Schläfrig family papers

Friedrich Schläfrig (1875-1953), born in Mistelbach, Austria, was the son of country doctor Jonas Schläfrig (1833-1911). He had two brothers, Albert and Gustav (1881-1950), and three sisters, Hedwig (b. 1882), Clara, and Luise. Friedrich and his brother Gustav were both architects in Vienna. Friedrich was an architect for the Austrian Federal Railways. He married Fanny Elenore Witrofsky (b. 1886) in 1909. Her twin sister, Lina, was married to Friedrich’s older brother, Albert. Friedrich and Fanny had two children, Marie (later Marie Frotten, 1911-2011) and Wilhelm (later William Shaw, 1909-1970). Marie studied art in Vienna, but after the German annexation of Austria in 1938, she immigrated to England. From there, she and her husband moved to the United States, and settled in Detroit, Michigan. Her brother Wilhelm was also an architect, and immigrated to Johannesburg, South Africa in 1936. In 1938, Friedrich was arrested by the Gestapo in Vienna. He was imprisoned and interrogated for around two weeks then released. He and Fanny then attempted and failed to immigrate to South Africa and Australia. In 1942, they were arrested and sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp in German-occupied Czechoslovakia. They survived in the camp working in various capacities until they were liberated by the Russians in 1945. After the war, Friedrich and Fanny went to Vienna to stay with his brother Gustav, who had survived the war in Austria. They were then briefly in Paris, France before immigrating to Johannesburg.