Our first episode of Series Seven sees host Andrew Martin meet author Jackie Kohnstamm, whose research and a late night Google led her to uncover a group of strangers ready to help her uncover the story of her family during the Holocaust.

Listen to the episode

Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, and others…

The Life Story – Charlotte Rychwalski

Jackie has chosen to tell the life story of her maternal aunt, Charlotte Rychwalski (known as ‘Lotte’).

Jackie clearly has fond memories of her mother’s older sister who brought excitement into her family home. Through memories and a cache of old letters, Jackie has been able to explore her life further and the impact it had on her family.

The Brick Wall – Jutta Townsend

Jackie is trying to find one of her maternal cousins Jutta Townsend (née Rychwalski) whom she knows escaped Germany via a kindertransport train, and ended up in West Yorkshire, England.

There, Jutta lived in the Wakefield/Leeds area, and is believed to have married twice, but she definitely married a Frederick Townsend. The couple also had a son Steven in 1955, but sadly he died in 1973.

Frederick pre-deceased Jutta in 1982 in Rotherham, and Jutta died in 2012.

Can you help Jackie to learn more about Jutta’s life after she escaped to England?

If you think you can help Jackie with a clue or research idea, then you can send her a message via our contact form.

In the meantime, Jackie is curious of Andrew’s offer of help, but can he get her to the wedding on time?

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Episode Credits

• Andrew Martin – Host and Producer
• Jackie Kohnstamm – Guest

Resources

Links to resources and websites mentioned or related to this episode:

• ‘The Memory Keeper: A journey into the Holocaust to find my family’ – Jackie’s book at Amazon.co.uk
• ‘The Memory Keeper: A journey into the Holocaust to find my family’ – Jackie’s book at Amazon.com
• www.stolpersteine-berlin.de – Stolpersteine in Berlin – find a stone.