Letter written by Holocaust survivor delivered after 75 years
A letter written by a Holocaust survivor to her sister in 1945 has finally been delivered, after a hobby historian found it at a New York flea market.
Ilse Loewenberg, who died in 2001 aged 92, wrote the letter to her sister in 1945 to describe her life under the Nazi regime, including how she jumped out of a train on the way to Auschwitz before being captured again in Berlin.
Her sister Carla, the letter's intended recipient, moved to London before the start of World War II, avoiding persecution by the Nazis.
After the letter was lost for more than 75 years, it was discovered by Chelsey Brown, an interior designer and "heirloom detective" at a flea market in New York.
Chelsey worked to track down Carla and Ilse's great-niece Jill Butler, who has been reunited with the piece of family history.
Jill said that she thought it was "a scam" when Chelsey first got in touch with her, but is "in awe" of the work she's done.
The heart-breaking letter, written in German, details how "no one is alive" as Ilse explains to Carla that their parents, other siblings and her husband had been murdered at the hands of the Nazis.
It reads, "Through the kindness of our liberators, I am able to give you a sign of life from me after so many years... Dad, Mom, Grete, Lottchen and Hermann: no one is alive anymore."
"My pain is unspeakably big."
"My husband, whom I married 3.5 years ago, was also taken from me!"
"When there will be a regular mail connection, I will tell you everything in detail."
After the war, Carla and Ilse were reunited in the US where they spent the rest of their lives.
When Chelsey found the letter in New York, she used MyHeritage.com to trace the family lineage to find a living relative, which is when she found Jill.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jill said her entire family is incredibly grateful Chelsey took the time to find them.
She said, "My whole family is truly in awe of all you [Chelsy] have done for us."
"Almost everyone's first reaction of 'Is this a scam?' quickly transformed into bewilderment at your selfless dedication to reuniting heirlooms with families."
"We all loved our Great-Aunt Ilse and are thrilled beyond words to read her thoughts in her own handwriting after she emerged from the depths of the European inferno."
Ilse passed away on September 11th 2001, and although her death was unrelated to the 9/11 terror attack, her close friends and family believe it was because she couldn't possibly witness anymore tragedy.
Image credits: Instagram @citychicdecor