Letter of recommendation for Steffi Herz, July 31, 1939.

The destruction of the shoe store and the escalating Nazi terror motivated Walter and Hilde Herz to leave Germany for Chile where Hilde’s brother had settled. At the Jewish school that their daughter Steffi attended, they applied for a letter of recommendation to facilitate her enrollment in a school abroad. In the letter, the teacher described Steffi as “a well-liked student who actively participated in classes and behaved impeccably.” The letter is dated July 31, 1939 – the next day, Walter, Hilde, and Steffi left Breslau for Hamburg, from where they sailed for Chile.