An Unrra Assembly CentreESSLINGEN o/NECKAR, Feliks Krusa, September, 1946

Professions and occupations represented by members of the Centre

Although the number of members of the Latvian Settlement in Esslingen constantly varies, on the average it fluctuates between 5700 to 5800 persons. There are more than 1200 children below the age of 15. Among the adults there are 600 more women than there are men. Away from their native country all the members of the centre live in comparatively similar conditions and are wearing almost similarly worn out clothes. Thus the outward appearance of these persons does not reveal much difference, although they represent various professions and occupations. Among the members of this Centre there may be found representatives of science and the most diverse "white collar" professions, as well as farmers, artisans and labourers.

In the Settlement there are registered 264 farmers and 200 clerks. Here live clergymen of 23 different confessions,

and all other professions are also represented in this Centre. With regard to education, the Esslingen Latvians stand on a rather high level. Out of every 10 inhabitants one has university education and more than 1200 are high school graduates. Although in Latvia among the people there were practically no illiterates to be found and an illiterate person had to be searched for like a needle in a haystack, this "curio" is to be found in Esslingen, for in the registers of the Centre one can find noted two illiterates.

The members of this Centre are good linguists. Besides their mother tongue, many have mastered the English, French, Russian and German languages. Among the Latvians here one can find persons who know either Polish, Lithuanian, Estonian, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech, Danish, Italian, Croatian or Portuguese, or even Turkish, Tartar or Greek. The majority of the inhabitants are Lutheran Protestants, the minority are of the Catholic (476), Orthodox (243), Baptist (59) and Mohamedan (4) faith.