From: ljmorly@polaris.utu.fi (Laura Johanna Manninen)
Subject: Z"L
Organization: University of Turku
Distribution: soc
Date: 6 Nov 92 12:07:08


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                   ZICHRONEIHEM LIVRACHA

Exactly 50 years ago, on November 6, 1942, five foreign citizens of Jewish 
origin accompanied with three family members were deported from Finland
on S/S Hohenhoern and handed over to Gestapo in Tallinn, Estonia. Below 
their names and additional information as shown is the postwar Finnish 
State Police archives:[1]

* *   HUPPERT, HEINRICH, traveling salesman, b. 26 XI 1896. 
 *    Ex Austian citizen. Landed 10 VIII 1938 in Helsinki. 
* *   Together with one Nathan Maischlich, established a 
 *    toy-manufacturing business in Helsinki. According to 
* *   the intelligence transmitted to the Valpo (Finnish 
 *    State Police -LM), was convicted several times in 
* *   Vienna of informing falsely to others, embezzlement,
 *    defamation of character, etc. Together with Kasimir
* *   Rodziewics, a Pole, opened up a second-hand store, which,
 *    according to information reaching the Valpo, operated as
* *   a veritable rumor mill. At the end of 1940, the Valpo was
 *    informed that Huppert showed a hostile attitude toward
* *   the Finnish Government. On 26 V 1941, the criminal police
 *    arrested him in the harbor area of suspicion of smuggling
* *   activity. On 12 VIII 1941, sentenced to a fine of Mk 6,000
 *    by the Criminal Court of Helsinki in violation of rationing
* *   regulations. Arrested 26 VI 1941 on suspicion of engaging
 *    in practices endangering the security of the state and
* *   taken into preventive custody. Released from custody 26 X
 *    1942 for deportation. Interior Ministry issued deportation
* *   order 26 X 1942 and at th same time ordered him to be held
 *    in custody until he could be deported. Deported 6 XI 1942.
* *   A serious incident involving Huppert took place in addition
 *    in the said store when a Polish national, Marian Skawara,
* *   tried to kill him with a knife; at the Valpo, the latter
 *    was suspected of being a secret agent of either "Germany 
* *   or the Bolsheviks".
 *
* *   KOLLMANN, GEORG, medical student, b. 19 XI 1912 in Vienna,
 *    former Austrian citizen. Arrived in Finland 29 VII 1938.
* *   When interrogated, on 14 VI 1939, gave misleading information
 *    about himself. Worked as an examiner of imported goods for
* *   the Malli-Aitta company and while so employed, according to
 *    information obtained by the Valpo, embezzled Mk 23,000, for
* *   which reason he lost his job. Taken into preventive custody
 *    17 XII 1939. Interior Ministry denied him any extention of
* *   his recidence permit on 15 I 1940 because he neglected to 
 *    renew the permit that expired 15 V 1939 and failed to report
* *   his address. Released form custody 1 I 1940. On 26 X 1942,
 *    Interior Ministry rejected his application for an extension
* *   of his residence permit and ordered Kollmann to leave the
 *    country immediately after being notified of this. Arrested
* *   29 X 1942 on Suursaari for deportation. Deported 6 XI 1942.
 *
* *   KORN, HANS ROBERT MARTIN, technician, b. 26 VI 1919 at Bielitz,
 *    former Austrian citizen. Arrived in Finland 15 X 1940 as a 
* *   volunteer to join the Sisu unit, in which, according to infor-
 *    mation obtained by the Valpo, he engaged in agitation. Arrested
* *   2 V 1941 in Helsinki as an alien vagrant and for violating
 *    regulations governing the crossing of the national boundary.
* *   In the summer of 1941, convicted fo two robberies and two 
 *    swindles, sentenced to 10 months' inprisonment and loss of
* *   civil rights for three years past his prison term. As learned 
 *    by the Valpo, he had been previously convicted in Germany of
* *   criminal offences. Interior Ministry issued 21 IV 1942 a 
 *    deportation decree and ordered him to be held in custody until
* *   he could be deported. Deported 6 XI 1942.
 *
* *   KOPELOVSKY, ELIAS, lumber dealer, b. 22 IX 1882 at Ilgen, 
 *    former Latvian citizen. Arrived in Finland 24 VII 1940. 
* *   According to information obtained by the Valpo, spoke in 
 *    an unfriendly way during the summer of 1941 about Finland 
* *   and its government and in general made scornful remarks 
 *    about Finnish affairs. According to information received 
* *   from Estonia, Kopelovsky was considered to be a communist.
 *    Interior Ministry on 26 X 1942 rejected his application
* *   for a residence permit extension and ordered Kopelovsky 
 *    to leave the country immediately after being notified of
* *   this decision. Taken into custody 29 X 1942 to await 
 *    deportation. Deported on 6 XI 1942.
* *
 *    SZYBILSKIJ, HANS EDUARD, commercial traveler, b. 29 VIII
* *   1907 at Alberfeld, former German citizen. Fled from Germany
 *    to Sweden 20 II 1937. Banished from Sweden 6 VI 1938 and
* *   escorted to Germany, whence after three days, however, under
 *    the threat of incarceration on a concentration camp traveled
* *   to Copenhagen and from there after a month on to Oslo. After 
 *    a two-month stay in Norway, moved to Sweden, having obtained 
* *   an entry permit valid for two months. Arrived in Finland on 
 *    1 XII 1938 as a sales agent for the "Estema Konfektions"
* *   company; admitted on condition that he return within two 
 *    months to Sweden. Failed to obtain a permit to return to 
* *   Sweden, so stayed in Finland. Szybilskij's correspondence 
 *    sent abroad from Sweden aroused suspicions among Swedish autho-
* *   rities that he was engaging in espionage; these suspicions 
 *    strenthened by the discovery in his living quarters of aerial 
* *   photographs. Taken into preventive custody 17 XII 1938, released
 *    4 VI 1940. Interior Ministry rejected his application for a 
* *   residence permit extension and ordered Szybilskij to leave the 
 *    country immediately after being notified of the rejection. 
* *   Arrested on Suursaari 29 X 1942 to await deportation. Deported 
 *    6 XI 1942.  

  Of the five extradicted Jewish refugees and the three family members
  who accompanied them voluntarily, only one survived, namely George 
  Kollmann. Kollmann's wife and child, who chose to go along  with them, 
  perished in a concentration camp. The first sign of life from him was
  received in Finland on July 19, 1945. A telegram from him read: "I am 
  alive, liberated from a concentratin camp, wife and child dead, whenever 
  possible contact my brother and send me his address. Best thanks, Georg 
  Kollmann." [2] A year later he wrote: "As if by miraculous change, I 
  have survived, and I was liberated by the American Army here, and I am 
  now living in Austria. The loss of my wife and my little one touches me 
  deeply, and I shall probably never get over it."[3]

  The extradiction of November 6, 1942, was the only one involving 
  Jewish refugees from Central Europe ever to take place in Finland,
  although other aliens living in Finland were handed over to the
  Gestapo at a later date.

[These quotes are from _Finland And The Holocaust -- The Rescue Of
Finland's Jews_ by Hannu Rautkallio (Library of Congress Catalogue
Card Number 87-81214; ISBN: 0-89604-120-4 [cloth]/0-89604-121-2
[softcover]). References below.]

As a Finn, I would like to apologize this unnecessary and sad incident 
in the Finnish history. The Finnish Jewry fought together with other
Finns against the Red Army. 22 of them lost their lives for Finland.

Laura Manninen
University of Turku
Finland

--------------------------------------------------------------------  
[1] Copy. P.M. "On Central European Jewish refugees deported 6 XI 1942."
    Sotavankileirien tutkimuskeskus. Ilm. pvk. I, pp. 107-108
[2] Georg Kollmann 19 VII 1945, "Heikinkatu 14 (Suomi-Finland)".
    Sotavankileirien tutkimuskeskus. Ilm. pvk. 1388. I, p. 65.
    Military Archives. 
[3] Georg Kollmann from Vienna to M. Stiller 20 VI 1946.





















--
"They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and
strength.' All who have raged against him will come to him and
be put to shame. But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel
will be found righteous and will exult."       Yeshaya 45:24-25

"Achen Ata El mistater Elohei Israel Moshia."  Yeshaya 45:15
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