Anti-Nazi Exiles German Socialists in Britain and Their Shifting Alliances 1933-1945
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Anti-Nazi Exiles German Socialists in Britain and their Shifting Alliances 1933-1945 by Merilyn Moos Anti-Nazi Exiles German Socialists in Britain and their Shifting Alliances 1933-1945 by Merilyn Moos Community Languages Published by Community Languages, 2021 Anti-Nazi Exiles, by Merilyn Moos, published by the Community Languages is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Front and rear cover images copyright HA Rothholz Archive, University of Brighton Design Archives All other images are in the public domain Front and rear cover illustrations: Details from "Allies inside Germany" by H A Rothholz Born in Dresden, Germany, Rothholz emigrated to London with his family in 1933, to escape the Nazi regime. He retained a connection with his country of birth through his involvement with émigré organisations such as the Free German League of Culture (FGLC) in London, for whom he designed a series of fundraising stamps for their exhibition "Allies Inside Germany" in 1942. Community Languages 53 Fladgate Road London E11 1LX Acknowledgements We would like to thank Ian Birchall, Charmian Brinson, Dieter Nelles, Graeme Atkinson, Irena Fick, Leonie Jordan, Mike Jones, University of Brighton Design Archives. This work would not have been publicly available if it had not been for the hard work and friendship of Steve Cushion to whom I shall be forever grateful. To those of us who came after and carry on the struggle Table of Contents Left-wing German refugees who came to the UK before and during the Second World War..................................................................................................................................3 Introduction.................................................................................................................3 1933...........................................................................................................................31 Edith Bone (1889-1975)........................................................................................31 Albert Einstein (1879-1955).................................................................................35 Dora Fabian (1901– 4 April 1935)........................................................................37 Hans Hess (1908-1974).........................................................................................41 Heinz Kamnitzer (1917-2001)..............................................................................42 Ruth Koplowitz (1906-2001)................................................................................45 Otto Lehmann Russbueldt, 1873-1964.................................................................46 Ernst Meyer (sometimes known as Ernst Hermann Meyer or Peter Baker) (1905- 1988).....................................................................................................................53 Margaret Mynatt (1907-1977)..............................................................................56 Arthur Rosenberg (1889-1943).............................................................................57 Ernst Toller (1893-1939)......................................................................................60 1933/34......................................................................................................................66 Lotte (1909-2008) and Siegi Moos (1905-1988)..................................................66 1934...........................................................................................................................70 Hans Eisler (1898-1962).......................................................................................70 Rosa Leviné-Meyer (1890-1979)..........................................................................74 Alfred Meusel (1896-1960)..................................................................................76 Gunther Reimann (1904–2005)............................................................................77 1936...........................................................................................................................78 Luise Dornemann (1901–1992)............................................................................78 Käte (1871-1953) and Hermann Dunker (1874-1960).........................................83 The Kuczinski clan................................................................................................88 Walter Loewenheim (1896-1977).........................................................................93 Karl Otten (1889 -1963)........................................................................................96 Hans Siebert (1910-1979)...................................................................................100 1937.........................................................................................................................102 Anna Beyer (1909-1991)....................................................................................102 Margaret Dewar, 1901-1995...............................................................................103 Fritz Eberhard (1896-1982)................................................................................105 Kurt Hiller (1885-1972)......................................................................................105 Gerhard Hinze (1904-1972)................................................................................108 1 1938.........................................................................................................................110 Willi Eichler (1896-1971)...................................................................................110 Johann Fladung (1898-1982)..............................................................................113 Hugo (1892-1958) and Herta Graf (1911-1996).................................................115 John Heartfield (born Helmut Herzfeld) (1891 – 1968).....................................119 1939.........................................................................................................................131 Kurt Barthel (1914-1967)....................................................................................131 Kurt Hager (also known as Felix Albin) (1912 - 1998)......................................133 Hans Kahle (1899-1947).....................................................................................134 Jan Koplowitz (1909-2001)................................................................................141 Wencelas and Kathe Kozlecki............................................................................142 Josef Lampersberger (born 1912).......................................................................147 Max Zimmering (1909-1973).............................................................................151 1940.........................................................................................................................152 Fritz Bieligk (1893-1967)...................................................................................152 Hans Ebeling (1897 - 1968)................................................................................154 Wilhelm Koenen (1886-1963)............................................................................155 1940 /41...................................................................................................................160 Friedrich Geyer...................................................................................................160 Karl Friedrich Groehl (1896-1979).....................................................................162 Werner Ilberg (1896-1978).................................................................................172 Hans Jahn (1885-1960).......................................................................................172 Jupp Kappius 1907-1967....................................................................................175 Helmut Klose (1904-1987).................................................................................177 Werner Lehmann (1904 – 1941).........................................................................178 Paul Lindner (1911-1969), Anton “Toni” Ruh (1912-1964)..............................181 Walter Loeb (1895-1948)....................................................................................184 Hilde Meisel 1914-1945......................................................................................185 Hans Vogel (1881-1945).....................................................................................187 1944.........................................................................................................................188 Hermann Knüfken (1893-1976)..........................................................................188 2 Left-wing German refugees who came to the UK before and during the Second World War Introduction What are you doing researching material from almost hundred years ago, friends ask. And I reply that, apart from its intrinsic interest, looking at the active resistance from the left to the Nazis, is becoming increasingly relevant, as populism, racism and authoritarian rule strides across parts of Europe and the USA. Indeed, I am intrigued by how many people are showing an interest in Steve Cushion’s and my recent book: ‘Anti-Nazi Germans’ or have said that they too are researching some far distant anti- Nazi family member. 1 The refugees included here almost all fled Germany