CAMERA OBSCURA

DOWN BY THE SEA

BERLIN

• Overview

• The Balks

• Kibbutz Hachshara

• Berlin

• Technical Information

When Lina Balk's British passport was issued in Kaunas on May 6, 1938, only her name was written inside, presumably because her two children were included in their father's passport as was standard practice at the time. Five days after their father unexpectedly passed away on March 18, 1939, Klaipėda was occupied by Nazi Germany, and Judith and David Balk suddenly found themselves stuck on the wrong side of the German border. After securing a copy of her marriage certificate and proof of her husband's recent death, Lina took the children to Berlin, where their names were added to her own passport at the British Consulate General on April 27,1 and the family were subsequently allowed to leave the country.

1 Although the signed initials at the bottom of p.2 of Lina Balk's passport (↓) appear to read 'MP', it's believed that Judith and Lina's names were added by Margaret Reid. Research is currently underway in order to confirm this is the case or not.