Complicating narratives of the Kindertransport
Digital Exhibition
Born 12.2.23 in Vienna.
These documents concern the themes of identity, agency and family separation.
Simon Markel, age 15
MS183 563 Folder 5 (Special Collections, Hartley Library, University of Southampton)
Simon, the third of Chana and Feiwel Markel’s four sons, was born on 6.3.23 in Chemnitz, Germany. The entire family was deported to Poland on 28 October 1938 during the Polenaktion, though because they were not sent to Zbąszyń, they were able to join relatives in Krakow. From there, Simon was accepted on the first transport organised by the Polish Jewish Refugee Fund and arrived in Britain on 14 February 1939.
Simon was sent to live in a Jewish boys’ hostel in Leeds, where he settled in well. When he registered with the police in Leeds, however, he was marked as having German rather than Polish nationality and in May 1940, was arrested as an enemy alien and interned on the Isle of Man. In the summer of 1940, Simon, along with many other teenaged Jewish refugee boys, was sent to Canada as a prisoner of war. The Fund attempted to get Simon released on the basis of Polish nationality (which would have automatically granted him friendly alien status) but had little luck with the British authorities. After engaging a solicitor, they succeeded in getting permission for Simon to return to Britain in 1941, but by that time, no shipping could be found and he chose to remain in Canada for the rest of his life. His three brothers, Richard, David and Wolfgang, along with his parents, were all murdered in the Holocaust.
Family separation is a strong theme of this collection. Chana Markel wrote several letters to Elsley Zeitlyn begging for help in getting her sons to safety and revealing the anguish of parents like her. The one included here (Document 1) is broken and imperfect English, is eloquent in its own way, not least for the memorable line “My children are loved, wherever they come.” The photographs she mentions in this letter are featured in the exhibition and include Chana’s notation on the reverse side of one photograph “as little boys.” Zeitlyn’s response clearly sets out the challenges that refugee organisations faced in bringing refugees into the UK (Document 2).
Simon Markel’s own letters to Elsley Zeitlyn emphasise family separation, agency and gratitude. Demonstrating a remarkable command of English, Simon expressed his appreciation for everything the PJRF had done for him, adding “One thought but keeps in me in affliction, the thought of my parents and my brothers who have come, through unfortunate circumstance into poverty and despair.” (Document 3). Thereafter, he inundated Zeitlyn with requests and helpful suggestions- anything that would help his brothers out of Poland (Documents 4, 5 and 6), though sadly running out of time before anything could be arranged.
His hopes of helping his family dashed, Simon Markel next appealed to the Fund to help him establish Polish identity as the mistake in assigning him German citizenship was impeding his ability to secure a job (Documents 7 and 8). He also asked the Fund to help him maintain contact with his parents, now in German-occupied territory (Document 8). Simon’s problems were worsened when he was interned because of his mistaken identity and he again pleaded with the Fund to help him prove his Polish citizenship and earn release from internment (Document 9). Elsley Zeitlyn’s response to Simon’s plight was to advise him to “submit with the best will that you can command.” (Document 10). Accepting his fate with remarkable equanimity, Simon Markel continued to appeal to the Fund after his deportation to Canada as a prisoner of war, requesting help with obtaining the books he needed to continue his studies to become an engineer (Document 11). Eighteen months after his internment, the Fund’s solicitors secured permission for Simon Markel and another Polish boy mistakenly interned to be released and returned to Britain. However, no shipping was then available, and both boys chose to make Canada their home where they both became qualified engineers through their own determination, perseverance and agency.
The below documents are from the Schonfeld Collection (MS 183) 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.
