The Search for Edith Borger: - by Dave Baker, 6th October 2023

Our Readers may recall that in January 2004 a Wireless College student from the 40's was searching for Edith Borger who had also attended the College. I could find no trace of Edith and so I contacted the BBC and also wrote to the North Wales Weekly News for help. NWWN agreed and this was the article published on
8th January 2004.
Note - the email and web addresses in the article are no longer correct. www.wirelesscollege.co.uk

A few days ago (October 2023) I was contacted by Karen Liebreich who saw the article and photo on our page. Karen is Edith's niece and has shared details of Edith's later life. Karen went on to say that she had recently come into the possession of Edith's documents and diaries. Karen has agreed that I can share this discovery with you. Here unfolds a remarkable tale and one that deserves our admiration and respect, albeit with a terrible conclusion.

From the documents it seems Edith attended the Wireless College between 1942 and 1944. Edith became a war worker as technical assistant in the Testing Department in Romford. Edith went to Germany between 1945-47 with the American army in Frankfurt working in the Civil censorship Division. In 1947 Edith applied in the UK to become a Radio Technician and engineer. Strangely, whilst her qualifications were acceptable in war time, Edith was told her qualifications were insufficient.

Edith then went to the Polytechnic in Oxford Street London and later applied for a British passport. Edith's application was rejected and she had to return to Czechoslovakia, (Ed: Original information in 2004 article was to Lidice but this is incorrect). Edith was in Prague when the communists took over in 1948, however she was able to escape for a second time to the UK after an offer of marriage which enabled her to obtain a visa to leave Czechoslovakia . From here Edith went to the newly established Israel and worked for a year with the Israeli Air Force, later moving to a technical radio job for the Ministry of Posts in Tel Aviv where she remained until 1958. In 1959 Edith moved to Paris in order to study art at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Edith went on to become a successful sculptor. Just as Edith was becoming well known for her work she was murdered in 1970.  In 2021 all her artworks and documents were discovered in her studio which had been bricked up and forgotten.

This is far from the end of the story as Karen is working her way through Edith's archive with a view to publication. Karen is a successful writer and author and I am sure will relate Edith's life and times far more eloquently than I. (https://karenliebreich.com/). Karen is also in the early stages of an Instagram page for Edith. Karen's mother and Edith's younger sister, has said that Edith's time at the college meant a great deal to her. Quite a life story and one which I am sure we will all be keen to read in more detail.

If anyone has any information or photographs about Edith Karen would be very interested to hear from you. Do you know the meaning of ACE 112616?

Karen has given permission for me to post the above information for which I am most grateful.

Dave Baker, Oct 2023