Hanna’s Diary, 1938-1941: Czechoslovakia to Canada

207 Pages·2001·18.258 MB·English

by  Hanna Spencer

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Hanna’s Diary, 1938–1941
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Hanna’s Diary, 1938–1941
Czechoslovakia to Canada
hanna spencer
McGill-Queen’s University Press
Montreal & Kingston • London • Ithaca
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© McGill-Queen’s University Press 2001
isbn 0-7735-2231-x
Legal deposit third quarter 2001
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec
Printed in Canada on acid-free paper
Reprinted 2002
McGill-Queen’s University Press acknowledges the financial support of the
Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Develop-
ment Program (bpidp) for its activities. It also acknowledges the support
of the Canada Council for the Arts for its publishing program.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Spencer, Hanna
Hanna’s diary, 1938–1941: Czechoslovakia to Canada
Includes index.
isbn 0-7735-2231-x
1. Spencer, Hanna – Diaries. 2. Refugees, Jewish – Czechoslovakia –
Diaries. 3. Refugees, Jewish – Canada – Diaries. 4. World War, 1939–1945
– Refugees – Biography. 5. Czech Canadians – Biography. I. Title
d811.5.s67 2001 940.53′089′9240437 c00-901670-8
This book was typeset by Dynagram Inc. in 11/13.5 Caslon.
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To our children Erica and Martin and our grandchildren
Hilary, Gregory, Nicole, Laura, and Justine
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Contents
Illustrations / ix
Preface / xi
Introduction / xiii
Map / xviii
diary, 1938–1941
1 Czechoslovakia: 6 August – 24 October 1938 / 3
2 Czechoslovakia: 26 October 1938 – 20 February 1939 / 47
3 England: 1 March – 20 May 1939 / 81
4 Canada: 3 June 1939 – December 1941 / 108
Epilogue / 165
Appendix: Family and Friends / 173
Notes / 177
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Illustrations
Hanna Fischl, age twenty-four / 5
Hans Feiertag, age twenty-five / 11
Hanna’s colleagues at the Staatsrealgymnasium, Olmütz,
1938 / 15
Title page of “Notenbuch” / 20
Song “Im Maien” / 21
Feiertag in the Austrian Alps, 1935 / 36
Page from the journal / 39
Feiertag with conductor Hermann Scherchen, 1936 / 40
Picnic, Hans and Hanna, 1936 / 42
Passport: permit to land in England, 1939 / 82
Ella and Adolf Fischl, Komotau, 1935 / 102
Ashdell Grove, Sheffield, 1939 / 104
Hilda Cunnington, Sheffield, 1939 / 106
Hanna, photographed by Feiertag, 1937 / 107
Maña and Louis Fischl, 1964 / 120
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x illustrations
New Haven, 1939 / 122
Fred and goats, 1939 / 125
Stubborn goats and novice goatherds, 1939 / 126
Ella Fischl and daughter Mimi, New Haven, 1940 / 131
Ella and her sister Antschi Pollak, New Haven, 1940 / 132
Skiing on the Prescott sandhills, 1940 / 143
Cable from Sheffield, 1940 / 152
Letter from F.C. Blair, 1940 / 154
Letter to Hanna from F.C. Blair, 1941 / 155
Fischl-Pollak clan with guest Elvins Spencer,
New Haven / 163
Hanna with Elvins, 1942 / 164
Figure carved by Hans Feiertag / 167