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The Pritchett Couple Who Tried to Visit Hitler’s 1939 Europe—Without Passports
In January 1939, Pritchett, Colorado residents, Frank and Theresa Mauler had saved $500 and headed out of the Dust Bowl for the Sudetenland. Wire services made them famous; world events stopped the trip.
Baca County’s Dust Bowl years were never as isolated as they felt. In January 1939, Frank and Theresa Mauler of Pritchett packed $500 in savings and set out for their old home in the Sudetenland—only to discover on America’s biggest stage that they didn’t have passports.
Within days, wire stories from New York to Kansas City marveled at the couple’s grit—and their naïveté. They planned to visit family in the Sudetenland with $500 (≈ $11,000 today) and no papers. Their small-town dream collided with a world closing in: stricter travel rules, tense borders, and a Europe on the brink of war.
Baca County’s Connection to 1939 Czechoslovakia
If any group of people can claim a connection to the 1930s Dust Bowl it is Baca County. The Dust Bowl—also known as the Dirty Thirties—brought severe dust storms, ruined fields and fences, and sent neighbors looking for work beyond the county line.
Our springboard for this story was a faded newspaper clipping given to me by Baca Countian, Randy Cooper, describing a local couple from Pritchett—Frank and Theresa Mauler—setting out to visit their old home in the Sudetenland in early 1939. Though the clipping had no date or paper listed, the details matched a flurry of wire pieces that ran nationwide the same week. In short order, the Maulers were everywhere: from The Miami News (Jan. 29, 1939) to The Spokesman-Review (Jan. 29, 1939), with additional references in Rochester, NY; Montpelier, VT; Kansas City, and more.
“Blue Ribbon Stock” in the Big City
One widely carried feature, filed from New York, painted a vivid scene: the Maulers arriving at Grand Central Terminal with thrift-store suitcases, $500 in life savings, and no idea they needed passports or destination visas. The writer—using the period term “Naziland”—assured Chancellor Hitler that this Colorado couple was “blue ribbon stock” and asked officials to “take good care of the Maulers.” The piece mixed humor with respect for their work ethic: Frank was described as “sturdy, old-world stock,” and Theresa, though small, as every bit his match.
Another headline read, “They Never Heard of Passports,” explaining how steamship officials barred them from boarding a European liner without proper documents. The story captured something recognizable to Dust Bowl families: the courage to go, the means barely in reach, and the rules changing by the time you arrive.
Sutenland: A History of Controversy and Conflict
The history of Sudetenland dates back to the Middle Ages when it was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. The region was inhabited by various ethnic groups, including Czechs, Germans, and Jews, who coexisted peacefully for centuries. However, tensions arose in the 19th century as nationalism and ethnic identity became more important in Europe.
In 1918, Czechoslovakia was established as an independent state after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Sudetenland, which was predominantly inhabited by ethnic Germans, became part of Czechoslovakia. This decision was met with resistance from some Germans, who felt that they were being forced to live under Czech rule.
In the 1930s, the rise of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler led to increased tensions in the region. Hitler demanded that Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland to Germany, claiming that the ethnic Germans living there were being mistreated. In 1938, the Munich Agreement was signed by Germany, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom, which allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland. This decision is widely regarded as a major step towards the outbreak of World War II.
After World War II, the Sudeten Germans were expelled from Czechoslovakia, and the region was incorporated into the Czech Republic. Since then, the area has been a source of controversy and tension, with some ethnic Germans seeking compensation for their losses and others calling for greater autonomy for the region.
Today, Sudetenland is part of the Czech Republic, and the region continues to be an important area for tourism and industry. However, the history of Sudetenland is a reminder of the dangers of nationalism and the need for peaceful solutions to conflicts between ethnic groups.
What We Know &What We’d Like to Know
The Journal-Advance (Gentry, Arkansas) February 2, 1939 provides the following: Former Arkansas Farmer and Wife to Visit Europe – Frank Mauler, 59 years old, and his wife Theresa, stopped off on Friday on the first leg of their journey to Mauler’s old home in Europe because, Mauler said, “My father would like to see me before he passes away.” The Maulers are former peasants who have made a frugal living since coming to the United States in 1901 and settling on farms in Kansas, Arkansas, and Colorado. They did not have passports and had already spent $100 of their life savings of $500 on their trip across the continent. The Travelers Aid Society helped them make arrangements to sail on Monday on the Rotterdam. Their ultimate destination is the house where Mauler was born in a village in Sudetenland, now a part of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Mauler lived for several years on a farm northwest of Gentry. They moved from there to Colorado about four years Mrs. ago. Two daughters. Merl Jones and Mrs. Leach live near Cherokee, and a son, Frank Mauler, lives near Concord.
We were unable to locate the original local article, but the Binghamton (NY) Press and Sun-Bulletin of Jan. 27, 1939 appears to carry the fullest early version of the “Please, Mr. Hitler…” framing. Follow-ups ran Jan. 28–29, with variations on the same facts.
Apparently at some point they did make it. The February 6, 1939 Issue of Newsweek mentions that it includes, “Photo of Frank and Theresa Mauler who returned to Pinkaute in Europe to visit Mr. Mauler’s father.” We have not yet found whether the Maulers returned to the US.
The Maulers’ almost-journey is a reminder that Baca County stories travel far. Even in the Dust Bowl, our lives were stitched to the world’s headlines. Their plan was simple: see family, bring news home, keep going. The world, in 1939, had other ideas.
NOTE: The first version of this was published in the Plainsman Herald, March 8, 2023. Support Local Journalism. Subscribe today. Want more from the Dust Bowl? Check out: A Different Kind of Dust Bowl Story: Pretty Boy Floyd in Baca County, Colorado, 1934.
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