Hallo Ihr Lieben,
kann jemand Herrn Panayiotis Neufelt helfen?
Ich bin leider nicht in den Schlesien-Listen Mitglied.
L.G. Eva (Holtkamp)
----------------- Weitergeleitete Nachricht -------------------------
Dear Sir or Madame,
I am writing you this letter in an attempt to collect some (if any)
information about my grandfather Johan (Jean, I remember my grandmother
mentioning his name "Jean" with a French accent) Noefeld. Possible other
first names Johannes or John other surnames Noefelt or Neufelt or Neufeld or
Noifelt or Noifeld. As my father Christos told me my grandfather was German
(and German speaking). Johan was born in Silesia in 1897 (approximate date)
and died in Athens (Hellas � Greece) in 1952 at the age of 55 or 56.
His father's first name was Peter and his mother first name was Anna. It is
not clear whether he was born in the Prussian Silesia, the largest province
of Prussia, or the Austrian Silesia. As my father told me he was a
Protestant, who turned to Greek Orthodox and baptised in 1924 and changed
his name from Johan (Jean) to Panayiotis (the male name of Virgin Mary,
which is in Greek language, Panayia � ?a?a??a).
He was an engineer but I am not aware if and where he had his studies. My father also became an engineer working and learning from his father, at his father's garage.
Johan every now and then was narrating two major but different stories regarding his past and vitae to friends and family.
Story A
He was enlisted as a soldier in the German army in the First World War. He was placed as a tank driver. The Germany was in conflict (war) with the Russia at the time. It should be winter and this is an assumption because the river Dnieper or Dnipro (near Kherson, Ukraine) was iced. The tank he
was driving sank in an attempt to cross the iced river. The waters were
shallow. The tank had three crew members (the other two were possibly German soldiers as well).
The crew was arrested by the Russian army and send away as prisoners in a place where they were cutting wood placing it in a cargo train. One day during a train accident my grandfather with another fellow prisoner
(maybe Romanian) escaped. He went to Crimea and then to Istanbul .
Story B
He was travelling on a pocket battleship called Emden (I do not know his occupation). The ship was sailing on the Indian Ocean when it was threatened by another battleship the Sydney . The Sydney managed to hit Emden. My grandfather was saved and soon after the hit he sailed with a small ship or vessel to some islands and after an adventurous trip he ended up to Crimea or Istanbul.
For a reason my granddad, was wanted by the German Authorities or Army as I was told.
Eventually he arrived in Greece, Thessalonica and from Thessalonica he travelled to Athens. As my father told me, his father arrived in Athens possibly in 1923. He met with my grandmother Garoufalia Chala, they fell for each other and they got married in 1925. My father Christos was born on the 6th of December 1926.
My grandmother could speak fluently English, French, German, Turkish, some Hebrew and of course Greek. She was a wealthy, literate and well raised young lady, with very good manners, coming from an upper class family. For a period (before Johan) she was working with her uncle at his hotel in Istanbul.
In Athens Johan was working as an engineer, specialised in car engines. He had his own garage right at the Athens centre. At the time there were not many engineers in Greece and not many cars as well. He had a fabulous reputation and he was dealing in Greek language.
During the Second World War he was still living in Athens. His public
appearances were not many, he had very few Greek friends and even fewer German friends, he was often disappearing and hiding.
During the war times he had relationship with the house maid who she was living in my grandmother's house. She (the maid) got pregnant twice by him.He died in 1952 in Athens.
The document send to you as an attached file is a document in Greek written by a Greek Orthodox priest in Athens. The priest after my grandfather's death wrote this letter in order to confirm to the Athens Municipality that Johan (Ioannis or ??? in Greek language) Noefeld and Panayiotis Noefeld is the same person.
The photos are the only remaining images I have from him saved by my father.There are no other documents by him or regarding him, as my grandmother for obvious reasons burned them in the late seventies. If you have or find any information regarding my grandfather please contact me on:
neufelt@gmail.com
neufelt@hotmail.com
or you can call me on
land line 00302103616800 or mobile 00306948861000
or forward a letter to
Panayiotis Neufelt
Kresnas 44,Athens 11363
Hellas (Greece)
Kind regards,
Panayiotis Neufelt