Gusztav, Anna, Margit, Erzsebet and Magda Illes

My grandparents, my mother and my aunts. Grandfather Gusztav had his Matura and was offered a job at Hoffer and Srantz's engineering firm. He worked in that company for more than forty years; when he retired, he was head of director of finance and exchange. He died in March 1945. He lived to see the end of the Arrow Cross [Hungarian Nazis] commotion.

Grandmother's name was Anna Lederer. She was from Felvidek, from Lipto or Turocz county, and I don't have much to say about her. She reared four children. She died in December 1942. They lived near the end of Lovohaz Street, near Marczibanyi square, and moved between houses several times.

My grandparents had three daughters: Margit (in the middle) was the eldest, my mother Erzsebet, and Magda (first from left).

Margit was born in Budapest in 1897 and died in 1993. She studied at the Budapest Academy of Music and became a pianist; she gave concerts abroad. And she was beautiful.

Magda was born in 1901 (and died in 1992). She married Albert Mandaberg, a gentleman from a very rich Viennese family. When she became pregnant, or maybe after she gave birth to the child - I don't know exactly - she converted so that the child would not be Jewish.

My mother, Erzsebet, was born in Budapest in 1899. She had passed her Matura and drew beautifully, so she was accepted into the Academy of Applied Arts. Let me just mention that all three girls had their Matura. She learned how to paint porcelain china and the like, but then she met my father while still very young, was married, and gave up everything, and left the Academy, as well.