Franz Bischofswerder 210 N Belle field
Pittsburgh PS
April 19,1943
Dear Mr. Friedlander:
I do not need an introduction telling you how much I am
abhamed of myself. Honestly I was quite unable to write to
anybody. Now the first part of the preparation to an attempt
for the initial adjustment might have begun. Thus I take out
a little time with a moderately guilty conscience.
First of all I hope all of you are in good health, and .
particulerly'Mrs. Friedlander is well again. :
a)
<e
I have been in Pittsburgh now a little over two months. My job.
is not easy. I hope T can do it. But it is certainly not
less attractive - to say the least - than was Woodlawn Hall.
My case load consists of ca. 35 cases, mostly adolescent boys
who are beine supervised in foster homes. My greatest difficult
is, of course, dictating records into the dictaphone. People
do not always realize that there is some difference in doing
that in one's native tongue from dictating in a language which
you started to learn at an age close to fifty. My supervisor
is the head of the agency, a person with real understaanding of
human behavior including the behavior of a worker with some
language difficulties. So on the whole,I am very much
satisfied. with my job and it is my sincere hope that it will
be satisfied with me too. The relationsh'p between the staff
members is pleasant as compared with other social agencies.
We are about twelve professional workers, two full-time
Supervisors and the executive secretary who supervises two
workers. Furthermore we hag three students who are doing full-
time field work three days a week and one student in recreationd
work who is doing field work one day a week.
You were very right in telling me that the Surroundings of P.
are pretty. Our foster homes are partly locatedjin the County
and I am spending one day w week in calling on foster homes.
I am being driven around by an employee of the agency but I am
expected to learn driving as soon as possible what is quite a
Job ; you certainly remember that the terrain is very hilly
around here. =?
Last week we hed the State of Pennsylvania Conference of Social
Work here in Pittsburgh. Thus I had an Opportunity to look at
all the local big shots; unfortunately I am somewhat near-—
Sighted as you know; this prevented me from noticing all the
bigness to its fullest extent.
I hope to get vacations toward the end of September. So if I
shpuld not be kicked out at that time I am planning to have my
thesis done; if I should be kicked out I shall have the more
time. Seriously, I would like to use part of my vacation time
for finishing up the degree.
: oteve Ll
I hope that social life will continue to contibwe satisfactorily.
We live rather close to the university and the Civic Center.
Carnegie Library and Museum , the beautiful Catheffdel of Learning,
the Syria Mosque where all musical performances are taking place
are within easy reach.
How is everything in Chicago ? How are our mutual friends ?
How is the Self Help doing ? Did Miss Abraham find anything ?
I am in correspondence with one of the former inmates of
Woodlawn Hall who is the speaker for a group of boys, and I am
énjoying tis correspondence.
I have not forgotten and I shall not forget what you have done
for me while my situation was difficult in Chicago. You gave me
your time and your warm understanding although you naturally
had to face your own problems and to deal with your own worries,
It was a comparatively short time which I could spend with you
but I have the feeling that the friendly relationship which devel
oped between us will endure. |
I would love to hear from you, from Mrs. Friedlander and your
daughter.
Cordially yours,
P.S. Thus my secreterial activities finally got under way.
I arrived here three weeks ago. I feel so well adjusted, however,
that I can hardly believe I have been here such a short time.
I have a plain but very attractive apartment , all newly
decorated, and I have been able to locate a job in a CPA's
office with decent working conditions and satisfactory pay.
We are talking very often of the Friedlander family and we feel
that the main shortcoming here is the difficulty how to manage
going for a chat to Dorchester Avenue. I hope Mrs. Friedlander
has completely recovered and all members of the family are doing
alright.
Yours,
7
I was born June 13,1888 in Berlin ( Germany). My wife's name is
Justina née Horowitz; she was born October 28,1888 in Torun (Poland).
Since Pearl Harbor I have received one Red Cross message from her
reaching me July 1942. I answered immediately but never got a reply.
My wife's last address known to me is : 2 Pasamer Street, Berlin. Our
eon Ernst , born February 13,1918, is mentally deficient. I have not
heard of him either since July 1942. His last known address is :
Lobetal near Bernau ( Germany) - an institution for mentally deficient
youth.
I came to the US for the first time March 6,1936:\0on the Hapag SS Deutsch-
land as a visitor. I stayed with Mr. Otto Lichtwitz 20 Sickles Street
New York City ( present name Otto M. Long 1812 Elmshurst Ave.,Elmshurst NY
I left for Germany April 30,1936 on the North German Lloyd SS Columbus. |
I received my permanent visa from the Am rican Consulate General in
Berlin July 1936. I arrived in New York City on the Hapag MS St. Louis
September 23,1936. I left again for Germany October 9,1957 on the
North German Lioyd SS Bremen after having secured a permit to reenter.
I was compelled to return to Germany temporerily. Our son's mental health
had markedly deteriorated and he had been institutionalized. For this
reason I was urgently recalled by my wife.- My addres in New York City
during this period had been 250 West 82nd. I had worked from about
May 1937 to October 1,1937 for the American Arbitration Association
8 West 40th, New York City.
I returned on the French Line SS Champlain and was admitted in New York
City April 28,1939 on presentation of my reenter permit. I stayed in
New York City 545 West 1llth St. until September 15,1939 when I moved to
Seattle, Wash. I had worked from May 1939 to September 1,1939 for the
Conference on Jewish Relations 1819 Broadway.
In Seattle I was enrolled as a student in the Graduate School of Social
Work, University of ‘Yashington starting the fall quarter 1939. In addition
I worked as a field secretary for the Washington Emigre Bureau 423 Smith
Tower Annex in Seattle from March 15,1940 until March 31,1942 ( first
part-time, later full-time). July 19,1942 I left for Chicago Ill. During
my stay in Seattle I lived 4230 University Way.
In Chicago I was employed with the Jewish Childrens Bureau of Chihcago
130 N Wells St. from July 21,1942 until December 31,1942. I lived
6208 S Drexel Ave. until the latter date. From January 1,1943 until
February 15,1943 I was unemployed; my address was 1120 E 62nd St., Chicago.
Since February 16,1943 I have lived in Pittsburgh PA 210 N Bellefield Ave.
I have been a case worker for the Childrens Aid Society of Allegheny
County 519 Smithfield,Pittsburgh since.
When I returned to the US 1939 it waa clear that our son was not eligible
for a permanent visa due to the fact that he had been an inmate of a mental
hospital.
In fall 194f my wife head not yet carried out her intention to join me;
she had hesitated to leave our son. At that time I sent her a cable
urging her to apply for an exit permit from Germany; however , the
Hapag steamship company cabled back that no exit permit could be secured
for her.
ro Save found your péattioe within the agency and are getting
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5530 Lorchester Ave
Chicago, iliinois
June 29,1943
bear ur. Bischofswerder:
Thank you very much for your letter of April 19 and your
ecard of June 25 which reminded me that I had intended for
a number of weeks to write to you. :
Needless to say that I was very <lad to learn of your satis- ;
faction in your work and of Miss Goldsmith successful new |
establishment which we are inclined to take just for granted. |
I certainly did not expeet that you would find the’work with
jadolescent boys an easy job.But I am glad that you opviously :
yweet acquainted with tne boys and their patna iinee rae. ; |
“hile Else G. has such good work -and I hope also an inter-
esting activity- I wonder whetner both of you have found,in
the meantime, some friends who complement your group,and "with
whom you may share your opinions and interests?
. Your plan of completing your tnesis in September seems very
practical to me.Wili you be abie to prepare the material al-
reagcy somewhat before so that the vacation period has not to
be fully used for this goal? And wili Else G.pe able to take 7
a vacation about tnat time also? ; =
That we have been rather busy here ,needs scarcely broad inter- | d
pretation. Mrs.Friedlander has slowly recovered,but she had
until very recently still to be careful in her going any larger
Gistance,and our doctor and friend Dr.Haase insists that she
does not start again wobk at Mount Sinai Hospital because the :
loncd way is too heavy a strain. However,she feels much better
than during your last visits,and I hope she will completely ;
recover when we shall go for’ a vacation in the beginning of
August as I hope. Lorothee is still working on her thesis for :
this summer quarter.She is no more working at the University
bay Nureery School. On last Sunday she gave a musical recital .-
at the Chicago Woman's Aid Ciub,she sang songs of Bach, Naendel,
Brahms, Jendelssohn and some French songs, and the audience was
quite enthousiastic.
Though we have become sitinien recently,no change in my work
has taken place. My course on "War and Post-War Problems in
European Social Work" took a great deal of preparaxtion,but
_ it has gained considerable attention of my students who insisted 3
in getting a continuation class in fall which has been accepted :
by our dean. This summer,I am teaching again this class,but in a
in condensed form, three afternnons each week for two.full hours,
so that I shall have finished the course by the peatonink of | 4
August.Therefore the vacation plan. ~ <3
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Selfhelp was quite active.There were some meetings of the "S tudy :
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one I gave a review of the Beveridge Plan.Several groups
are preparing a USO-party. With Prof.Xessler I am now ‘con-
sidering whether some kind of advice seems necessary in
order to inform the newcomers with regard to the Report on
Property in Foreign Countries before Aug.3l. The Legal
. Aid Division of the JSSB plans to send clients to the Fede-
ral leserve Bank,but some rather coubtful Viennese lawyer
wants to make a business in advising our people. What does
Else G.feel about this declaration?
Edith Abraham has accepfed a call as case worker to a Jewish
family welfare agency at Minneapolis,but I did not hear from
her singe she left for Minnesota,afew weeks ago. <urt hei-
chert whom you saw at the meeting at Abraham Lincoin Center
has been called to the army just now,he is for a short time
in ‘New York with his family. Woodlawagn Hall seems almost for-
gotten, ©.Freeman has not got the job he was looking for
here,he may be happy in New York. irs.Hackel(mother) is in
her vacation at some snatorium in Iowa with friends and she
wrote very satisfied from this stay. Nora Hackel is still
interested in getting some group work position in autumn
when her little daughter at 5 would need some kindergarten,
we try our best to find some possibility here,but it looks
rather difficult in all the red tape and regulations resul-
timg from the unfortunate Lanham Act procedures. Marianne Wel-
ter was just two eeks ago for 6 days vacation here and in
Laxe Forest,she likes Western eserve very well and hopes to
finish her academic work there early next year. Sieufried .-
Marek is on his vacation in the East,he is one of the speajers
at the Social-Lemocratic Conference in New York nest week,
but I am doubtful about the Conference's significance.
For my class I have to read a lot of books,that's one of the
reasons I cojld not answer earlier.Among other material, I
found H.Laski's “Some Kelections on the kevolution of Our Time"
important. Good insizht into French developments is shown in
Soward Brooks' "Prisoners of Hope".And you certainly know
Ziemer's “Education for Death"?
Li joing me in kind regards to Miss voldsmith and to you,
‘Sa
and we certainly hope’ to hear from your life.
Cordiaily yours,
i ee
Else Bishop ' 1735 Riggs Place NW
Washington DC
October 22,1946
Dear Mr. and Mrs, Friedlander:
We were certainly very gled to hear from you and ‘to learn some
more details about your day-by-dey life. I can imagine that you
are quite overworked but you are enjoying your work as ever, I am
sure.
We were delighted to hear about Mrs. Friedlander's activities
and —- last not least - your daughter's marriage. Please, write
-@ little more about this. Is your son-in-law a native-born
American or is he of fordgn extraction ? Have your children
got a place to live ? This is impossible in Weshington ( never-
thdess we got one ) and very difficult in Berkeley, I understand.
Franz has been in Washington sire August 1945. It is just a
shame thet apparently) he has not written to you in the meantime.
He works in the Division of Health end Disability Studies in
the Bureau of Research and Statistics. The job is highly inter-
esting but quite exacting. He says he will write you e long
letter very -soon about your activities, about his activities,
and about some people in Berkeley. But he is so busy at this
moment that he has nox time to sit down for a godd letter.
However, he promises herewith to write very soon.
Incidentally , we have not heard from Witte for quite a while.
Would you be good enough to send us his present address eccasion—
eS . o
shite I am somewhat settled, I hope, and I am now filing my
plication for the second paper. I would greatly eppreciate
ae and Mrs. Friedlander’ S serving as my witnesses for the
period of my stay in Chicago. You probably recall that I errived |
there in August 1942 and left by the.end of March 1943. I met |
you a few days after my arrival and we saw each other » L would
think, twice a month at least.
Franz repeats that he will write to you very soon, and we hope
to hear from you . 3
Kind regards to all pf you including your son-in-lew, from
Framuz end
1LoUurs,
tt, te:
JE Avy | bafta, H crenl sat be—
@ Frenz Bischofswerder 210 N Belle field
Pittsburgh 13 PA
September 4,1944
<~ Dear witnesses:
“>
3 é I had my first naturalization hearing August 21,1944. So the
R2 witnesses living outside of Pittsburgh will be interviewed probably
SN within the near future. I trust the interview will not take too
much of your time.
alright ell the time and heve been quite busy. I hope that all of —
:
~ > In Pittsburgh the summer has been very warm but I have been feeling
S3 you have been well end had some rest during the summer period.
eS
Cee, =H) Losking forward to hearing from you and with appreciation for
3 ~ your help end assistance
‘ at Cordially yours,
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216 N Bellefield
Pittsbuerh FPA 13
march 3,1945
Prank ¥. Bishop
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Lear witnessésa:
iil be glad to learn that, I fot my fins] citizenship
“onday > =
{ went to thank you once mcre very Kindly for your help anda
essistance,.
Fe *. Dishop
Dear friend Friedlander:
We have not heard ffom each other for quite a long time. I am
very glad to have this opportunity of telling you that we are still
alive. I mm - needless to Say - very happy to be a citizen now.
I have been in Pittsburgh now for over two years, and I have
certainly benefited a lot from having performed this case work job.
I might not want to stay too much longer in Pittsburgh, particularly
because working conditions might not be as agreeable as they have
been-in the future; there is a merger between the family agency
and two childrens avencies quite likely to occur ( strictly
confidential and off the record ).
I might stay for a while and then ? I was in Washington the other
day and they probably would have a job in the legal department
of the SSB, a quite interesting staff position which however would
take me alittle bit out of social work. Other preferences would be
New York and the West Coast. The SSB people told me by the way that
in case California should adopt the pending health insurance plan
there would certainly beg openings in San Francisco. That would be
wonderful, wouldn't it ?
Now I have talked all the time avout myself. How have you and your
family been doing ? How is your work developing ? Somebody told
me that you are frightfully busy and that your lectures are in geeat
demand all over the West Coast area. I think they are going to win
become more and more important and timely. Please drop me a léne
giving me some news about you. Miss Goldschmidt wants to be
remembered. Cordially yours,
4 W hsh ”
