1Translation
Dear Lenke!
I received your letter as well as your photograph, on which one can see much more than on the first one because that one was small. Your letter was so short that I really don't recall ever writing so little to you before; I was never stingy with letters and always liked corresponding with acquaintances.
Here I have a relative named Veselý; he married Juci Feldman from Velky Berezny (_V. Berezné_). I showed her your photo, and she remembers you from Auschwitz as well as from Velky Berezny. She immediately started scolding me, telling me that I shouldn't correspond with you, wanting to say bad things about you to me. I immediately told her: she doesn't need to say anything bad if she doesn't know anything good.
Last week I got acquainted with a girl, and then she wanted her brother to see me. He finally came and he liked me; he started promising to take me in with him, but I know how it is with what people promise around here. I have already stopped seeing her; I cannot communicate with her because she knows Hungarian and doesn't know Slovak. So once we arranged to meet at the cinema, but she said she didn't understand and didn't show up on time—and at that time my relatives were waiting at the cinema.
1 / 2I received your letter as well as your photograph, on which one can see much more than on the first one because that one was small. Your letter was so short that I really don't recall ever writing so little to you before; I was never stingy with letters and always liked corresponding with acquaintances.
Here I have a relative named Veselý; he married Juci Feldman from Velky Berezny (_V. Berezné_). I showed her your photo, and she remembers you from Auschwitz as well as from Velky Berezny. She immediately started scolding me, telling me that I shouldn't correspond with you, wanting to say bad things about you to me. I immediately told her: she doesn't need to say anything bad if she doesn't know anything good.
Last week I got acquainted with a girl, and then she wanted her brother to see me. He finally came and he liked me; he started promising to take me in with him, but I know how it is with what people promise around here. I have already stopped seeing her; I cannot communicate with her because she knows Hungarian and doesn't know Slovak. So once we arranged to meet at the cinema, but she said she didn't understand and didn't show up on time—and at that time my relatives were waiting at the cinema.
2Translation
..they wanted to see her. So I got angry and I am not speaking with her anymore.
Write to me how you are doing, and who among acquaintances you have there in Gothenburg—whether I might know them. Otherwise, I don't know what else to write; I thought you wouldn't reply—in my previous letters I begged you for an answer, and you write that you clearly let me know what you think, but I don't know what you think. I went through three of your old letters and found nothing where you wrote your thoughts to me.
I am sending you an old photo that I had made in 1945 in Russia; it is a copy, so it is not an original, but you will recognize that it is me. I remain as ever your old friend.
With warm greetings,
Martin
A special greeting for your sister
Bratislava, 28 December 1947
2 / 2Write to me how you are doing, and who among acquaintances you have there in Gothenburg—whether I might know them. Otherwise, I don't know what else to write; I thought you wouldn't reply—in my previous letters I begged you for an answer, and you write that you clearly let me know what you think, but I don't know what you think. I went through three of your old letters and found nothing where you wrote your thoughts to me.
I am sending you an old photo that I had made in 1945 in Russia; it is a copy, so it is not an original, but you will recognize that it is me. I remain as ever your old friend.
With warm greetings,
Martin
A special greeting for your sister
Bratislava, 28 December 1947
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