March 1941

• March 1941 Dear Papa, Mutti (Mummy) and family
  Received your letter of 8th March with great pleasure. I was really very worried that you had forgotten me in February. I hope you don't do that again. Who is Siegmann? Dear Mutti, I was terribly happy about your letter. Yes, that's the way I imagined Ingrid to be. She'll be someone who'll know how to stand up for herself in life. Roller-skating seems to be in fashion. Here at work I often see the children roller-skating. Dear Papa, do you also think about me as much, together with Mutti? My last thought every evening is the hope that I'll be with you soon. I can't put into words how much I long to see you. If Mutti doesn't want to write in the next letter then you use her space. Dear Papa, I received the whole letter. Now you'll be getting the garden in order. Mutti writes that the days pass so quickly she can't get everything done. Well, Mutti, just let me be there and then your hands can rest, you'll be surprised how your Irma can work. I hope it's soon. You don't say anything about emigrating any more? I wish so much to be with you again. Tender wishes and kisses, also to my rollerskater, Your Irma Mutti. 

Explanation: 'the children roller-skating' indicates that the mother was working outside.

Der Hinweis auf das Rollschuhlaufen weist darauf hin, dass die Mutter im Außendienst beschäftigt wurde. 

• "As of 1941 the SS started to hire out prisoners to work on the land in the surrounding Mecklenburg properties. Prisoners were detailed to garden nurseries and road construction; slowly but surely the KZ inmates became essential to the German war time economy." [M. Buber-Neumann: Als Gefangene bei Stalin und Hitler, Stuttgart 1985, S. 226]