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Conrad J. and Marian Linke papers
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Held at: German Society of Pennsylvania: Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library [Contact Us]611 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19123
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the German Society of Pennsylvania: Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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Conrad J. Linke
Conrad J. Linke Jr. is best known as an illustrator and painter who had success doing illustrations for the first Atlantic City Beauty Contest in 1923 (which later became known as the Miss America Contest), as well as, magazine covers for Saturday Evening Post and Farm Journal, among others. On December 16, 1892, he was born near Girard Avenue and Marshall Street in Philadelphia, the second of three children of the immigrant parents Conrad and Susan Linke who were Sudeten Germans from an area that was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now part of the Czech Republic). In 1910, according to census records, he was living with his parents at 1531 Stiles Street.
At the age of 15 he graduated from high school and won a three-year scholarship to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where he studied landscaping, portrait painting and illustrating under leading teachers. In the year 1912, at age 20, he opened his own studio at 1305 Arch Street, Philadelphia, where he spent most of his time creating posters and art for lithographers, printers and advertisers. During World War I he was in charge of the poster and publicity department of the Philadelphia Naval Yard. At some point after World War I he moved to Chicago where he spent a few years as the head of staff at a commercial art studio. While there he studied the art of Robert Henri at the Art Institute.
After Chicago, he returned to Philadelphia and, from 1946 to 1962, 1120 Spruce Street was the home of C.J. Linke Art Services, though it is possible based on old letterheads used for scrap paper, that he worked at this address, perhaps for another company, since at least 1938.
It remains to be determined when they were married but by 1937 Conrad Linke was living with his wife Marian at 903 Clinton Street. In 1962 they moved to 43 South Lakeside Drive, Beachwood Lakes, Medford New Jersey.
Mr. Linke was very active in political issues throughout much of his life but only began his activism after his wife Marian Linke became involved with the Society of Friends peace work in 1938. Being German-American they both believed in and campaigned for causes concerning German issues. Conrad was very anti-British and felt that whatever Britain was doing was only to sustain and further expand its empire. Both Mr. and Mrs. Linke were strong believers in peace and campaigned from 1938 to 1940 in favor of American neutrality. Mr. Linke was involved with the organizations America First Committee, Committee to Maintain Neutrality, Peace-Action Service and the Anti-War Committee. During those years of campaigning they sent many letters to elected officials and newspaper editors expressing their views and urging the points they believed were right. Conrad also wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 expressing his views on the situation.
At the end of the war, from 1945 until 1962, Conrad and Marian Linke became involved in the war relief effort, which included sending food and clothing to Germany, as well as, advocating for various German issues. As before the war, he wrote many letters to senators and congressmen. He was also active in the humanitarian organizations Central European Rehabilitation Association, American Friends Service Committee and American Relief for Germany, which was a committee of the Steuben Society of America, and the political advocacy organizations American Aid to Rebuild Germany, Committee for the Return of ConfiscatedGerman and Japanese Property, and Committee For Expellees.
Conrad Linke was a longtime member of both the German Society of Pennsylvania and the Steuben Society of America and that organization’s Philadelphia branch, the Pastorius Unit No. 38. Throughout his long membership in these organizations he served in various positions, including at one time as chairman of the Pastorius Unit; in 1944 as national secretary of the Steuben Society of America; in 1946 as secretary of the Pastorius Unit No. 38; in 1950 as a Kurtz Endowment Fund Trustee (of the Steuben Society); and in 1954 as Chairman of Legislative and Public Affairs of the Pastorius Unit. He was also on the governing body of the Pastorius Endowment Fund in the year 1977 . In July 1961, with the Steuben Society, he made one of several trips to Germany. He was also a member of Schlarafia Filadelfia from atleast 1946 to 1951 and participated in their events.
In 1969, Linke created a painting depicting Francis Daniel Pastorius and other German immigrants living at Germantown, Pennsylvania, signing the first proclamation against slavery in the year 1688, and donated it to the Freedoms Foundation in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Conrad and Marian Linke were awarded the Ehrenbrief (Citation of Honor) and the Badge of Honor of the Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft, in 1975, after working many years on the cause of the expellees from the Sudeten part of Germany (now part of the Czech Republic).
On May 12, 1995, at 102 years of age, Conrad J. Linke died. Today, his alma mater, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts offers a scholarship in his name.
Marian Linke
Marian Linke was the wife of Conrad J. Linke Jr. and was born April 23, 1896 in Pennsylvania. By her own account, she was of German, Dutch, French, English and Scotch-Irish extraction, and her ancestors settled in this country in the 17th Century (these details are from a letter to Mrs. Rahmlow in Germany; December 19, 1948; folder 49). Her maternal grandfather was a pacifist in World War I and she claims he had an effect on her way of thinking.
Together with her husband, Conrad, Mrs. Linke was very active in political issues throughout much of her life. In 1938, she became involved with the Society of Friends peace work. She identified as German-American and believed in and campaigned for causes concerning Germany and German issues. Both she and Mr. Linke were strong believers in peace and campaigned from 1938 to 1940 in favor of American neutrality. In doing so she wrote many letters to senators and congressmen expressing her views and ideas on that subject.
At the end of the war, from 1945 until 1962, Marian Linke was involved in the war relief effort, which included sending food and clothing to Germany, as well as advocating for various German issues. Her war relief work was conducted primarily through the Philadelphia branch of the Women’s International League (W.I.L.)and began with writing statements, which were to be read before congress, on the issue of allowing the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail to Germany. After the postal routes to Germany were opened she began work on the W.I.L.’s Food Drive. During this time, 1947 to 1949, she wrote and received many personal letters from Germany in regards to food parcels received. At one point she was president of the Philadelphia branch of the W.I.L.
Marian Linke was a longtime member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the German Society of Pennsylvania. In 1948 Marian was appointed Auxiliary representative and sat on the German Society of Pennsylvania board. She was President of the Women’s Auxiliary from 1951 to 1954.
Mrs. Linke was a member of the Steuben Society of America’s Philadelphia unit, the Pastorius Unit No. 38. In 1954 she is listed as being on that organization’s Book Review Committee, Legislative and Public Affairs Committee, and the Steuben News Reporting Committee.
For her many years of work on the cause of the expellees from what had been the Sudeten part of Germany (now part of the Czech Republic), Marian Linke, along with her husband Conrad, was awarded the Ehrenbrief (Citation of Honor) and the Badge of Honor of the Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft, in 1975.
From at least 1937 until 1962 Mrs. Linke's residence was 903 Clinton Street, where she lived with Conrad. In 1962 they moved to 43 South Lakeside Drive, Beachwood Lakes, Medford New Jersey. On January 23, 1985, she died at 88 years of age.
This collection documents the activities of Conrad J. Linke and his wife Marian. Approximately 80 percent of the collection comprises the papers of Conrad Linke. The collection spans the years 1916 to 1990 with the greater part of the material dating from 1938 to 1985.
Mr. Linke is generally known for his art but the majority of the contents of this collection cover his political activities and interests. Mrs. Linke was also involved in the same political issues as Conrad. He and Marian were both German-American so were very involved in issues and causes related to Germany. In the period, 1938 to 1940, prior to the United States entering World War II, they were involved with the pro-American neutrality movement that tried to stop the United States from entering into war against or supplying allies with materials to make war on Germany. There are personal writings, handwritten notes, correspondence, speeches, pamphlets, leaflets, newspaper clippings and other documents pertaining to their efforts in this movement including very anti-British sentiments written by Conrad J. Linke, and also a scrapbook with, among other things, return letters written from elected, as well as former officials to Marian Linke. Other leaflets and documents from organizations they were involved with or supported, such as the America First Committee, Committee to Maintain Neutrality, Peace-Action Service, Anti-War Committee, and the National Council for the Prevention of War, are collected here also.
After World War II, from 1945 to 1961, the Linkes were involved in the war relief effort. Relating to this effort, Conrad Linke was involved with the humanitarian organizations American Relief for Germany, Central European Rehabilitation Association, American Friends Service Committee, and American Aid to Rebuild Germany, as well as the political advocacy groups Committee for the Return of Confiscated German and Japanese Property and Committee for Expellees. Correspondence, personal notes, leaflets, minutes, business records, newsletters, press statements, newspaper clippings and other documents give information on the actions of these organizations in that time period.
Mr. Linke was also a member of the Steuben Society of America and their Philadelphia branch the Pastorius Unit No. 38 and through these organizations he conducted a good deal of, but not only, neutrality and war relief effort activities. Many documents, including personal notes, correspondence, newsletters, newspaper clippings and business records in the date span 1924 to 1990, have been collected.
Marian Linke conducted her war relief efforts through membership in the Philadelphia branch of the Women’s International League. A large portion of her papers are correspondence she shared with people in Germany that she was involved in sending food and clothing to. There are also food package order forms, business records and correspondence related to the W.I.L. food drive. Marian Linke also was president of the Women’s Auxiliary of the German Society of Pennsylvania from 1951 to 1954, and her papers include her tribute speech to Mrs. Henrietta M. Keller from 1947, a 1952 German Society anniversary program and other documents related to both the Woman’s Auxiliary and the Society.
Conrad and Marian Linke wrote many letters to elected officials to express and promote their political opinions and ideas and to agitate for the positions they believed were right. In return they not only received letters but also copies of Congressional Records, House Resolutions, Bills and transcripts of speeches by some of these elected officials that run the years from 1937 to 1961 on the subjects of neutrality, war relief and other German topics. One German topic Conrad J. Linke had an interest in was war crimes and there are several documents from the years 1948 to 1951 including a Lucius D. Clay statement, lawyer’s statements and a clemency plea from one condemned German.
A file of ephemera includes leaflets, newsletters, pamphlets, and booklets from 1938 to 1983. In a miscellaneous organizations file there is a booklet for the fiftieth anniversary of the Teutonia Lodge from 1939; and from the Sons of Herman Lodge, a state President’s speech and a Letter to Lodges, both from 1944.
Conrad J. Linke was a friend of Dr. Austin J. App, who was a German-American professor of Medieval English Literature and the originator of the Holocaust denial movement in the United States. Several pamphlets authored by Dr. App, some of his correspondence to newspaper editors, and newspaper clippings between the years 1946 and 1978 are collected here. Linke was also friends with the German-American writer Karl T. Marx (see Karl T. Marx papers), and there is correspondence between them from 1975 to 1985.
From the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge Pennsylvania there are a newsletter, correspondence, and speech notes relating to a painting depicting Francis Daniel Pastorius signing the first proclamation against slavery in 1688 that was painted and donated by Conrad Linke to the Foundation in 1969. And, in 1975 Conrad and Marian Linke were awarded the Ehrenbrief (Citation of Honor) and the Badge of Honor of the Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft after working many years on the cause of the expellees from the Sudeten part of Germany (now part of the Czech Republic). Correspondence and a speech relating to this event document their award.
The collection has been arranged in three series: Conrad Linke and Marian Linke, both of which are arranged by areas of activity; and a scrapbook. While both Mr. and Mrs. Linke worked in the same areas of activities the things they worked on specifically do not overlap except in the scrapbook. A rough chronological sequence according to the time period in which their activities occurred has been used. In the Conrad Linke series the subseries for his various activities all include correspondence, notes and drafts, and miscellaneous items. In the Marian Linke series, besides the subseries of correspondence related to war relief, the subseries Women’s International League also includes correspondence.
Presumably the gift of Conrad J. Linke or his family
People
Organization
- Committee for the Return of Confiscated German and Japanese Property.
- Steuben Society of America. Pastorius Unit No. 38.
- Steuben Society of America.
- Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Philadelphia Branch.
Subject
- German American women
- German Americans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- German Americans--Societies, etc
- Women--Societies, etc
- World War, 1939-1945--Civilian relief
Place
- Publisher
- German Society of Pennsylvania: Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Brett Tobias
- Finding Aid Date
- 2012.08
- Sponsor
- The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from the Max Kade Foundation, as part of the grant project "Retrieval and Cataloging of the German-American Experience, 1918-1960."
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the German Society of Pennsylvania with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material.
Collection Inventory
1.7 Linear feet
Contains handwritten notes on the subject of American neutrality and propaganda with anti-British and anti-French sentiment
Typed letter to President Roosevelt, correspondence on neutrality and arms embargo to newspaper editors and from Congressmen
Flyers and newsletters from Peace Action Service, Keeping America Out Of War Committee, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Citizen's Newsletter, America First Committee, Philadelphia Emergency Committe To Maintain Neutrality, Communist Party
Letters written by Conrad Linke, Herbert McGlinchey, William Nicolai, Sigfried Goetze, W.F. Meier, John F. Gloeckner, Adolph Matz, Rebecca S. Wolter
Notes about setting up organizations and organizing for the relief of the German population
One statement by Conrad and one by Marian in support of Bill S.2124
Floor plan design by Conrad Linke for neighborhood centers to be built in Germany, flyers, hand bills, letters, pamphlets, bulletins, newsletters. See also Oversize folder 40
Articles of Incorporation, correspondence, bulletins, newsletters, statements. See also Oversize folder 40
Includes documents by both the Pennsylvania and the New Jersey groups. See also Oversize folder 42
Conrad Linke letter, Newsletters to Members and Friends
Correspondence and a statement
Documents related to food and clothing aid and other types of relief to Europe
Letters written by Conrad Linke, Frederick Libby and James Finucane
News Statements, Bulletins and Newsletters
Executive Board Meetings, Cash Balance Reports, Minutes, Annual Meeting Report, Budgets
Resolutions, Memos, Memorandum, Statements before Congress, Letter to Members
Newsletter published by the Committee covering its area of interests
Newsletters, bulletins, flyers, letters and business information
Letters, speeches, bulletins, flyers of the national organization plus several documents and ephemera from the Muehlenberg Unit No. 36 of Milwaukee. See also Oversize folder 40, and Oversize folder 41 for articles on Steuben
Receipts, statements, news releases, hand bills, reports, hand outs. See also Oversize folder 40
This file contains 11 issues of the Expellee Press Service newsletter dated from April 29, 1960 to January 14, 1971, one issue of Sudeten Bulletin dated May 1957, two handwritten notes - one from June 26, 1947 and the other undated, 3 newspaper articles, and 9 documents related to Expellees
Newsletters, letters, booklet
Freedom Foundation News Releases from the year 1967, Pastorius Painting newsletter (1969), a 1970 letter from The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, letters and notes on Pastorius Painting, donation request for and Guidelines to the American Way of Life booklet
Correspondence concerning Conrad and Marian recieveing the Ehrenbrief (Citation of Honor) and Badge of Honor from the Sudeten German Landsmannschaft for their efforts in the cause of Sudeten and other German Expellees
Rough and final drafts of poetry related to events of the Schlaraffia Filadelfia
Majority of the correspondence is from Karl to Conrad. There are several copies of letters conrad wrote. Most, but not all, are typed. Contents include 2 Christmas cards and photocopies of newspaper articles and items of interest. Specific date range is October 3, 1975 to May 21, 1985
One dated June 25, 1969 and addressed to Mr. George J. Hendrickson. One dated October 10, 1979 typed in German language and is from Vienna. One is handwitten to Mr. Wagner and is undated but Conrad mentions in the letter that he is 88 years old which puts the date at 1980
Topics include German Expellees, Peace, Propaganda, other political and German issues and personal topics. Only one from 1939 and one from March 12, 1976 are dated. See Oversize folder 40
Letters to newspaper editors, government officials, and other writings. There is one undated book review. All writings are on post-war German topics
Pamphlets and leaflets published by Boniface Press which was Dr. App's publishing company. All pamphlets and writings are by Dr. App. No specific publication dates but many are reprints of articles from magazines or other sources and are credited with original publication dates. All writings concern post-war German topics
Four pamphlets not printed by Boniface. Three authored by Dr. Austin App and the fourth authored by E.J. Reichenberger. All concern German post-war topics
This file contains 1 complete German language newspaper, Die Pommersche Zeitung, from 1966, 1 complete English language newspaper, Voice of the Federation, from 1969, and 10 newspaper clippings of which 2 are clearly written by Dr. App
Originals of the clippings in Folder 32a
Flyers, hand bills and pamphlets primarily concerning war, peace, war relief, Atom Bomb
Teutonia Lodge and Sons of Herman Lodge. One program booklet for the Fiftieth Anniversery of the Teutonia Lodged No. 1 dated November 17, 18, and 19, 1939, and two typed documents relating to the Sons of Herman Lodge date November 14 and December 11, 1944
Note requesting portrait photo and Steuben painting, leaflet for a Dr. App talk, pages from a booklet concening a Bavarian Festival in Florida. Inflation Survival Letter, Daily News digest, New Jersey Historical Society mailer, photocopies, stationery, photograph
Various topics with many having German topics
See also Oversize folder 41 for articles on Baron Von Steuben
This file contains Otto Ohlendorf trial transcripts (July 1950), "A Rejoinder..." by Dr. Rudolf Aschenauer (February 1951), solicitor letter to the Assistant Council General (March 21, 1951), a text about Oswald Pohl (undated)
Officially printed Congressional records dated between February 20, 1939 and August 5, 1954
Transcripts of speeches made by Senators to the general public or Congress between 1939 and 1962, "Trading With the Enemy Act" bill dated April 22, 1946 and Congressional Reports dated between February 14, 1950 and July 26, 1962. All are dealing with German topics. See Oversize folder 40 for Germany map that was included with the May 16, 1954 B. Carroll Reece speech transcript
Includes various documents from National Council for the Prevention of War, American Friends Service Committee, American Relief for Germany, Steuben Society of America, Miscellaneous notes and drafts
Six newspaper articles. Five about Baron Von Steuben from 1965 to 1967. One issue of Burger Zeitung from 1946
Full page newspaper advertisement in German language from May 3, 1946
0.4 Linear feet
Letter written in June 1947 includes poems and sheet music written by Mr. Altraüge plus one photo
Letters were written between 1-31-47 to 3-03-49. Emanuel Figura is the father of Herbert Figura. They were from the American Sector of Berlin Germany. Includes 9 letters and 2 photographs
Letters written between 7-18-48 to 1-05-49. Brigitte was a teacher from Stuttgart Germany. Contents are 5 letters by Brigitte, 1 letter typed by Marian, 1 photograph and 11 pieces of children’s artwork
Gretel Hintrager was a school teacher from Stuttgart Germany and was the daughter of Oskar Hintrager. In June 1948 she married Fritz Klumpp. The letters were written between 3-28-47 and 8-20-49. Contents are 16 letters, 4 photographs, 1 card, 1 engagement announcement and 1 wedding announcement
Oskar Hintrager was the father of Gretel Hintrager/Klumpp. He was from Hirsau Germany and worked for Krupps. Letters were written between 3-30-47 and 5-10-49. There are 20 letters, 1 photo and 1 postcard of Hirsau
Maria was from Stuttgart Germany and was involved with the Stuttgart group of the Women’s International League. The letters were written between 6-07-48 to 12-14-48. Contents include 3 letters written by Maria and 1 letter typed by Marian
Anna was from Bennungen Germany (Russian Zone). All Anna's letters are addressed to “Lieber Cousin”. The first letter is from Rochlice u Liberce Czechoslovakia and three letters are from Altentreptow Germany (Russian Zone). The letters were written between 4-11-46 to 4-20-49. Includes 18 letters written by Anna and 3 letters typed by Marian
Solveig was age 14 and she was from Regensburg Germany. Her first letter is written in German and also typed in English. Several of the cards were written by her two young cousins (males age 4 and 6 years old) and are addressed to “Tante Marian” and “Opa”. Contents include 30 letters, 8 cards, 1 photograph and 1 letter addressed to Elfriede Kraus-Peters
Letters from Germany, Austria and Columbia. Two writers have sent more than one letter. All others are single letters
Contains only letters written in the English language. In one letter written by Marian dated December 19, 1948 to a Mrs. Rahmlow in Germany, she gives some biographical information about herself
Contains statements written by Marian to the U.S. Senate concerning War Relief (relating to food and housing) to Germany. One document is dated April 26, 1946 while the others are undated
This folder contains typewritten reports concerning the W.I.L.'s Philadelphia branch business
Notes, letters, business records
Personal letters written to Marian asking for information on the food parcel drive for Europe or pledging money for food parcels to be sent
Contains written orders for food parcels to be sent to Europe and Japan
Contains official Philadelphia Branch, Women's International League food parcel forms that have been filled out. The majority are undated but three have dates of 1947 to 1948
Contains Marian Linke's tribute to Mrs. Henrietta M. Keller dated January 12, 1947, Program for the 187th anniversary of The German Society date January 6, 1952, Bicentennial Celebration brochure (1976), pages from a Bicentennial program (1976), German Society newsletter dated March 5, 1984, Women's Auxilliary Board members list (undated) and Women's Auxilliary Bylaws and Rules of Procedure (undated)
1 document. Award given to Marian Linke for 25 years of membership in the Steuben Society
One article written by Marian about St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Germantown (pgs. 28-29) with illustration by Conrad
0.1 Linear feet
Contents include pamphlets, letters, flyers, handouts, Congressional Records that chart the Linke's involvement in the American neutrality movement