From Rüschlikon to Paris, 1929

Letter from Olga Hotz to Lina Hotz

In October 1929, Lina Hotz travelled to Paris with a study group from the Adult Education Center in Zurich. While she was away, her sister Olga continued running the shop in Rüschlikon by herself. In her letter, Olga writes about everyday life in the shop, about customers and news from the village, and even asks Lina to look around in Paris for the latest shoe fashions. The letter reveals how closely the sisters’ lives were tied to the shop.

“So, as I said, you can be away without any worries. Things are running as usual. Yesterday, for example, Saturday morning and around midday were very quiet, but from about five o’clock onwards we had a lot to do. Zwergli Kläer bought high shoes, and several others bought slippers, so that the evening made up for the whole day.” 

“Please also look around in Paris to see whether people still wear natural rubber soles and whether crêpe soles or black rubber soles are fashionable. The demand for them is quite strong, and people keep asking whether they are still in style. Yesterday I sold two pairs.” 

“The people were patient while waiting, because it has become quite cosy again in the Hotz shop; you know, since the 10th of October we have been heating the shop.”