Fridolin's Wanderzirkus

The book was one of the few possessions brought to London by Susanne Franciska Schaefer when she fled Germany on the Kindertransport in 1939. Susanne Schaefer was born in Berlin on 18th January 1927 to a Jewish Mother and Christian Father. On 22nd May 1939, aged 12 years old, Susanne arrived at London's Liverpool Street Station with a group 180 Jewish children fleeing Nazi Germany. In her small suitcase Susanne carried three children's cut-out books, including this example, all illustrated by her artist Father Albert Schaefer, known professionally as Schaefer-Ast. Having spent her first night as a refugee in London, Susanne joined other children on a 12 hour train journey to Ayr in Scotland. On arrival she was taken to large estate owned by the Hamilton family where she lived for the next five years. In her memoir Susanne wrote 'I soon got used to my palatial surroundings - a 4 poster bed, butler, cook, 5 maids, chauffeur & live in dressmaker. Susanne initially attended a private school paid for by the Hamilton family but within a year she had moved to a state school Ayr Academy from where she graduated aged 17.
In July 1939 Susanne's Mother had also fled to London on a domestic permit which required her to work in domestic service. She found work with a Jewish family in Golders Green and remained separated from Susanne.. When Susanne left school aged 17 she joined her Mother in London sharing a room in a boarding house at Dorset Square. They later moved to a room above a shop at 32 Park Road, NW1. Susanne studied dressmaking and worked for Marshall & Snelgrove and a firm of theatrical costumeriers - Alex Shanks. Susanne's Grandmother came to live with Susanne & her Mother at 14 Sutherland Place W2 in 1950.
Following the end of World War II and the partition of Germany by the allies, Susanne's Father, who lived in Weimar found himself trapped in East Germany unable to freely travel. He rarely saw his wife and child again although he remained in close contact with them through letter writing.
Susanne married in London in June 1954 & had two sons. She died on 27th March 2002 aged 75.