Part 28 (2/2)

Telegram from Abraham Kalmanok*16 to Michel Epstein20 July 1942 to Michel Epstein20 July 1942 Did you send Irene's medical certificate-must do so immediately. Send telegram.

Michel Epstein to Andre Sabatier22 July 1942 I have received a letter from my wife, from the Pithiviers camp, dated last Thursday, telling me she would probably be leaving for an unknown destination, which I a.s.sume is far away. I have sent a telegram, and prepaid reply, to the commandant of the camp, but I have not heard from him. Would your friend possibly have more success, perhaps he could obtain the information they are refusing to give me? Thank you for everything you are doing. Keep me informed, I beg you, even if it's bad news. Yours truly.

Reply Have personally seen my friend.*17 Will do everything possible. Will do everything possible.

Andre Sabatier to Michel EpsteinSat.u.r.day 24 July 1942 If I haven't written to you it is because I have nothing precise to tell you at present and I can only bring myself to tell you the kind of things that might lessen your suffering. Everything necessary has been done. I saw my friend again who told me that all we can do now is wait. I pointed out, after receiving your first letter, that your children are French citizens, and after receiving the second letter, of [Irene's] possible departure from the Loiret camp. I am waiting and this waiting, please believe me, is very painful painful to me as a friend . . . I say this to a.s.sure you that I am putting myself in your place! Let us hope that very soon I will have some definite good news to tell you. My heart goes out to you. to me as a friend . . . I say this to a.s.sure you that I am putting myself in your place! Let us hope that very soon I will have some definite good news to tell you. My heart goes out to you.

Michel Epstein to Andre Sabatier26 July 1942 Perhaps we should point out that in my wife's case they are dealing with a White Russian who never wanted to accept Soviet citizens.h.i.+p, who fled Russia after a great deal of persecution, with her parents whose entire fortune was confiscated. I myself am also in the same position and I am not exaggerating when I calculate that about one hundred million pre-war francs were taken from my wife and myself in Russia. My father was President of the Syndicat des Banques Russes (Union of Russian Banks) and Executive Director of the Bank of Commerce of Azov-Don. The authorities concerned can therefore be a.s.sured that we haven't the slightest sympathy for the current Russian regime. My younger brother, Paul, was a personal friend of the Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia and the Imperial Family living in France was often received by my father-in-law, in particular, Grand Duke Alexander and Grand Duke Boris. Moreover, I would point out to you, if I have not already done so, that the German non-commissioned officers who spent several months living with us, in Issy, left me the following doc.u.ment when they left:

O.U. den I, VII, 41 Kameraden. Wir haben langere Zeit mit der Familie Epstein zusammengelebt und diese sehr anstandige und zuvorkommende Familie kennengelernt. Wir bitten Euch daher, sie damitsprechend zu behandeln. Heil Hitler! Kameraden. Wir haben langere Zeit mit der Familie Epstein zusammengelebt und diese sehr anstandige und zuvorkommende Familie kennengelernt. Wir bitten Euch daher, sie damitsprechend zu behandeln. Heil Hitler! Hammberger, Feldw, 23599 A. Hammberger, Feldw, 23599 A.*18

I still don't know where my wife is. The children are in good health, as for me, I am still standing.

Thank you for everything, my dear friend. Perhaps it would be helpful if you could discuss all this with the Count de Chambrun*19 and Morand. Best wishes, Michel. and Morand. Best wishes, Michel.

? to Michel Epstein27 July 1942 Are there in your wife's works, apart from the scene in Vin de Solitude, Vin de Solitude, pa.s.sages from novels, short stories or articles that could be pointed out as clearly anti-Soviet? pa.s.sages from novels, short stories or articles that could be pointed out as clearly anti-Soviet?

Michel Epstein to Andre Sabatier27 July 1942 I received your letter of Sat.u.r.day today. Thank you so very much for all your efforts. I know that you are doing and will do everything you can to help me. I have patience and courage. I just pray that my wife has the physical strength necessary to bear this blow! What is very difficult is that she must be horribly worried about the children and me, and I have no way of communicating with her since I don't even know where she is.

Please find enclosed a letter which I insist be sent to the German amba.s.sador as a matter of URGENCY. If you could find anyone who could approach him personally and give it to him (Count de Chambrun perhaps, who, I believe, is prepared to take an interest in my wife), that would be perfect. But if you cannot find anyone able to do it QUICKLY, would you be so kind as to take it to the emba.s.sy or just post it. Thank you in advance. Of course, if this letter will upset the steps already taken, then tear it up, otherwise, I really wish it to be sent.

I fear the same thing might happen to me. In order to avoid material concerns, could you send Mlle Dumot an advance on her monthly payments for '43? I am afraid for the children.

Michel Epstein to the German amba.s.sador, Otto Abetz27 July 1942 I know that I am taking a great liberty in writing to you personally. Nevertheless, I am taking this step because I believe that you alone can save my wife, my only hope lies with you.

Allow me therefore to explain to you the following: before leaving Issy, the German soldiers who were occupying the village gave me, in grat.i.tude for the way we treated them, a letter which reads:

O.U. den I, VII, 41 Kameraden. Wir haben langere Zeit mit der Familie Epstein zusammengelebt und diese sehr anstandige und zuvorkommende Familie kennengelernt. Wir bitten Euch daher, sie damitsprechend zu behandeln. Heil Hitler! Kameraden. Wir haben langere Zeit mit der Familie Epstein zusammengelebt und diese sehr anstandige und zuvorkommende Familie kennengelernt. Wir bitten Euch daher, sie damitsprechend zu behandeln. Heil Hitler! Hammberger, Feldw. 23599 A. Hammberger, Feldw. 23599 A.*20

And yet, on the 13 July my wife was arrested. She was taken to the concentration camp at Pithiviers (Loiret) and, from there, sent somewhere else, but I do not know where. This arrest, I was told, was a result of general instructions given by the occupying authorities regarding the Jews.

My wife, Madame M. Epstein, is a very famous novelist, I. Nemirovsky. Her books have been translated in a great many countries and two of them at least-David Golder and and Le Bal Le Bal-in Germany. My wife was born in Kiev (Russia) on 11 February 1903. Her father was an important banker. My father was President of the Syndicat des Banques Russes (Union of Russian Banks) and Executive Director of the Bank of Commerce of Azov-Don. Both our families lost considerable fortunes in Russia; my own father was arrested by the Bolsheviks and imprisoned in the Saint-Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. We had the greatest of difficulty in finally managing to flee Russia in 1919 and we then took refuge in France, where we have lived ever since. All this must satisfy you that we feel nothing but hatred for the Bolshevik regime.

In France, not a single member of our family has ever been involved in politics. I was a bank manager and as for my wife, she became a highly esteemed novelist. In none of her books (which moreover have not been banned by the occupying authorities) will you find a single word against Germany and, even though my wife is of Jewish descent, she does not speak of the Jews with any affection whatsover in her works. My wife's grandparents, as well as my own, were Jewish; our parents practised no religion; as for us, we are Catholic and so are our children who were born in Paris and are French.

If I may also take the liberty of pointing out to you that my wife has always avoided belonging to any political party, that she has never received special treatment from any government either left-wing or right-wing, and that the newspaper she contributed to as a novelist, Gringoire, Gringoire, whose director is H. de Carbuccia, has certainly never been well-disposed towards either the Jews or the Communists. whose director is H. de Carbuccia, has certainly never been well-disposed towards either the Jews or the Communists.

Finally, for many years my wife has been suffering from chronic asthma (her doctor, Professor Vallery-Radot, can attest to this) and internment in a concentration camp would be fatal for her.

I know, Amba.s.sador, that you are one of the most eminent men in your country's government. I am convinced you are also a just man. And it seems to me both unjust and illogical that the Germans should imprison a woman who, despite being of Jewish descent, has no sympathy whatsoever-all her books prove this-either for Judaism or the Bolshevik regime.

Andre Sabatier to Count de Chambrun28 July 1942 I have received this very moment a letter from the husband of the author of David Golder, David Golder, a copy of which I have taken the liberty of enclosing for you. This letter contains details which might prove useful. Let us hope that they will allow you to bring this matter to a positive conclusion. I thank you in advance for everything you are trying to do for our friend. a copy of which I have taken the liberty of enclosing for you. This letter contains details which might prove useful. Let us hope that they will allow you to bring this matter to a positive conclusion. I thank you in advance for everything you are trying to do for our friend.

Andre Sabatier to Mme Paul Morand*2128 July 1942 I wrote to Monsieur Epstein yesterday saying what we had agreed, thinking it would be better to write than to send a telegram. This morning I received his letter in the post. It clearly contains some interesting details.

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