Introduction
1
Józsi
József Ehrlich is born in 1894 in
Győr,
Hungary, the son of a Neolog rabbi. After his father’s death
Józsi is sent to Budapest, where
he puts himself through school by tutoring other students.
Excelling at mathematics and deciding religion is a crutch not
needed by educated people, he stops going to temple. Attending
teacher’s college when the First World War breaks out, Józsi is
soon called up, shipped to the front—and shot through the foot.
While recuperating in Budapest he calls on relatives and finds
them being visited by an elegant young lady: a visitor from
Transylvania.
Appendix A:
Ehrlichs—The Previous Generation
2
Matyu
Matild Kohn is born in 1895
in Kolozsvár, the capital of Transylvania, which at this time is
a Hungarian province. Her father is a well-to-do appraiser of
goods, but the Kohn children are taught respectable trades to
fall back on if necessary. In 1915 Matyu is trained as a
milliner in Budapest; there she meets József Ehrlich, who falls
in love with her at first sight. After a year of correspondence
Józsi comes to Kolozsvár on furlough; he charms Matild’s family
and Matyu herself. They are engaged to be married as soon as
the war is over.
Appendix B:
The Kohns/Kuns in Kolozsvár
3
Apart and Together
The war drags on; Matyu’s
mother, searching for an MIA son, dies of heart failure. József,
aiding the transport of Hungarian troops to the western front in
1918, comes down with influenza and is sent back to Kolozsvár to
convalesce. Fearing the war might last forever, he and Matild
marry. A few months later the Allies are victorious: Romanian
troops occupy Transylvania, marching into Cluj (as they call
Kolozsvár). The Ehrlichs want to return to Budapest, but
Communists take over Hungary and are overthrown in turn by
reactionaries. So the Ehrlichs stay put in Cluj; Matild teaches
József hatmaking and they await the birth of their child.
Appendix C:
Berta's
Death and Resting Place
Appendix D:
Casa
Matei Corvin—and the House Next Door
4
Mártuka
Márta Ehrlich is born in 1919.
Her parents begin keeping a diary to record her progress,
anticipating “when years later you grow up and want to know what
kind of baby you were.” The Ehrlichs are harassed by the
Romanian police: József is declared an alien and has to hand
over much of the family income to blackmailing city officials.
Losing their millinery shop, the Ehrlichs have to move in with
Matild’s sister and work at the family tailoring salon. But
little Mártuka helps them forget their troubles.
5
Episodes and Happenings
Extracts from Márta’s Diary
for 1921:
We
will try to give you a picture of what kind of a child you were:
in this book we will try to write down as close as we can,
episodes and happenings we think will interest you when you
are older and can read it for yourself.
6
Kivándorol Amerikába
Extracts from Márta’s Diary
for 1922. The Ehrlichs debate whether they should emigrate to
America. Matild’s relatives in Chicago try to help them get the
permit, but the United States has begun to clamp down on
immigration. Caught half-aware in this historical pinch, the
Ehrlichs wait to hear from the American Consulate:
It
will take quite a few months before we will be able to really
leave for the States, but we made our minds up already and,
my dear, you will be an American miss after all … Hope by
the next time I write in this book for you, I could tell you the
date
of our trip to the new country of ours.
