Scheindel (Charlotte) Hermann

According to Kafka scholar \ author Dr Hans Koch, Felix Hermann was married with two children, possibly twins. He was a merchant in Brussels.

From subsequent research, courtesy of documents available at the Police Archives in Brussels (Archives Générales du Royaime et Archives de L’État dans les Provinces), I now know that that Felix commenced a relationship with Scheindel Juner, a Polish student of bacteriology at the Brussels Free University. She was funded by her parents, Mr and Mrs Jacob Juner who were living in Stanislawów, Poland.

Felix and Scheindel were married on 29th August 1936 but were forced to leave Brussels in May 1940 at the time of the German invasion. They tried to make a new home in France, but it seems that Felix was captured and placed in a Concentration camp.

A police report of 1944, quotes a tenant from the former Hermann residence, 6, Rue de Prince Royale, Brussels, who had received a letter in December 1940 from Scheindel. She said her husband had died in the camp at St-Cyprien in July 1940 (the official holocaust records say Le Vernet) and that she had given birth to twins who also died.

In 1940 it is known that the Le Vernet camp became a repressive camp for interning all foreigners considered suspect or dangerous to the public order. Conditions were said to be terrible. At the time, it was known as ‘The French Dachau’.

The tenant indicates that Scheindel was then living at Maison Rouge, Villemur-sur Tarn, Haute-Garonne, but had written again in April 1941 to say her new address was at the house of a widow, Madame Bonnet, Avenue Montauban, Villemur-sur Tarn, Haute-Garonne.

It is not known the circumstances in which the Hermann children died nor whether Scheindel survived the holocaust period. No further communications were received from her.

Michael Herman

NB Documents attached from Brussels Archives must not be published without permission.