Letters of Stone
June 28 – November 12, 2017
The Robinski family of Berlin sent over one-hundred letters to South Africa in the years between 1936 and 1943 – letters written to their emigrant sons, Herbert and Artur. They give an account of what everyday life was like for a Jewish family in Berlin, of increasing restrictions, of fear, but also of the hope that leaving Germany could still be possible. This hope would go unfulfilled; all the sons' efforts to rescue their family would fail: Cecilie and David Robinski, together with their daughters Edith and Hildegard and their son Siegfried and his wife, were deported and murdered. What remains are those letters sent to South Africa, which helped Steven Robins, one of the sons of Herbert Robinski, reconstruct his family’s story. In 2016, he published his findings with the book "Letters of Stone", in which he also draws connections between the racial ideology of the Nazis and the system of apartheid in South Africa. From 28 June to 12 November, these letters form the basis of an exhibit at the FHXB Museum.
Opening
Tuesday, 27 June, 19:00
FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum, 2nd floor
Welcoming remarks
Clara Herrmann: District councilor for environment, culture, and continued education
Steven Robins: Author of the book "Letters of Stone – From Nazi Germany to South Africa"
Music: "duo nuevo sonido"
An exhibit of the FHXB Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum, together with Steven Robins (author of the book "Letters of Stone", published 2016 by Penguin Random House). Supported by funds from the district cultural fund of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.