She never left Perleberg

Reinhard Spiess of the Perleberg Museum sent photocopies of articles from a local magazine, Prignitzer Heimat. One article told of local peoples' hopes that Lehmann would be able to visit her birthplace in the years after World War II. She first returned to Europe in 1955, but not to Perleberg. In 1971, five years before her death, the editorial staff of the Prignitzer Heimat attempted to invite her to visit, and there was an exchange of letters between Albert Hoppe and Lehmann (written through go betweens in West Berlin, apparently). But it was still too difficult and dangerous in the years prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall, so no visit took place. The magazine printed the text of the letter which Lehmann wrote, however.

Lieber Herr Hoppe! Sie werden es kaum glauben, und ich kann es auch kaum. Die Lotte ist da. Wie sehr sie an Perleberg hing, bestätigt ein Bild und eine Widmung, die meine Eltern im Dezember 1971 erhielten. Lieber Herr Hoppe—alles erdenklich Gute für Sie und Gemahlin für 1972. Perleberg ist sehr in meinen Gedanken—ach das war eine schöne echte Weihnacht. Herzlich grusst Sie—Ihre Lotte Lehmann.

My rough translation of this: "Dear Mr. Hoppe, You will hardly believe it, and I can hardly believe it either. Lotte is here. How devoted she was to Perleberg is confirmed by a picture and a dedication" [Sorry, but my translating skills failed at this point, and two friends were no help, and time passed.] One other sentence is clear: "Perleberg is much in my thoughts." Rest is warm greetings. -- JS