Robert (Bertl) Schläfrig was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1908. A university-educated architect, he worked in Vienna on many apartment buildings and interiors until forced to flee the fierce anti-Semitism of the Nazi regime. He and his wife Jeanette arrived in Australia on 8 February 1939, disembarking at Fremantle from the Esquilino which had sailed from Genoa. He and other family members arrived in Australia separately and independently during that year, choosing to depart Austria as widespread persecution of the Jewish population escalated.
“He walked into my office one day and said, “I’m an architect from Vienna and I’ve come to Australia as I’ve run away from Hitler. I’m thinking of going to Melbourne; would you advise me to go, or is there work here?” I asked have you got any of your work you could show me, as I’m busy and I could do with some extra help. He said, “Well, I’ve got a roll of plans down in the ship. I can get a taxi and bring them back to you in an hour’s time. Can you see me?” I said yes. I just opened them up, that was enough, just the glance. They were superb drawings, beautiful. Clean construction - you could see that things would work. So I said, would you like to start on Monday morning? He started and he was with me ever since, until he died.”
“(Bob) was very good on interiors. He was quite imaginative in design. But he was able to work to our simple methods well, he was so good to get on with. He would never argue, he would always discuss and come to an agreement.”
Harold Krantz, 13 February 1996 (in discussion with Simon Anderson and David Krantz)
Schläfrig gained recognition as an architect in Australia by passing a “Special” examination of the Architect’s Board of Western Australia in 1946. Three months later he changed his name to Robert Sheldon. At this time the firm of Krantz and Sheldon was formed. The highly productive and harmonious working relationship continued until Sheldon’s death at the age of 60 in 1968.
