Packing trunk used as part of a Kindertransport, probably made in Germany in the 1930s

Packing trunk, moulded plywood covered in coarse fabric, painted brown, with painted decoration of black parallel lines. The case is strengthed by encircling bands of bent solid wood, which are riveted to the lid and base. There are brass scratchplates at the corners and where the wood curves around the case. On the front of the case are two brass lockplates. On the lid, stencilled in white paint, are the initials 'M M'. There are two papers labels on the left side of the trunk; there are signs there were two more on the right side, and another on top, but these are now lost. There are remains of leather handles on either end.

The trunk opens on metal hinges. Inside it is lined with paper, printed with an orange 'canvas' pattern. There is a lightweight plywood tray which lifts out using two canvas handles (one is missing), it is covered entirely with paper. The tray has a fabric bottom, and two canvas straps to hold down the contents of the trunk. The trunk is strengthened from the inside at the corners by solid wooden columns, on which the tray also rests.

Given in memory of Michael Maybaum who made it, and for all of those who did not

Used by Michael Maybaum (17/07/1929-26/10/1985) for his Kindertransport journey to England, January 1939. It was given to the Museum in his memory in 2016 [2016/736].

More than 10,000 mostly-Jewish children were evacuated from central Europe during the Kindertransport rescue effort of 1938-1939. Conditions for Jews in Germany quickly worsened after the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party in 1933. Following ‘Kristallnacht’ (‘night of broken glass’), a state-sponsored pogrom, in November 1938, a delegation of British Jewish and Quaker leaders appealed to the British government to permit the admission of unaccompanied Jewish children into the UK. The effort was funded by these organisations, and was prioritised for children whose parents would have to remain behind, for example if they had been interned in a concentration camp. Appeals were made on the BBC Home Service for foster homes. Children were allowed only to take a single case and up to ten marks of money. Subsequently, children rescued in this way were very often the only members of their families to survive the Holocaust.

The first party of children arrived at Harwich on 2nd December 1938, the programme continued up to the outbreak of the Second World War. Children were brought from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia (after March 1939) and Poland. Most transports went via the Netherlands, as the Nazi government would not allow German ports to be used for these ships. Most of the Kindertransport ships put-in at Harwich, Essex, from where the children would take the train to Liverpool Street Station, where they were met by their foster families.


Biography
Michael Maybaum was brought up in Berlin, the son of Ignaz, a well-known rabbi and theologian, and Frances (Franziska) Maybaum (nee Schur). His family life was described in his application for admittance to the UK as having a 'very intellectual and religious atmosphere', and that 'Michael is impressed with it, a very positive Jew. The child was brought up with love and affection, nice family life'. He intitially attended a mainstream primary school in Frankfurt (Oder), but was forced to attend a Jewish-only school in Berlin due to a change in the law. Michael recalled that this had the advantage that he would no longer be beaten-up at school, but only on his way home. He travelled to England aged nine in January 1939. He was supposed to have travelled earlier, in December 1938, but contracted appendicitis, causing his departure to be delayed for several weeks.

On arrival in England, Michael lived in a home which had been created by a man named Dr. Schlesinger and his wife, with twelve other transported children. Schlesinger had dispatched Frau Glücksmann, who ran the home, to Germany to select the twelve lucky children who would live there. Michael was very fortunate that his parents were later able to join him in England.


Copies of several letters were included with the donation: two certificates of good character written by a teacher and a rabbi, in English and in German; a letter written by Michael's mother to Frau Glücksmann; a letter written by Michael to the same.

Translated text of letter from Dr. Alfred Jospe, Rabbi of the Berlin Jewish Congregation, 06/12/1938:
'I know Michael Maybaum, son of Rabbi Dr. I. Maybaum, for more than two years. I had often the opportunity to watch him playing and working. Towards children of his age and younger ones he is a good comrade. I think his absolute truthfulness important to be mentioned. He is endowed with imagination, he is able to fit in well to his surroundings and to obey grown-up people, and he is, I daresay, a real little gentleman.

His boyish attitude is mixed with a remarkable earnestness especially in religious and social questions. For those questions he proves an understanding and a maturity showing an unusual height of independent thinking and personal character in regard to his early age.'


Translated text of a letter from Hermann Levy, Michael's teacher, 27/11/1938:
'After getting over all the difficulties resulting at first by his coming from the common elementary school in Frankfurt a. Oder to the Jewish elemetary school in Berlin, Michael Maybaum has accustomed very well to our class. He is a talented and diligent pupil and is especially interested in the Jewish subjects. In his compositions he proves his good imagination. Michael already takes up questions and problems, about which most children of his age usually do not think. To his fellow pupils he is a good comrade, and he has got many friends by his social conduct.'


Translated text of a letter from Michael Maybaum to Frau Glücksmann, Berlin, 12/01/1939:
'Dear aunt Frida
I sincerely thank you for your letter and the asylum that you have made for us with Mrs. Kaufmann. I am looking forward to the asylum, to Mr. Schlesinger’s children and animals, to the [gardening] patches and to everything. All evening long I have thought about what I will plant on my patch, but I did not worry at all about the joiner’s bench. I have one question for you. It is: May I bring my model railway. Only a short while ago, I had my appendix removed. I am very glad about that, because now it can’t happen over there [=England]. I am well, I hope you are too. You are greeted by your foster child
Meikel'
[Translation by Michaela Zöschg]


Translated text of a letter from Frances and Ignaz Maybaum to Frau Glücksmann, Berlin, 12/01/1939:
'Dear Mrs. Glücksmann,
When Mrs. Kaufmann told me that you would take on the management of the asylum that our Micha will now be sent to, I was very glad and the thought of separation became easy, because I knew that we would give him into good hands. We knew you – namely by sight – from the conference last spring in Lehnitz - but mainly through your work, through the impression you have left on Lehnitz, the asylum and the people there, who have talked so much about you, even when you yourself were no longer in Lehnitz. And now yesterday your letter to the children came, and I would like to especially thank you for that. With that letter, you have conquered our boy’s heart, and the parents’ heart even more than you already had. We are very happy that Micha will be under your tutelage.

Would you please also pass on our most sincere gratitude to Dr. Schlesinger. The only reason why we are not writing to him personally is that we do not want to take up even more of his time. That there are people so full of goodness and care for others is a fact that helps one bear many other things.

I now have to pass on, in Micha’s name, a comment to his letter. After reading the letter, I had told him that it is not easy to see whether he will prefer to plant patches or work on the joiner’s bench.
And now I shall – at his urgent request - rely the message that what he loves most is gardening and not joinery. That he has signed as “Meikel” appeared particularly English to him, he thought it much more beautiful than Michael, so that you would not have to experience the embarrassment of having to learn the name in its German pronunciation.

I apologise for bothering you with such a long letter. I had, however, to write everything that was on my mind. I am, with the most sincere gratitude for everything you will do for our boy,

Your most devoted
Frances Maybaum

[below]

I also would like to tell you, dear Mrs Glücksmann, that I think of you with a profound feeling of gratitude.
I am, with best wishes,
Your very devoted
Ignaz Maybaum'
[Translation by Michaela Zöschg]

This fabric-covered moulded plywood trunk was used by Michael Maybaum (1929-1985) for his 'Kindertransport' journey to England, to escape Nazi Germany, in January 1939. More than 10,000 mostly-Jewish children escaped central Europe in this way, usually by ship from the Netherlands to Harwich, then onward to Liverpool Street where they were met by their foster families. Michael was the son of a well-known Austrian rabbi and theologian, Ignaz Maybaum. He was originally supposed to travel in December 1938, but he developed appendicitis so had to depart several weeks later. This travelling trunk, marked with his initials, went with him.

B.17-2016