History In Real Time

 

Clara Kuck wrote on the back of this post card that she was seeing the next Emperor of the German Empire though as fate would happen, he never made it and instead ended up without a country. Crown Prince Wilhelm's father would be the last Emperor before German fell during World War I and his father abdicated the throne. He was kicked out of the country for awhile but eventually was allowed back only to try and cozy up with a man named Adolf Hitler to try and regain his kingdom. Hitler would have no part of it. Eventually he fled again to avoid the Russians who seized his estates during the concluding days of World War II. He was captured and held in captivity for awhile as a war criminal but eventually released and died of a heart attack in 1951.

The above postcard has writing from Clara Kuck to her older sister Bertha and reads:

Dearie;

Please save these cards for me. Put them away out of the dust, won’t you? Oh dear, I’m all in from reading about that beautiful "Titanic" and its cruel fate. How even 800 passengers were saved is more than I can understand. Isn’t it horrible! I sent a letter & a pkg [package] of books on Apr. 5. Did you get them or were they on the "Titanic"? Sent a letter & a pkg to you this A.M. Shall... [text cuts off at bottom]

It tickles my research "bone" on two levels. First it explains how this album full of postcards came into existence and that Clara planned it from the outset. Secondly, it mentioned the sinking of the Titanic which happened in real time for Clara while she was in Germany. She would probably be floored that a block buster movie was made of the incident nearly a century later and that people today still visit the remains on the ocean floor. 

I wondered how Clara felt about the Titanic sinking, knowing she had a long boat journey home at some point. Maybe 10 pages later, another post card answered my question.

One of my friends was sailing next month from Hamburg & has changed her plans & sails from a Mediterranean port instead. The Titanic was a sister to the Olympic & was making her first trip, But you have heard all about it ages before this reaches you.

I suppose it all means we'll have to have more faith and trust in the One who is able to take care of us. But I get so discouraged sometimes I could cry & just give up in despair. Not that I'm afraid to cross for now it will be safer than before.

A kiss & a hug from Clara.

Finally I thought I would close with this which wasn't a post card but rather a post card sized drawing slipped into one of the slots of the album. The large writing in the middle translates to "As a souvenir". The green book title translate to "Reading Book". The object in the center top says "Member's Card: The American Woman's Club". The yellow one looks to be some sort of lecture permit and translate as 1912 of the royal rector", perhaps something that a University might issue. It even has an official looking seal on the bottom. Interestingly enough, The American Woman's Club is a real thing and still exists. I'm assuming this was the doodles of Clara Kuck and she thought it fitting enough to send to someone as a souvenir who kept is safe from dust until her return.