Otto Bondy: personal papers

This collection consists of the personal correspondence of Otto Bondy, German Jewish immigrant to Great Britain and civil engineer, and that of his wife, Ursula Meyer. Otto Bondy (depositor's mother's brother) was born into a Jewish family in Vienna on 5 August 1892. He served in the First World War with distinction. He completed his engineering studies in Vienna in 1921 and went to Berlin to become an assistant to the Professor of Engineering structures, German industry (c1926-1931). He emigrated to London, c1933 and died in Surrey on 24 May 1986. In c1925 Otto Bondy used the library of VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure) where Ursula Carola Else Meyer was the librarian. Her father was director and Secretary of the VDI). They became close friends. After OB's emigration to England, Ursula (Ulla) joined him and they were married in about 1933. He was interned as an enemy alien but later released on account of his expertise which could help the war effort. Ursula Meyer was born on 7 December 1897 into a Protestant family and died in Surrey on 22 February 1985. She worked as a secretary/ typist/ book-keeper for a firm of chartered accountants in the city until about 1972. The original arrangement of the material has been preserved.