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»Ich habe keine Ahnung, warum er in Haft sein soll«

Lonny Indus | »Ich habe keine Ahnung, warum er in Haft sein soll« | self-evidence | Imperial Commissariat East Germany | Nov. 7, 1942 | voi_00005

Rights held by: Lonny Indus | Provided by: National Archives of Estonia (Tallinn/Estonia) | Archived under: ERA / R 59 / 2 / 7

Marie Neumann
Lawyer
..esterwallstreet 35
Narva.

Stamp: The General Commissar
in Reval [Tallinn]
handwritten: 16 Paraphe
illegible – 7. XI. 42
Entry no.: ………………….
Dept.: ………………………
handwritten: Pol. Adj.

L o n n y  I n d u s, resident in Narva, Heigemajastreet 1–2.
Re.: Filipp I n d u s.

To the
Herr General Commissar in Reval.

R e q u e s t.

I’m a Romni* aged 31. Have 6 children: aged from 14 to 1. Must feed them all on my own, which is difficult. My husband, Filipp Indus (Willem Indus), was arrested in December 1941 and is still in prison, in Narva. Why he is inside or how long he has to stay there, I don’t know.
I work in road construction every day for more than 10 hours. The children have to stay at home alone. I get a wage of 40 Reichmarks a month. That’s all. – Winter is coming, I’ve no firewood, no warm clothes, neither for the children nor myself. We’re all weak because of malnutrition, because with my small wage I cannot care enough for six children. The misery and suffering will get worse than it already is.
My husband is a Rom*, too. He’s always worked, though, for many, many years, he’s 56 and has looked after his family well. He wasn’t interested in politics under the Bolsheviks or anything else, never took part in anything – I’ve no idea why he should be in prison.
Because of my difficult situation, because of all my poor children, who suffer so much from poverty and hardship, who are almost always hungry and naked,
I ask you:
to review the case of my husband, Filip (Villem-Vilep) Indus, and release him from prison so that he can return to his family and help his children.
Enclosed: Attestation from the police.
Narva, 2 November 1942.

On behalf of the analphabet Lonny Indus
Signed M. Neumann

Rechtsanwalt
Marie Neumann,
..esterwallstr. 35
Narwa.

Stempel: Der Generalkommissar
in Reval
handschriftlich: 16 Paraphe
unleserlich – 7. XI. 42
Tgb.-Nr.: ………………….
Abt.: ………………………
handschriftlich: Pol. Adj. [Polizeiadjutant]

L o n n y  I n d u s, wohnh. Narwa, Heigemajastr. 1–2.
Betr[ifft]: Filipp I n d u s.

An den
Herrn Generalkommissar in Reval.

G e s u c h.

Ich bin eine Zigeunerin 31. Jahre alt. Habe 6 Kinder: von 14–1 Jahr. Muss die alle allein ernähren, was mir zu schwer ist. Mein Mann, Filipp Indus (Willem Indus), wurde im Dezember 1941 verhaftet und [ist] bis jetzt im Gefängnis, in Narwa. Weshalb oder wie lange er sitzen muss, weiß ich nicht.
Ich arbeite selbst [bei] Straßenarbeiten jeden Tag über 10 Stunden. Die Kinder [müssen] allein zu Hause bleiben. Dafür bekomme ich [ein] Gehalt von 40.- R[eichsmark] monatlich. [Das] ist alles. – Es kommt der Winter, ich habe kein Holz, keine warme Bekleidung[,] weder für die Kinder noch für mich selbst. Alle sind wir schwach wegen Unterernährung, denn mit meinem kleinen Gehalt kann ich nicht genügend für die s e c h s Kinder sorgen. Es kommt noch größerer Kummer und Leid, als bisher.
Mein Mann ist auch ein Zigeuner. Er arbeitete aber immer, schon [seit] vielen Jahren, er ist 56 Jahre alt und hat für seine Familie gut gese- gesorgt. Er hat [unter] den Bolschewisten [kein] Interesse für die Politik oder sonst was gehabt, hat nirgends [teil]genommen ich habe keine Ahnung, warum er in der Haft sein soll.
Wegen meiner schweren Lage, wegen meine[r] vielen armen [Kinder], die so viel unter Armut und Not leiden, die beinah immer hungrig und [nackt] sind,
b i t t e ich:
sehen Sie die Sache meines Mannes, Filip (Villem-Vilep) Indus, noch einmal durch und befreien Sie ihn aus der Haft, dass er wieder zu [seiner] Familie kommen kann und den Kindern helfen kann.
Beilage: die Bescheinigung von der Polizei.
Narwa, [den] 2. [November] 1942.

Für die analphabete Lonny Indus
Unterschrift M. Neumann

Marie Neumann
Advokato
..esterwallstreet 35
Narva.

Štampilo: Genaralkomesari
ko Reval
hramome vastesa: 16Parafo
bidrabarrno – 7. XI. 42
Khuvibasko numero.: ………………….
Dept.: ………………………
hramome vastesa: Pol. Adj.

L o n n y I n d u s, bešutni ki Narva, Heigemajastreet 1–2.
Sebet o: Filipp I n d u s.

Dži ko
Raj Generalkomesari ko Reval.

R o d i p e.

Me sem 31 beršengi Rromni*. Si man 6 čhavorre: kotar e 14-1 berš. Musaj savorren korkori te pravarav, so si but phares. Miro rrom o Filipp Indus (Willem Indus), sas phanglo ko Decembro 1941 thaj dureder ko Phanglipe ki Narva si. Soske, vaj kozom vrama musaj odori te ačhel me ni džanav.
Me kerav buti ko vordonesko drom, sako dives buteder kotar 10 čhasora. E čhavorre musaj te ačhen korkore khere. Me lav čhonesko ajluko 40 rajhs-marke. Kodo si sa. O ivend avel, naj ma kašta, naj ma tate patave, ni me čhavorren ni man. Savorre sam bi zorako soske naj amen xabe, kaj miro cikno ajluko ni resel pala mire š o v čhavorre. Ka resel majbaro pharipe thaj čororipe akalestar so si akana.
Thaj miro rrom si Rrom*. Vov sakana kerelas phari buti, bukadar berša, vov si 56 beršengo thaj sakana lelas lačhi sama pe peski familija. Na dikhelas sama vaj naj sas le intereso pala e politika telal e Bolševistura, vaj vareso aver, nikana ni somdasnisarrdas varekaj – me ni džanav soske si vov ko phanglipe.
Sebet muri phari situacija, sebet mire bukadar čorore čhavorre, kola so crden odoborom but kotar o čororipa thaj pharipa, kola so sakana bokhale thaj nange si,
me r o d a v:

te dikhen o falo me rromesko, Filip (Villem-Vilep) Indus, inke jekhvar palem, thaj muken le avri andar o phandipe, te šaj palpale avel ke pi familija thaj te šaj pe čhavorren ažutil.

Dopherdo: Policijako lil.
Narva, 2. Nov. 1942.

Ko anav kotar i analfabeta Lonny Indus
Signatura M. Neumann

Credits

Rights held by: Lonny Indus | Provided by: National Archives of Estonia (Tallinn/Estonia) | Archived under: ERA / R 59 / 2 / 7

Playlist

Lesung des Selbstzeugnisses von Lonny Indus
2.02 min
voi_00065
Lesung des Selbstzeugnisses von Lonny Indus | Spoken word | Germany | 2018 | voi_00065
EN

Contextualisation

Plea for clemency to the general commissar
On 2 November 1942, Lonny Indus submits a plea for clemency to the general commissar in Tallinn. In a letter drafted by a lawyer, she requests the release of her husband, Vilep Indus, from prison. Just one year before, on 3 December 1941, he had been arrested in Narva on the charge of ‘treason’, i.e. of being a ‘person hiding from mobilisation’ – and recommended by the security police for ‘execution’. The investigation file states: ‘Nationality – Gypsy. Considering that he has not yet had a permanent place of residence and work, it cannot be hoped that he will become a useful citizen of the state in the future.’

Lonny Indus, who herself had to perform forced labour in road construction, argues that her husband has always worked, provided for his family, and was never politically active. ‘I’ve no idea why he should be in prison’ is how she sums up her desperate objections.

The subsequent correspondence between the military headquarters in Tallinn and the field office in Narva reveals an indecisiveness about how to proceed. According to a transport list, Vilep and Lonny Indus, together with their children, were moved from the Rakvere prison to the Tallinn ‘labour education camp’ on 9 February 1943. Only a handwritten note on the back of a letter dated 27 January 1943 ordering that Vilep Indus be included in the measures ‘against Gypsies’ (and thus be committed to the ‘labour reeducation camp’ at Harku) informs that Vilep Indus was murdered on 17 February 1943. In all likelihood, Lonny Indus and her six children did not survive either.

Playlist

Lesung des Selbstzeugnisses von Lonny Indus
2.02 min
voi_00065
Lesung des Selbstzeugnisses von Lonny Indus | Spoken word | Germany | 2018 | voi_00065
EN

Details

übersetzer Titel
‘I’ve no idea why he should be in prison’
übersetzer Titel
»Me ni džanav soske si vov ko phanglipe «
Production
Nov. 7, 1942
Credits
Production Credits
  • Lonny Indus (Author) (Narva, Imperial Commissariat East Germany)
Object Category
Material
Technique
Object Number
voi_00005

Archive Section

Associated Terms & People

people Karl Sigismund Litzmann, subjects Genocide, petition, Reval, period 1933 - 1945