard that the gouvernor´s request to Bucharest has to go to the consulate de ministri. Hopefully it won´t take too long and we won´t perish here in the meantime. I ask you, dear Professor, to send us 50,000 leu, but the notes with Tarancutu on it, as the other notes are of no use here, only the ones with the woman farmer. We are both reserve officers, my brother was legionnaire volunteer in 1918 and lieutenant at the military base. I myself went through the world war as a lieutenant, I was in the troop unit of a German infantry regiment at the Russian Front for two years and apart from Austrian decorations I also got two German medals. In addition to that I was in the current war of Uni-Kuli in 1942 as the senior consultant of a group from Braucadieri (care for wounded servicemen) at the Front of Bessarabia. Will you please also kindly stress that we
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are from the south of the Bukovina, the part that was not occupied by the R.[ussians] So once again, dear venerated Professor, help us quickly, spare neither effort nor expenses. Your late son, whom I cherished and adored and who would have done anything for me, would surely have appreciated what you are doing, if he were alive. I hope we will get the opportunity to thank you for everything and for returning the favour personally. My family and I are sending you kind wishes.
With gratitude,
Yours, Dr Oskar Schwind
Send my love to your dear wife.
Enclosed is a letter for Mrs Bindewald from my brother.
My current address: Adolf Hitler St 19, Moghilau
If necessary, please go to Bucharest to speed up our affairs
Kind regards, Yours gratefully,
Phöbus Schwind