Neumarkt Displaced Persons Camp

Neumarkt Displaced Persons Camp
These letters, submitted to us by Nolan Hathaway give us an insite to the struggles of the displaced persons in the camps after World War II.09/22/1947

Dear Brother,
We've got your letter and the package and wholeheartedly thank you. Everything in the package is fine. The package came all right and just in time, since we had already eaten the remainder of the salted beef and sugar from your previous package. What we get here is not enough and it's not really feasible to purchase from the Germans. Therefore greatly thank you again for not forgetting us and always helping us.

We are still living in the same camp. My wife and I are teaching in the camp's school. We live in wood barracks. Our camp is located 2 kilometers away from town. They are separated by forest. Some people are working here in the camp and some outside the camp at German factories. Our camp has about 700 people from Ukraine.

We have not heard anything from home and in general from the region. I am afraid to write to my relatives since "Bolsheviks" could harm them because of it. It is possible that some more guerrillas from UPA had already entered German territory. Maybe they would bring some news about what's happening in our region. Otherwise, there is nothing new. This year there was a great drought here. The greatest one in the last 55 years. There wasn't any rain for the last 3 month, but it started to rain a little today.

Your last letter and package came very fast. The letter took two weeks and the package three weeks.

Once again we thank you for remembering us, for congratulations on our marriage, and for affidavit you sent to both of us. It might help us come to America. Best wishes to you, your wife and your family from me, my wife, my sister and my brother-in-law.
Weres, Roman.

Dear Brother!
I got your letter (it took just 5 days for it to arrive). We are very grateful to you for remembering us, for the letter and the package. We haven't received the package yet. However I think it will arrive shortly. How's your health and health of your family? Thank God, our health is fine. We are living in the camp, as usually, and are waiting for the time we will be able to come to you. We are both teaching at the camp school. Sometime in March, we are expecting a baby. So if everything is all right, all three of us would come to you .

People are leaving our camp little by little. Some go to Belgium and some to Holland. Recently they started taking people to work in England. However, at this time they are only taking single girls and boys without their families. Some people are trying to go to Venezuela and to US, to Brazil, Argentine and Paraguay. However, so far none was able to go. My sister and brother-in-law got a permit to go to Canada. They might leave sometime this Spring.

It looks like more people might get moved from Germany to our region this coming year. Then more people will be moving to America. We too are hoping we will be able to come to you.Otherwise nothing had changed. There is no news from our region and from our relatives. I am afraid to write to them as not to cause them any harm. Best wishes to you and your family from me, my wife, my sister and my brother- in-law.Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!Weres, Roman.

Once again, I was wondering:

1. Would the German EWZ hold any information on Ukrainians, or is it just for Germans returning from abroad?
2. If Roman Weres came to the US in 1948, what agency would hold records of this event?
3. Is there any explanation for a man named Roman Weres to address another man named Andrij Turczyn as "brother"? Why would they have different last names?
4. Are there any other agencies in Germany or Europe in general that would have records of the Neumarkt DP camp, besides the EWZ?
5. Would the affidavit mentioned in Roman Weres' letter be on file anywhere?
6. Finally, is there any advice in general that you have for someone in my position?

Any comments you have would be received most gratefully; perhaps you may know many of these answers or know someone who does. I am amazed by your website and I thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Nolan Hathaway
Michigan State University
College of Human Medicince