Germans, Austrians and Czechs at Pantgwyn and in the Domestic Services in Aberystwyth and the surrounding areas during the Second World War
The final blog in this series will explore the lives of the refugees from National Socialism, who worked in the domestic services in the surrounding areas outside of Aberystwyth and those who were guests at Pantgwyn, a guest house in the area by 1940. This blog will continue to consider the questions set out in the first blog in this series, such as who were these German and Austrian nationals and importantly how and why did they themselves end up in the surrounding areas of the seaside town of Aberystwyth, miles from their homelands, and subject to potential internment? What was their fate? Were they subjected to internment or were they found exempt to such a fate? Furthermore, this blog will also consider, where outside of Aberystwyth did refugees work in the domestic services? Were there any places, locations and businesses in the surrounding areas, which became a safe haven for several refugees in the domestic services? How did refugees help and assist each other in the domestic services? Finally, how far were these refugees' careers and lives affected and changed by being forced to flee and seek refuge elsewhere?
Refugees in the domestic services in the surrounding areas outside of Aberystwyth worked in households, as far south as Cardigan. The largest group of these refugees are connected to Pantgwyn, located in the village of Llangoedmor, Cardigan, with refugees either working in domestic service there or being guests. Herbert and Claire Therese Gutmann, who were born in Vienna, Austria, on the 28 of July 1907 and the 11th of August 1909 respectively, were amongst the refugees who lived and worked at Pantgwyn. Herbert before he left Austria was a manufacturer.
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| Herbert Gutmann (b.1907), photo in Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
By September 1939, according to the 1939 Register, Herbert was the manager and Claire undertook domestic duties at Pantgwyn. Herbert, as the manager of Pantgwyn, clearly used this role to not only hire other refugees to work in the domestic services there, but under his management, the guest house also clearly had become a place for other refugees to seek refuge and security. Whilst working as the manager there, Herbert was arrested as an “alien suspect” on the 3rd of September 1939 and was detained at H.M.P. Swansea on the 4th, before he was released, under the instructions of the Home Secretary, a few days later on the 7th of September. Herbert’s internment on the Isle of Man in May 1940 and his release in September of the same year, it is also important to note does not seem to have affected the refuge and security of Claire, who was not interned, or any of the other refugees there, as none of the refugees, according to the records, left Pantgwyn during this period. By 1981, the Gutmann’s were living on Marlborough Road in Cardiff. It is unclear when Herbert passed away, but Claire passed away on the 21st of April 1997 in Cardiff.
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| Claire Therese Gutmann (1909-1997), photo in Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
The refugees in question who were living and working alongside the Gutmann’s included individuals as well as families, such as Josephine Schorr. Josephine was born on the 14th of July 1884 in Vienna, Austria. In the 1939 Register, Josephine had clearly left Austria, as she was working at Pantgwyn as a cook and a nurse, and by this time Josephine had married and become a widow. On the 23rd of October, she was categorised as ‘C’ at a tribunal and before the tribunals held in June 1940, she had left Pantgwyn. Josephine is next recorded as living on Callcot Road in London in 1950, where she travelled from to board on to the Ile De France in Southampton, to travel to New York on the 25th of March 1950. When she arrived in New York on the 27th of March, Josephine is listed as living at 34-44 Broadway in New York. Josephine’s life however, after emigrating to New York and living on Broadway is unclear.
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| Josephine Schorr (b. 1884), photo in Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
Whereas, other refugees did not work at Pantgwyn, but were guests there, such as the Korda family. The Korda family consisted of Eugenie ‘Jenny’, Pavel and their young daughter, Ivette. Jenny was born on the 30th of November 1894 in Znaim in the Moravian Region of Czechoslovakia and Pavel was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia on the 13th of July 1899. Both Jenny and Pavel were born into Jewish families in Czechoslovakia. Jenny’s family, the Weinberger’s, were a prominent family in the area when she was born and ran a leather manufacturing business there. Czechoslovakia, including the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, was occupied by the Nazis by 1939 and it was no doubt under these conditions that the Kordas left Czechoslovakia. By September 1939, the Kordas are listed in the 1939 Register, as living at Pantgwyn, Pavel was working as a manufacturer of liquor, candies and chocolates, Ivette began attending school in the local area, and what Jenny was doing whilst they lived there is not clear from this record. Pavel, much like Herbert was also briefly arrested on the 3rd of September 1939 as an “alien suspect” and was also detained at H.M.P Swansea between the 4th and the 8th of September, before also being released under the orders of the Home Secretary.
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| Eugenie ‘Jenny’ Korda (1894-1973), photo in Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
By February 1940, the Kordas had left Pantgwyn and none of the family it appears were interned. The Kordas had moved, albeit potentially briefly, to Guayaquil in Ecuador sometime between February 1940 and June 1941, when they embarked on the S.S. Santa Clara there, to arrive in New York. They arrived in New York, much like Josephine, on the 16th of June 1941 and Jenny is listed as a housewife, Pavel as an industrialist and Ivette as a student. By the time that the Kordas had arrived in New York, Jenny’s father and brother amongst other family members, were reunited, as they had arrived there a few months previously. By 1946, Pavel petitioned to become a naturalised American citizen and by this time he had changed his name to Paul Korda. He was a food dealer by this time, living on Queens Boulevard in New York. Jenny and Paul passed away in New York in April 1973 and March 1962, respectively.
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| Pavel Korda (1899-1962), photo taken c.1930. Used with the permission, and in the possession, of Robert. J. Low |
Other refugees, who were also from Czechoslovakia, were also guests at Pantgwyn, such as Hedwig Salter. Hedwig was born on the 12th of May 1880 in Czechoslovakia. By September 1939, she was a guest at Pantgwyn and Hedwig is listed as a widower, who was also incapacitated. She was categorised as ‘C’ at a tribunal held on the 23rd of October 1939. Hedwig passed away in Cardiff in 1945.
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| Hedwig Salter (1880-1945), photo in Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
Refugees in the domestic service were also in other villages near Cardigan, such as Katharina Schwarzthal. Katharina was born on 31 October 1899 in Vienna, Austria. By September 1939, she was a domestic servant in Chale on the Isle of Wight. In 1939, Katharina moved to St Dogmaels, Cardigan to work as a domestic servant at Glantivy house. During this year, she was also categorised as ‘C’ at a tribunal held in Brecon on the 7th of November 1939. She also got married in 1939, her married name being Katharina Bowen Jones. Katharina then passed away whilst still living in St Dogmaels in October 1967.
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| Katharina Schwarzthal (1899-1967), photo in Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
Outside of villages near Cardigan, refugees also worked in the domestic services, in places such as Llangrannog, like Anna Magdalene ‘Margaret’ Sara Levy. Anna was born on the 21st of September 1920 in Bad Ems in Germany. In September 1939, she was cautioned by local authorities in Cardiganshire for entering the county without any travel permit. By October 1939, she was working as a domestic servant at Riverside in Llangrannog, whilst she was here, she was also categorised as ‘C’ at a tribunal held on the 23rd of October 1939. Anna passed away in 2005 in East Devon and was married by this time, but it is unclear when this happened.
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| Anna Magdalene ‘Margaret’ Sara Levy (1920-2005), photo within Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
Slowly moving back towards Aberystwyth, Regina Eigenfeld, who was a refugee, was working in the domestic services in Lampeter. Regina was born on the 17th of July 1895 in Austria and whilst she was still in Austria, Regina worked as a secretary. By October 1939, she had moved to Wales and was working as a domestic servant at the Vicarage in Lampeter and whilst living here was categorised as ‘C’ at a tribunal on the 23rd of October 1939. She left Lampeter and the district on the 5th of December 1939. Regina passed away in 1981 in Westminster, London.
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| Regina Eigenfeld (1895-1981), photo in Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
The final refugee who will be explored in this blog, and in this series as a whole, is Margaret Lewy. Margaret was born on the 16th of April 1901 in Breslau, Germany, now Wroclaw in Poland. By September 1939, she was working as a domestic servant in Willesden Green in Middlesex. Not long after this, it appears that Margaret had moved to Aberaeron by November 1939, where she was a domestic servant for a Mrs. T.W. Lloyd living at Weston house. Margaret’s movements and life after this is unclear until she passed away in March 1984 at Heinrich Stahl House on Bishop’s Avenue in London. Heinrich Stahl House was opened in 1962, as an old people’s home for Jewish German-speaking refugees, paid for jointly by the Central British Fund for World Jewish Relief and the AJR (Association of Jewish Refugees).
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| Margaret Lewy (1901-1984), photo within Police Memorandum Book inscribed ‘Aliens’ Photographs’, H.W.?Owen, MUS/204, Archifdy Ceredigion Archives |
The experience and lives of refugees who worked in the domestic services in the areas surrounding and outside of Aberystwyth, and those who were guests at Pantgwyn, clearly once again demonstrate that the individual experiences of refugees from National Socialism in Wales were unique and different. The geographical areas covered by those who worked in the domestic services, or who were guests at Pantgwyn, ranged from Aberaeron, Lampeter and Llanarth to Llangodemor, Llangrannog and St Dogmael’s. Pantgwyn played a unique role in the lives of a number of refugees who are explored in this blog, by either providing them with a place of work in the domestic services or as a roof over their heads, as guests there. Herbert Gutmann himself played an important role as the manager of Pantgwyn, by providing work in the domestic services to his fellow refugees. Only Herbert faced internment of those explored in this blog, with many receiving a category ‘C’ at tribunals in 1939 and 1940. From the life stories of those who worked in the domestic services, both in Aberystwyth and in the areas outside and surrounding it, it is clear that those who worked as domestic servants had the lowest number of refugees who were interned out of all the various groups who have been explored in this series.
Unlike, the refugees who worked in the domestic services in Aberystwyth, a number of those who worked or were guests in the areas outside Aberystwyth, such as the Gutmann’s, Hedwig and Katharina, remained in the local area or Wales more widely, after their time in domestic service ended. The other refugees, however, did not stay locally and moved to places as far away as London, New York or elsewhere. For many, much like those who worked in the domestic services in Aberystwyth, it is hard to ascertain what jobs and lives they left behind when they had to flee and seek refuge in the U.K. However, it is clear that some left jobs as manufacturers and secretaries behind to seek refuge elsewhere. Whether a student, university staff member, art historian, dealer, photographer, agricultural expert, domestic servant or guests, refugees from National Socialism who arrived in Aberystwyth and the surrounding areas faced similar circumstances of tribunals, but many other aspects of their lives were unique and varied. Some sadly were lost to history, but for many they went onto make important contributions to societies in countries across the world and as role models to their children, who were mainly born away from the country of their parents' birth.
Conor Brockbank
With thanks to Aberystwyth University research project Refugees from National Socialism in Wales
Letters and excerpts from letters used with the permission of the Leo Baeck Institute, New York & photos used with the permission of Archifdy Ceredigion Archives, Aberystwyth.
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