Correspondences from prisoners in Dachau 3K Concentration Camp, prewar and wartime, 1934-1944 | Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

Prisoners in German concentration camps were allowed a periodical correspondene in German language with family members and friends. All correspondences were censored.

Owing to censorship letters written on the provisioned camp letter forms were minimum individualized and related to overal good state of health, inquiries to the life of family members and gratitude to the earlier sent allowance, also provisioned by camp regulations.

Sending money was permitted but packages were not.  Requests to speak to or visit prisoners were prohibited and newspapers were permitted but only if ordered through the concentration camp post office. Though inmates could, in theory, send or receive two letters or cards each month, the regulations governing correspondence could be suspended arbitrarily and without notice.

Here are some excerpts from letters sent from the Dachau 3K Concentration camp. They are translated from German.

From Jan Tomasek to Asezka Tomaskova in Budweis, 25 June 1944

He has not written in a long time, because he is only allowed to write two times a month. Nevertheless he thinks of his wife all the time.  He has received previous letters and is thankful that his wife is healthy. Jan Tomasek promises to buy his son Janis a horse when he gets back from the cam. He hopes that Janis plays a lot of children games. He promises to buy her daughter Vlasticka a car. He asks his wife when she will get a surgery. He received packages with food. He asks his family to send him different things: summertime shirts, shoes, flour, honey, pasta, and a picture. He sends greetings to all the family members.

From Josef Goralski to Roman Stupecki in Sichelberg, 18 May 1943

Thanks for the package and food

Please write to Morawski and tell him when to send me packages

I am healthy and sending greetings

I am not allowed to receive express packages and certified mail

From Tadeusz Pelezarski to Wanda Drygatowa in Krakow, 3 December 1944

Thank you for your letters. I received all of them in these dangerous times

I am healthy. I do not lose faith in better times and our reunion

I cannot receive packages anymore

I feel that this Christmas might be the last one that the family has to celebrate without me

from Tadeusz Pelezarski to Janina Pelezarska in Jaslo, 2 July 1944

      Thanks for the letter and the package

        I like to hear more details about the family daily life

        Has believes that war will end a soon

From Tadeusz Pelezarski to Janina Pelezarska in Jaslo, 4 June 1944

Tadeusz Pelezarksi explains why he did not write for a long time.

He is happy about the family members, who are getting married

He asks about the weather

He confirms receipt of packages

He sends greetings

From Tadeusz Pelezarski to Janina Pelezarska in Jaslo, 14 May 1944

He sends thanks for her letters

He tells them not to be worried about his transfer

He is excited to be reunited with his family soon

He is well and healthy

He describes his new work assignment in the town of transfer

He describes the landscape of this town

He requests that less special food and more bread would be send to him

He sends greetings

From Wolf Halm to Rosa Halm in Vienna, 16 August 1938

Thank you for the letter and money, please send more money

Please take care of my mother

He sends birthday wishes

From Janusz Rafacz, Dachau camp, to Zofia Rafacz, Ravensbrueck Camp, 6 January 1945

He is very concerned because he did not receive a message from home

He is healthy

He received a package from the Red Cross for Christmas

From Povolny to Erna Rosecky in Vienna, 10 August 1938

He sends greetings, thanks for the letter. He  has not heard of Rudel. Povolny will write more soon

From Felix Nasrecki to Johanna Nasrecki in Kalisch, 27 August 1941

Thanks for letters and money. I am healthy. He is interested about the news form home and asks for 40RM.

He sends greetings

From Felix Naskrecki in Sachsenhausen Camp to Lorenz Naskrecki in Kalisz Poland, 19 October 1940

Thanks for the letter. He inquires about the father’s job situation. He sends greetings. Felix is healthy. He advises Lorenz to read the camp instructions and follow them when sending letters.

From Rudolf Langer to Paula Langer in Freudenthal, 16 June 1939

Just an envelope

From Marja Bogacki in Dachau to Kasimir Bogacki in Posen, 1 May 1943

Thanks for letter and stamps. I did not receive the cigarettes. I do not want fresh fruits because of the weather. He sends greetings