Letters sent by workers of the Steyerberg Ostarbeiters Camp” at the Eibia GmbH powder factory have one common characteristic: almost half the postcard is taken by a stamp with the name of the camp. Even in such a trifle, camp management tried to limit its workers by taking away their chance of writing a few more lines in their letters to their families.
Almost every message screams longing for home: “My dear mommy, I often dream of my house, I want to go home so much that I cannot write, well, maybe we will come in winter. In God alone is our hope” (Olexandra Babak).
Photos and correspondence of Ostarbeiters from the Shostka region found different ways to our museum. Some of them were preserved in family photo albums, most of which we found in state archives. The photo and letter of Olexandra Radchenko, resident of the village of Ivot, was kept in the family of German peasant from Libenau, Friedrich Wege, for over half a century. In 2012, the peasant’s descendants sent this letter as a family heirloom to Martin Guse for the Documentation Centre Powder Factory Liebenau. It was written in 1944 by some girls from Shostka. They wanted to pass their message to Ukraine through the son of a “good Bauer” who fought at the front. We can learn a lot nowadays from the patriotism of these girls.
“Greetings to the whole Ukraine! Greetings from all the girls who live in German camps. We live in German camps in the forests and see nothing but the factory where we work. O, we cannot even describe how we want to see our homeland at least one more time, to see its fertile fields, forests and rivers. To hug all the family and kiss them countless times. But we do not know whether or not we will be able to see our homeland again and everyone in it. So goodbye. Greetings to you, Ukraine! Written by the girls of the Sumy region, Shostka district. The letter was passed to the master by Shura R., the name of the master is Friedrich Wege”.
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Evdokia Chescheva from the Steyerberg camp to her family in the village of Obrazhiyivka, Shostka district. 1943 (State archive of Sumy region)
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Evdokia Chescheva 1943 Dear parents, write all about your life, don’t worry about me.
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Semen Tur from the Steyerberg camp to her family in the village of Bogdanivka, Shostka district. 1943 (State archive of Sumy region)
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Semyon Tur: Now, Marusya, you write that you are thinking of getting married, so this is not bad. But on whom will you then leave father and mother? I am not present, so I advise you – wait a little, maybe I’ll come back in time.
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Vasil Naumenko from the Steyerberg camp to her family in the village of Krupets, Shostka district. 1943 (State archive of Sumy region)
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Vasil Naumenko: There is no news, I ate a lot of blueberries, the weather is warm. I am only upset with you that you do not write letters to me. I send you one by one. Vasyl.
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Pavlo Cherkay from Stayerberg camp to friend Olexander Khimchenko in the village of Shkirmanovka, Shostka district. 1943 (State archive of Sumy region)
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Pavlo Cherkay. 1943 Tell them that I received the parcel from home, crackers, a piece of lard, 2 packs of cigarettes and a ball of thread, for which I am very grateful and which are a great support for me. No matter how much you write home, home still pulls hugely on your soul, I am dying without home, and especially without Fedoska. I don’t know if I’ll see you or not.
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Mykhailo Turchin from the Steyerberg camp to her family in the village of Klyshky, Shostka district. 1943 (State archive of Sumy region)
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Mykhailo Turchin: The letter sent to my family from your son Mykhailo Ivanovich. Hello, my dear family, in the first lines of my letter I inform you that I am still alive and well, which I wish on you as well.
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Vasyl Zakharchenko from the Steyerberg camp to his family in the village of Bogdanovka, Shostka district. 1943 (ІState archiv of Sumy region)
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Vasyl Zakharchenko We have no news. At this, I will finish. Well, do not be offended that I write this way. I am waiting for an answer like a nightingale.
- Letter from Oleksandra Babak, an Ostarbeiter, from the Steyerberg camp, to her family in the village of Voronizh, Shostka district. 1943
- Letter from Olexander BABAK Mommy, my dear, I have not yet received any parcels, but I expect them with joy. And most importantly, I expect photos which I am very interested in. My dearest mommy, I often dream about home, I want to go home so much that I cannot describe to you, well, maybe we will come for the winter. We hope in one God.
- Letter from Oleksandra Babak, an Ostarbeiter, from the Steyerberg camp, to her family in the village of Voronizh, Shostka district. 3.08.1943 р.
- Letter from Oleksandra Babak, 1943 Dear Mommy, I live here the same way, do not cry and do not be upset, as God is pleased. Write me postcards more often, in more detail and more densely, so that you could fit more, because every word is precious to me here.
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Mykhailo Yakymovych from the Steyerberg camp to his parents and relatives in the village of Chapliyivka, Shostka district. 1943 (State archive of Sumy region)
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Mykhailo Yakymovych :1943/22 / VIIII. I want to inform you that I received a postcard from you today, written by you on 26 / VII 43
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Fedir Zubchenko from the Steyerberg camp to his family in the village of Chapliyivka. 1943. According to eyewitnesses, Zubchenko was a “kapo” (a camp policeman) in the camp. He was cruel to his countrymen.
- Letter from Ostarbeiter Fedir Zubchenko (State archive of Sumy region) In the first lines of my letter I can say that I am still alive and well, which I also wish for you, I have enough to live and eat, and I have the same shoes and clothes, the only bad thing for me is that I do not see you, my child.
- Oleksandra Radchenko, Shostka resident.
- letter of Oleksandra Radchenko, Shostka resident. 01/28/1944 This letter, as a family heirloom, was passed in 2010 by descendants of local peasant Friedrich Wege to the Documentation Centre Powder Factory Liebenau in Lower Saxony. It was written by girls from Shostka who were forced laborers at the Eibia GmbH powder factory near the villages of Steyerberg and Liebenau. They wanted to send their message to Ukraine through the son of a “good Bauer” who fought at the front.
- Letter of Oleksandra Radchenko (2th page) “Greetings to the whole Ukraine! Greetings from all the girls who live in German camps. We live in German camps in the forests and see nothing but the factory where we work. O, we cannot even describe how we want to see our homeland at least one more time, to see its fertile fields, forests and rivers. To hug all the family and kiss them countless times. But we do not know whether or not we will be able to see our homeland again and everyone in it. So goodbye. Greetings to you, Ukraine! Written by the girls of the Sumy region, Shostka district. The letter was passed to the master by Shura R., the name of the master is Friedrich Wege”
- Напис на бетонній стіні одного з цехів порохового заводу. Зроблений невідомою примусовою робітницею у 1944 році, знайдений у 1970-х роках один із робітників концерну IVG. У 2010 році це фото передали Документаційному центру. Текст: Уже 3-й год мы здесь работаем И нет надежды вернуться домой Лишь только сердце тягостно вздыхает, и не находит здесь душа покоя. О, как мучительно в чужом краю Нигде душа отрады не встречает. Но как уж вспомнишь родину свою, То сердце тягостно вздыхает. 22.VIII.44 Н.Б. (?)