Objekt des Monats
Jedes Objekt in der Sammlung des Deutschen Auswandererhauses erzählt eine ganz persönliche Auswanderungs- oder Einwanderungsgeschichte. In dieser Rubrik stellen wir Ihnen jeden Monat ein anderes Objekt vor – eine Fotografie, ein Dokument oder ein persönliches Erinnerungsstück.
September 2019
Letter to the German Radio Hour from 1957
Historical Context
To keep German emigrants in the USA updated about current events in Germany, the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) developed the ‘German Radio Hour’. The organization was founded in 1926 in Boston/Massachusetts. The program not only read current news but also featured German literature and poetry from Goethe, Schiller, and Hesse. Additionally, fairy tales were presented, and interviews were conducted. The gaps between the segments were filled with music from Wagner operas and Schubert symphonies, as well as other contemporary works by German-speaking artists.
Short Biography
Bob Munstedt, the author of the letter, was born in Switzerland in the early 20th century. At school, he spoke German, but at home with his family, he used the Swiss dialect. At the age of 13, he emigrated to the USA with his family. The Munstedt family moved to Massachusetts together. He kept in touch with relatives in Europe through letters. In September 1957, he first heard the radio program of the ‘American Association of Teachers of German’ (AATG) and was so excited to hear the German language again after a long time that he wrote a thank-you letter to Lorley Mabry. She was a good friend of Munstedt and had brought the program to his attention. Lorley Mabry worked as a host of the German Radio Hour. Her real name was Hannelore Mabry, née Katz. She was born in Chemnitz in 1930. Mabry also worked as an actress and advocated for women’s rights. In 1956, she emigrated to the USA with her daughter Cosima and married there for the second time. However, her marriage to the American Paul Michael Mabry only lasted two years. After her divorce from Paul, she returned to Germany in the summer of 1958. She passed away in Munich in March 2013. Yet, she remains fondly remembered by many listeners of the German Radio Hour. Her daughter Cosima Wolter passed Bob Munstedt’s letter to the Deutsches Auswandererhaus.
Significance of the object
For many European emigrants, letter writing played a significant role – not only for their correspondence within the USA but also to stay in contact with friends and relatives in their old homeland. Between 1820 and 1914, according to historian Wolfgang Helbich, at least 35 million letters were sent from the USA to Germany. The letters usually contained important economic and political information for the recipients in the old homeland. However, the letters also depicted personal opinions, experiences, feelings, and thoughts of the senders. The personal letters were, by their origin, not directed at posterity or intended for them. Nevertheless, they provide us today with insights into a long-gone era.
The content of the letters was primarily written in German. Especially young emigrants quickly learned English overseas and used it as their everyday language. As a result, they spoke their native language less and less; often only within their own family or with German acquaintances. The significance of the German language in schools and public life diminished more strongly, especially after World War I. Through letters home, the mother tongue still lived on.
Do you also …
… have a story of emigration or immigration in your family that you would like to share along with the associated objects and documents with the Deutsches Auswandererhaus for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau at the phone number 0471 / 90 22 0 – 0 or via email at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de
Archive: Previous Objects of the Month
Show all objectsDo You Also Have …
… a story of emigration or immigration in your family that you would like to share with the German Emigration Center together with the related objects and documents for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau by phone at +49 471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or by e-mail at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de