For more than two decades, Alan Hoffstadter has been on a painstaking quest to uncover the story of his mother’s life in Nazi Germany. Last week, this culminated in an extraordinary visit to Oak Park by André Dora, mayor of Datteln, the town where his mother spent her childhood before being sent to America as an unaccompanied minor
Hoffstadter and Dora began corresponding in 2016, when Hoffstadter reached out to Dora to express admiration for his efforts to dismantle anti-Semitism in Datteln. That initial correspondence has deepened into what both men see as a transformational friendship.
The two spoke of their connection during a panel discussion at Village Hall last week also featuring Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman, a first-generation German-American who also has corresponded with Dora, and his assistant, Rosemarie Schlosser, who accompanied the mayor to Oak Park.
“What started as a simple gesture has become an international incident,” Hoffstadter said. “It just proves the saying that a stone thrown into water can make ripples that go far beyond where they started.”
Hoffstadter’s mother, Charlotte Goldberg, was sent away from Datteln at the age of 15 in a desperate effort to keep her safe from the growing persecution of Jews in her home country. She joined other unaccompanied Jewish children on a ship that sailed for America in 1933.
According to Hoffstadter, his mother was bitter about being torn from an idyllic childhood and never shared her experiences with her children.
Several years after she died in 1999, Hoffstadter started researching his mother’s hometown. His search was aided by Schlosser, who connected him with local historians. He learned that none of the 18 Jewish families who had lived in Datteln prior to World War II survived or returned to the town after the war.
Datteln has now embraced Hoffstadter as one of its own, awarding him in 2022 the Etienne Bach Prize, which recognizes individuals committed to promoting understanding between people of historically adversarial cultures. In addition, Dora invited Hoffstadter, as well as Scaman, to sign the town’s Golden Book honoring dignitaries.
While they were in Oak Park, Dora and Schlosser visited the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Unity Temple and the Oak Park River Forest Museum. They also met with Scaman at the home of Alan and Lynn Hoffstadter to share thoughts on their respective roles within their village governments – and the things that keep them awake at night.
Datteln and Oak Park are very different but have some things in common.
Datteln’s population is about 36,000, compared to Oak Park’s 55,000. However, its budget is significantly larger than Oak Park’s because it includes the park district, garbage collection and the maintenance of school facilities. Dora manages without many layers, serving as full-time chief executive officer, chief financial officer and chief operating officer. By comparison, Scaman has a part-time role – albeit one that is around-the-clock – working with a professional village manager who directs about a dozen department heads and oversees day-to-day operations.
Despite differences in their roles and governmental structures, Dora and Scaman realized that they have similar concerns, including tensions around taxes, economic vitality, affordability and an influx of refugees. Datteln has experienced an uptick in refugees from Ukraine and Syria.
“I was determined that no one should sleep under a bridge., We make sure that everyone has a room, a bed, and something to eat. When Putin invaded Ukraine, we had to close a gym and put beds inside to keep everyone safe,” Dora said.
Scaman shared the Oak Park community’s response to the arrival of 200 Venezuelan migrants and the coordinated work of local churches and nonprofits, as well as Scaman’s advocacy for state and federal funding to accommodate them.
“When I was a lawyer, I was a wonderful sleeper. If I got into contact with a pillow, I would fall asleep. Not so much now,” Dora said, laughing.
Dora and Scaman are members of Mayors for Peace, an international organization headquartered in Hiroshima, Japan, which promotes a culture of peace, the creation of safe and resilient cities and a world without nuclear war.
“We’re both invested in our work, and it’s been interesting to learn more about André’s role and Datteln’s government,” said Scaman. “But this is really about human connection and that brings us back to the core understanding that we’re more alike than we are not.”
Dora said that he encourages Datteln’s high school graduates to do one thing with their lives that can make the world a little better. He is cognizant of Germany’s role in World War II and is adamant that leaders must learn from the past and stand up against anti-Semitism and discrimination. He considers the connection with Hoffstadter and Oak Park as steps toward reconciliation.
Following the panel discussion at Village Hall, Dora presented Hoffstadter and Scaman with framed photos of the bridge that crosses the Lippe River in Datteln and thanked them for serving as bridges between their respective cities.
“The people of Oak Park have been so warm and helpful. I will share these experiences when I return to Germany. Our languages may be different but otherwise we are all equal,” said Dora.
“I’m delighted that while searching for my mother’s story, I found you,” Hoffstadter told Dora.