BC 1086 HERBERT (BERTIE) and MATHILDE STERN COLLECTION
Manuscripts & Archives
University of Cape Town Libraries
The Collection
THE HERBERT(BERTIE) and MATHILDE STERN COLLECTION was donated to UCT Libraries by Bertie and Mathilde's three younger children; Peter, Richard and Jean.
The collection comprises approximately 2300 items, of which almost 1000 are personal letters. The majority of these were written by Bertie to Mathilde whilst he was on active service during the Second World War, or whilst she was holidaying in Europe with her parents Max & Lily Sonnenberg.
The papers document the life style and activities of a wealthy and privileged white Jewish family living in the Cape in the 20th century. The certificates,photographs,newspaper cuttings and official awards (listed "A" in the collection) show the public life of the Sterns, and their diverse interests, from religion and community work to music and theatre, and in particular their shared concern for children - from the nursery to adolescence. It is in the personal letters (listed "B" in the collection, and restricted until 2027), that their private lives, feelings and values are revealed. Bertie was an eloquent and prolific letter writer and wrote to his wife every few days when they were apart, telling her of each day's activities - who he had seen, what he had eaten, etc.and how he missed her. After his official retirement, when he and Mathilde travelled abroad extensively together, Bertie's letters to his adult children became fascinating travel diaries. A bound copy of one of these is included in the collection. It would appear that Mathilde also wrote many letters but these have not been included in the collection.. Mathilde was the collector in the family, and this is why the collection contains mostly items addressed to her, and why these have been preserved.
The oldest items in the collection are photocopies of documents of the Sonnenberg family dating back to 1829. The most recent document is a computer print-out copy of the life story of the Sterns by Jill Fletcher, (a friend of the family), which she compiled after the deaths of Bertie and Mathilde (in 1993 & 1994). She called this "Beloved Friends". A copy was received by UCT Libraries in 1996.
The following items in the collection are of particular note:
1. Letters from Lily Sonnenberg's uncle to her mother (brother and sister), reporting that he was safe and had survived a train attack during the South African Boer War.He recounts the ambush and its aftermath in graphic detail. (dated 1901)
2. An informal typed and signed note from Lord Baden-Powell, to a Mr Schreiber requesting him to be the piano accompanyist at a concert at which B-P intended to sing.
3. A considerable quantity of items covering the background and life of Max Sonnenberg, the founder of Woolworths in SA. These include a mounted oversize photograph of his wedding in 1906, to Lily Isaacs.
4. Photographs of Upington, the home of Bertie's parents, at the turn of the century.
5. A list of german books donated to UCT Libraries in 1960.
In addition to the personalised documents of the Stern family, which have been donated to the UCT Libraries, other items were deposited at specialised institutions by Bertie himself. He gave his war memorabilia to the Military and Maritime Museum at the Cape Town Castle; and the records of the Masque Theatre, tracing its history, to the South African Library. (MSB 919)
|
A |
PERSONAL |
No of items : |
|
|
(in oversize): |
|
|
A1 - A4 |
BERTIE |
|
|
A1.1 |
Birth certificate, anniversaries, passports |
58 |
|
|
obituaries & tributes 1904-1993 |
|
|
A1.2 |
Education certificates 1916-1991 |
27(2) |
|
A1.3 |
War papers 1940-1944 + 1985 reunion [see also section A13 for photographs] |
49 |
|
A1.4 |
80th birthday 1984 |
|
|
A1.4.1 |
Cards, letters, telegrams |
120 |
|
A1.4.2 |
Birthday album |
(1) |
|
A2 |
Bertie's interests - Scouting |
|
|
A2 |
Scouting 1919-1990[see also section A13 for photographs] |
85(2) |
|
A3 |
Bertie's interests - Community work |
|
|
A3.1 |
Habonim; Youth Hostels |
32 |
|
A3.2 |
Hebrew Congregation |
13(1) |
|
A3.3 |
Community Chest |
12(1) |
|
A3.4 |
Donations/Gifts |
12 |
|
A3.5 |
Council work |
43 |
|
A3.6 |
Local environment |
49(4) |
|
A3.7 |
Gymnasium album |
(1) |
|
A3.8 |
Awards/Citations |
23 |
|
A4 |
Bertie's interests - Arts/Theatre |
|
|
A4.1 |
Cape Town Symphony Orchestra |
4 |
|
A4.2 |
Theatre[see also section 13 for photographs] |
180 |
|
A4.3 |
Theatre programmes (UK) |
88 |
|
A4.4 |
Sketch album |
1 |
|
A4.5 |
Sketches |
(63) |
|
A5 - A6 |
MATHILDE |
|
|
A5.1 |
School certificates, passports, dietsheets etc |
48(1) |
|
A6 |
Mathilde's interests - Nursery Schools |
|
|
A6 |
Nursery schools 1951 - 1965 |
97 |
|
A7 |
Bertie & Mathilde's interests - travelling |
|
|
A7.1 |
Holidays overseaes - printed papers,pamphlets |
38 |
|
A7.2.1 |
Travel diary of honeymoon in Europe. 1930-31 |
1 |
|
A7.2.2 |
Travel diary of holiday in Europe. 1957 |
1 |
|
A7.2.3 |
Travel diary(letters) of holiday in USA.196? |
28 |
|
A8 - A13 |
OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS |
|
|
A8 |
Stern children - school reports etc |
73 |
|
A9 |
Stern family papers [see also photographs section A13] |
9 |
|
A10 |
Sonnenberg family papers [see also photographs section A13] |
78 |
|
A11 |
Burnham family (Mathilde's Grandmothers brother) - letters written during the South African war |
9 |
|
A12 |
Family story |
|
|
A12.1 |
Genealogical searches + Jill Fletcher's story |
10 |
|
A12.2 |
Tape cassettes (1 x wooden box; 1 x plastic box) |
(12) |
|
A13 |
Photographs & negatives |
178 (7) |
|
B |
CORRESPONDENCE (Restricted access until 2027) |
|
|
B1 |
First letters |
|
|
|
from Bertie to Mathilde before marriage 1930 |
1 |
|
|
from Bertie & Mathilde on honeymoon in Europe to Bertie or Mathilde's mother 1930-31 |
10 |
|
|
from Bertie to Mathilde from scouting camps in SA 1933-36 |
|
|
B2 |
Pre-war holidays |
|
|
|
from Bertie in SA to Mathilde on holiday trips, |
|
|
|
mostly in Europe, with Sonnenberg family |
|
|
|
1934-Europe;
1935-JHB; 1937-38- Europe |
40 |
|
B3 |
Bertie's Active Service |
|
|
|
from Bertie(whilst on active service) to Mathilde: |
|
|
B3.1 |
1940 |
60 |
|
B3.2 |
1941 |
86 |
|
B3.3 |
1942 |
9 |
|
B3.4 |
1944 |
53 |
|
B3.5 |
1945 + camps 1945? & 1948 |
40 |
|
B3.6 |
from Mathilde to Bertie 1940 |
15 |
|
B4 |
Post-war holidays 1947- |
|
|
B4.1 |
1947 from Bertie in SA to Mathilde in London |
29 |
|
B4.2 |
1947 from Mathilde in London to Bertie in SA (Lily Sonnenberg ill at this time) |
29 |
|
B4.3 |
1949 from Bertie in CT to Mathilde in JHB |
5 |
|
|
1950 from Bertie in SA to Mathilde in Europe |
29 |
|
|
1952 from Bertie in Italy to Mathilde in SA |
1 |
|
|
1954 Bertie & Mathilde correspondence when Mathilde in London for Rob & Naomi wedding |
18 |
|
|
1963 from Bertie in London to Mathilde in SA |
5 |
|
|
1963 from Bertie in SA to Mathilde in JHB, then London with sisters, soon after mother's death |
9 |
|
|
1964 from Bertie in CT to Mathilde in JHB |
3 |
|
|
1964 from Bertie in CT to Mathilde in Paris to see new child of Max & Michelle; in London & in NY where Bertie joined her & there compiled travel diary (A7.2.3), then to Canada |
5 |
|
|
1969 from Bertie in Paris to Mathilde in SA(advising Max after separation from Michelle) |
1 |
|
|
1970 from Bertie in SA to Mathilde in London |
1 |
|
|
1972 from Bertie in CT to Mathilde in JHB |
1 |
|
|
1972 from Bertie in SA to Mathilde |
1 |
|
|
1977 from Bertie in SA to Mathilde in London |
1 |
|
|
1977 from Bertie in New York to Mathilde in CT |
1 |
|
|
1949-1977 miscellaneous from Bertie to Mathilde |
7 |
|
B5 |
Correspondence with children |
|
|
B5.1.1 |
from Robbie to parents ñ1939-54 |
81 |
|
B5.1.2 |
from parents to Robbie 1965-66 |
3 |
|
B5.2.1 |
from Max to parents 1940-72 |
42 |
|
B5.2.2 |
from parents to Max ñ1950 |
3 |
|
B5.3.1 |
from Peter to parents ñ1940-60 |
21 |
|
B5.3.2 |
from parents to Peter 1950 |
3 |
|
B5.4.1 |
from Richard to parents ñ1940-65 |
55 |
|
B5.4.2 |
from parents to Richard late 1940s |
3 |
|
B5.5.1 |
from Jean to parents ñ1950-57 |
21 |
|
B5.5.2 |
from parents to Jean 1944-45 |
2 |
|
B5.6 |
miscellaneous, joint or unsigned letters |
9 |
|
B6 |
Correspondence with & of other family members |
|
|
B6.1 |
between Bertie/Mathilde and Mathilde's parents 1926-1963 |
89 |
|
B6.2 |
between Bertie/Mathilde and wider family |
34 |
|
B6.3 |
between Max & Lily Sonnenberg & their family and friends |
19 |
|
B7 |
Correspondence from non-family members |
|
|
|
W A Andrew 1930 |
1 |
|
|
Ann 1941 |
1 |
|
|
Arthur B (Berezonski) 1941 |
1 |
|
|
E Barnet 1954 |
1 |
|
|
Annie Cohen? 1946 |
1 |
|
|
Mike Comay late 1920s? |
12 |
|
|
Dick 1940 |
1 |
|
|
Martie du Plessis no date |
1 |
|
|
Jock Edelstein (Naomi's father) 1954 |
1 |
|
|
Ruth Edelstein (Naomi's mother) 1954 |
1 |
|
|
Ernest. 1930 |
1 |
|
|
Ernest 1947 |
1 |
|
|
Gerry Fee 1940 |
1 |
|
|
A
Hess-de Lilez 1950 |
1 |
|
|
Roy Keightley 1949 |
1 |
|
|
Mrs Grete Kupfer 1950 |
1 |
|
|
Charles Harlen no date |
1 |
|
|
Lily 1947 |
1 |
|
|
D McIntosh 1943 |
1 |
|
|
Magda Matheis 1945 |
1 |
|
|
Clara Mendelsohn 1930 |
1 |
|
|
Robert Moore1940 |
1 |
|
|
Nan |
4 |
|
|
Olga 1950 |
1 |
|
|
Judy Pike 1969 |
1 |
|
|
Arthur Po 1938 |
1 |
|
|
S Prager 1950 |
16 |
|
|
Mrs Puch 1944 |
1 |
|
|
Clara Schumouse? 1950 |
1 |
|
|
Rolf Stark no date |
2 |
|
|
Zelda 1959 |
1 |
|
|
indecipherable signature |
3 |
|
|
from Bertie to Mrs Jacobs 1941 |
1 |
|
|
loose envelopes & stamps |
21 |