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Werner Pfeffer

Werner Pfeffer was the son of Fritz Pfeffer and his first wife Vera Bythiner.

Person

Fotocollectie: Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam
  • Werner Pfeffer
  • Born on: April 3, 1927
  • Born in: Berlijn, Duitsland
  • Died on: Feb. 14, 1995
  • Died in: California, USA

Werner Pfeffer, Leicester, 1939

Fotocollectie: Anne Frank Stichting, Amsterdam

Status onduidelijk

Werner Pfeffer was born from the marriage between Fritz Pfeffer and Vera Bythiner.[1] After Fritz and Vera's marriage ended in divorce in 1933, Fritz was awarded custody of Werner. He had a domestic help, Else Messmer, who also regularly babysat Werner.

After Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass), the explosion of violence against Jews organised by the Nazis in the night of 9-10 November 1938, Fritz Pfeffer decided to leave Germany. He arranged a place for Werner on a boat going to England. According to one statement, housekeeper Else Messmer put him on the boat; according to another it was Charlotte Kaletta, Fritz Pfeffer's partner, who did this. As per a British Home Office document, he arrived on 1 December 1938 under the auspices of the Refugee Children’s Movement in England.[2] On Fritz Pfeffer's registration card, the Amsterdam Immigration Service noted about Werner on 16 January 1939: 'Is in London'.[3]

In 1943, he turned sixteen and, therefore, fell under the provisions for enemy nationals - after all, England was at war with his country of origin. Therefore he was put through a security screening. Various people stood as guarantors for his integrity and internment was not deemed necessary. He lived in Minehead to avoid the bombing of London. While there he was an A.R.P. Messenger, which is a courier for the Air Raid Precaution organisation, and went to Polytechnic College.[2]

​According to Anne, Fritz Pfeffer regularly reminisced about his wife and "his children", which must mean "his son", since Werner was his only child.[4]

Otto Frank wrote to him on 20 September 1945. The fate of his father was still unknown at that time. Otto explained how he knew Pfeffer and how he viewed his efforts to marry Charlotte Kaletta.[5] Whether Werner replied or not is unknown.

After the war Werner moved to the United States. From 1952 he built up a business.[6] In the mid-nineties, Werner Pfeffer, who had assumed the name Peter Pepper in the States, was interviewed by Jon Blair in the documentary film Anne Frank Remembered.[7]

Source personal data [8] Addresses:  Passauerstrasse 33, Berlin (1927-1938);[9] ‘The Institute’, Bancks Road, Minehead (1943);[2] 43-45 Fitzjohn Avenue, NW3 London (1945).[10]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Dienst Bevolkingsregister (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart F. Pfeffer.
  2. a, b, c National Archives, London, Home Office, PRO/HO396/67/439, ‘Regional Advisory Committee’: Advies 13 oktober 1943.
  3. ^ SAA, Gemeentepolitie Amsterdam, inv. nr. 4046: Vreemdelingenkaart Fritz Pfeffer.
  4. ^ Anne Frank, Diary Version A, 15 April 1944, in: The Collected Works, transl. from the Dutch by Susan Massotty, London [etc.]: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2019.
  5. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code OFA_077: Otto Frank aan Werner, 20 september 1945.
  6. ^ Peter Pepper Products.
  7. ^ Jon Blair (regie & prod.), Anne Frank remembered, London: The Jon Blair Film Company, 1995.
  8. ^ SAA, Dienst Bevolkingsregister (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart F. Pfeffer; AFS, Getuigenarchief, Pepper, Peter: Sigi Pepper aan Dineke Stam, 14 februari 1995.
  9. ^ SAA, Gemeentepolitie Amsterdam, inv. nr. 4046: Vreemdelingenkaart F. Pfeffer (kopie bij: Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code A_Pfeffer_I_009).
  10. ^ AFS, AFC, Otto Frank Archief, reg. code OFA_077: Otto Frank aan Werner Pfeffer, 20 september 1945.