Complicating narratives of the Kindertransport
Digital Exhibition
Born 12.2.23 in Vienna.
These documents concern the themes of themes of agency, identity and gratitude.
Kurt Weiner, age 15
MS 140 A2049 94/15 (Special Collections, Hartley Library, University of Southampton)
Kurt Weiner was born 12.2.23 in Vienna. He was an only child, and arrived on a Kindertransport in early June, 1939. Kurt was guaranteed by the West London Synagogue (WLS).
Although Kurt was sixteen when he arrived, the WLS agreed to send him to boarding school for a term to learn English and become acculturated to Britain before being sent out to work. During the time he was at school, he and other boys over the age of 16 had to attend an Aliens Tribunal at which they were classified as ‘friendly’ or ‘enemy’ aliens. An A classification meant immediate internment, a B classification allowed the alien to remain free but subject to travel and other restrictions, while those who received a C were not considered a threat to Britain and remained free of most restrictions. Most Jewish refugees were recognised as ‘friendly’ to Britain and given a C classification, but the tribunals had a great deal of autonomy, and some, who were suspicious of all foreigners, considered even Jewish refugees enemy aliens, and gave them B classifications.
Kurt’s parents were sent to Theresienstadt but survived the Holocaust and returned to Vienna after the war. Kurt married an Englishwoman in 1944 and they had four daughters. He returned to Vienna in 1946 and remained there for the remainder of his life.
The documents in this collection all concern Kurt Weiner’s internment as an enemy alien. The themes of agency, identity and gratitude are all addressed by this correspondence. Although unsigned, the letters from the West London Synagogue (Documents 1 and 3) were written by Berenice d’Avigdor, the vice chairman of the Hospitality Committee.
As Documents 1, 2 and 3 show, Kurt and other boys at the boarding school were initially given the more restrictive B classification but the WLS requested a re-hearing and they were all subsequently reclassified C. Soon afterwards, Kurt was sent to work in the catering trade at hotel in Worthing. In May 1940, he was arrested and sent to the Isle of Man, as the Home Office failed to recognise his C classification.
The correspondence in this collection begins when Kurt had already been interned for nearly a year. Berenice d’Avigdor had worked doggedly to get the mistake in his alien classification rectified (Documents 1 and 3), though she was in poor health at the time, writing numerous letters to the Home Office and even announcing her intention to go to Slough and personally take the police authorities to task (Document 1 and 4).
Kurts letters from the Isle of Man (Documents 2, 4, 5) clearly show both his agency in trying to effect his release and his despair at being interned and the ‘awful feeling of being absolutely alone.’ (Document 2). Kurt could have joined the Pioneer Corps to earn his release, but he resisted because that would mean retaining the B classification of ‘enemy alien’. Kurt’s wish “to be considered to be a definitely friendly alien” (Document 4) was his highest desire, and his determination to achieve this speaks to both his agency and identity.
The remaining letters (Documents 6 and 7) were written after Kurt’s release and clearly express his gratitude to Berenice d’Avigdor for all her efforts on his behalf, both in helping him get his rightful classification recognised and in helping him find work after his release. He had hoped to come to London to thank her in person (Document 5) but sadly, she passed away in late August, 1941 before he was able to do so.
The below documents are from the West London Synagogue Collection (MS 140) at the Special Collection, Hartley Library, University of Southampton. All of the below documents are used with permission of the University of Southampton Special Collections.
Please navigate the thumbnails below to view the full-size documents. Each document is accompanied by a description and archive reference.
