MARCH 2019
Artifact of the month of March 2019
Letter card
Letter card
Bernhard Wilk (1883 – 1942)
Bernhard Wilk was born in Kielce, Poland, the son of Wulf and Golde Wilk. He came to Norway via USA and England in 1915 and settled in Oslo. In 1916 he married Rakel Strul (b. 1895 in Lithuania). Bernhard and Rakel had six daughters: Dora (b. 1916), Amalie (b. 1918), Olga (b. 1920), Gyda (b. 1921), Sara (b. 1924) and Judith (b. 1926). The family lived in Grünerløkka in Oslo, where a lot of the Jewish immigrants settled in the early 1900s. Bernhard was trained as a watchmaker but ran his own business in textile and clothing.
On the 26th of October 1942, the same day all Jewish men over the age of 15 were arrested, Bernhard Wilk was admitted to Ullevål Hospital in Oslo. From here he was arrested a month later and transferred to Bredtveit prison. The next day, November 26th, 1942 Bernhard Wilk was deported to Stettin in Germany and from there to Auschwitz-Birkenau. His wife Rakel and their daughters managed in separate ways to escape to Sweden in November/December 1942.
The letter-card was initially given the Mosaic Congregation in Oslo by Per Eeg, one of Bernhard´s grandchildren. It was later presented as a gift to the Oslo Jewish Museum from Lior Hobashi.
Photo: Letter card from Rakel Wilk stamped «Norrkøping 23. Mars 1943».
The card is sent to her husband Bernhard Wilk, Lagerkommandantur Beuthen Oberschlesien (a city in upper Schlesien) and returned to Sweden.
At this point in time however, Bernhard Wilk was dead. He was murdered upon arrival in Auschwitz-Birkenau on the 1st of December 1942.
On the back of the card Rakel wrote a greeting to Bernhard in German.
It translates as follows:
My dear Bernhard!
I hope that my words find you well, as we are all good. We would be very happy for any news, and please let us know if we can send you anything. A thousand heartfelt greetings and kisses from all the children and especially from your loving wife.
Photo: Bernhard Wilk, ca. 1930