From Schloss Salem to Gordonstoun Ne of the Undoubted Highlights of the Charles Is Her Great-Great-Great-Grandson

VOLUME 17 NO.3 MARCH 2017 journal The Association of Jewish Refugees From Schloss Salem to Gordonstoun ne of the undoubted highlights of the Charles is her great-great-great-grandson. At the struggling Weimar Republic and to UK’s recent Holocaust Memorial that critical historical juncture in November replace it with a more ‘nationally-minded’ Day activities was the high profile 1918, Hahn was acting as private secretary to government – which turned out to mean participationO of HRH Charles, Prince of Prince Max of Baden, who had, if reluctantly, Hitler. Wales, who spoke at the WJR dinner and also been appointed Chancellor of imperial Prince Max of Baden (1867-1929) visited Yavneh College. On both occasions Germany in early October 1918, when its played a brief but important role in the Prince Charles spoke glowingly of Kurt Hahn, military and political leaders were struggling tumultuous events of autumn 1918 in the German-Jewish educator credited with to come to terms with the catastrophic reality Germany, which were to bear such fateful founding the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award fruit for Germany and Europe some fifteen scheme and Gordonstoun in Moray, Scotland years later. Kurt Hahn, who had previously – the school attended by Prince Philip, and worked for the German Foreign Ministry, later by Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and was at his side. Prince Max could claim to Prince Edward. be Germany’s first parliamentary chancellor. Hahn had been headmaster of the famous For ever since Bismarck had first assumed progressive Schule Schloss Salem, near Lake that position in 1871, when Germany was Constance in South Germany, before fleeing united, the chancellor had been appointed to Britain in 1933. The school had been by the Emperor; he was not the leader founded in April 1920 by Hahn, with the of a parliamentary party, commanding a support of Prince Maximilian of Baden. It majority in the Reichstag, and did not even numbered the children of many celebrities sit in parliament. He had to secure a majority among its pupils, including two of Thomas in the Reichstag to ensure the passage of Mann’s children, Golo and Monika. The his legislation, but – typically of imperial renowned violinist Carl Flesch, a Jew, sent Germany’s hybrid constitution, which his son, also named Carl, to Salem. In placed it somewhere between democracy and 1934, the younger Carl Flesch emigrated autocracy – he was ultimately dependent on to Britain, where he became a successful Kurt Hahn the Emperor, not on the Reichstag. insurance broker and an active figure in the In autumn 1918, Ludendorff, realising AJR; he has left a vivid picture of his time at of Germany’s imminent defeat in World War that the German army was in danger of Salem in an interview in the AJR’s Refugee I and its terrible implications for the country’s collapsing, became convinced of the necessity Voices collection. Hahn was responsible for future. After two years of what had effectively of negotiating an armistice; but he was aware the development of original and important been the military dictatorship of the German that President Wilson of the United States pedagogical principles, which sought to Supreme Command, the looming prospect of would not negotiate with the old autocratic combine academic studies with physical defeat on the Western Front had deprived the regime in Germany. He therefore pressed for activities and character building. These army leaders, Field Marshall von Hindenburg a parliamentarisation of the regime, at least principles are also evident in the Outward and General Ludendorff, of their hold on to the extent that the new chancellor must Bound courses that he originally devised power, which passed to Germany’s politicians. have the backing of the moderate majority for young seamen at Aberdovey in Wales In November 1918, military defeat led in the Reichstag, the Social Democrats, during World War II; these derive from his to the collapse of the German Empire, the Progressives and Centre (Catholic) Party, concept of an intense experience involving abdication of the Kaiser and the establishment who had voted for the Peace Resolution in challenges in a natural setting, through which of the Weimar Republic, Germany’s first July 1917 (which the Supreme Command the individual builds a sense of self-worth, parliamentary democracy. But what had ignored). Prince Max, a man of liberal the group comes to a heightened awareness happened in Germany in November 1918 views despite his royal birth, was acceptable of human interdependence, and all grow in was very different from what had happened both to the politicians in the Reichstag and concern for those in danger and need. in Russia a year earlier, when the Bolshevik to the army leadership. He was accordingly The Revolution that Revolution had swept away the old Tsarist appointed chancellor on 3 October 1918, Overthrew the German Empire order; in Germany, by contrast, much of the leading a government that included members Kurt Hahn (1886-1974) also provides old order survived. What has often been seen of the majority parliamentary parties and the link between the heir to the throne of as the failure of the November revolution in was directly dependent on the Reichstag, in England in 2017 and the revolution that Germany to effect thorough-going change particular on the Social Democrats, the largest brought about the abdication of Kaiser created a weak and flawed democracy heavily party representing Germany’s working class. Wilhelm II in November 1918; Wilhelm reliant on anti-republican, right-wing forces; But Prince Max assumed office under was Queen Victoria’s grandson (his mother in the crisis situation of the early 1930s, these the most difficult circumstances. He had to was her eldest daughter Victoria), and Prince forces proved only too willing to undermine continued on page 2 journal MARCH 2017 From Schloss Salem to Gordonstoun continued ANTISEMITISM UP 36% JR Chief Executive Michael shoulder the heavy burden of negotiating the Newman has joined leading terms of Germany’s defeat with its victorious Apoliticians and policemen in enemies. Worse still, Ludendorff insisted that denouncing the shocking rise in the new chancellor must make an immediate antisemitic hate incidents in the approach for an armistice to President Wilson UK, as reported in the Community – which, as Prince Max realised, would gravely Security Trust (CST)’s annual report. The CST recorded 1,309 weaken his government’s position both in his antisemitic incidents nationwide negotiations with the Allies and in dealing during 2016, a 36 per cent increase with Germany’s internal situation, where Prince Charles at Gordonstoun on 2015. The cause for the increase is news of the armistice negotiations would believed to be the cumulative effect undermine morale on the home front and proclaimed the republic from the balcony of of a series of events and factors, among the fighting forces. Ludendorff’s the Reichstag, while his colleague Friedrich including the Gaza conflict, terrorist demands had the effect of laying the heavy Ebert informed Prince Max that, in view incidents in Europe, allegations of responsibility for dealing with the disaster of the insurrectionary mood of the masses, antisemitism in the Labour Party of Germany’s defeat onto the new civilian he would have to withdraw his party’s and a general increase in racism government, while at the same time hobbling representatives from the government. Prince and xenophobia following the EU referendum. it in its attempts to do so. The military leaders Max accordingly resigned, leaving a situation Taken together, these factors thus offloaded much of the blame for their in which the moderate Social Democrats have created an atmosphere in disastrous conduct of the war onto the civilian sought to head off a wave of revolutionary which more antisemitic incidents are politicians who replaced them in power. extremism. In that they succeeded, but only occurring, and are also more likely to The weakness of the subsequent civilian by calling in the army and by siding with be reported to CST and the Police. governments of the Weimar Republic, and the right-wing forces fundamentally hostile to The most common single type of undeserved glorification of the imperial army democracy and to the new republic. Prince incident recorded by CST in 2016 that had in reality lost the war, can in part be Max’s short-lived government had been involved verbal abuse randomly traced to this juncture in events. the opening phase in Germany’s troubled directed at visibly Jewish people in On 3 October, Prince Max addressed transition to democracy. public. There were also 107 violent a note to President Wilson, requesting an Hahn’s Career after 1918 antisemitic assaults, although fortunately none of these resulted armistice and accepting Wilson’s celebrated After the First World War, Kurt Hahn’s in grievous bodily harm or threat Fourteen Points, set out in his speech of liberal principles were evident in his politics to life. 8 January 1918, as the basis for peace as well as in his attitude to education. He AJR’s Michael Newman negotiations between Germany and the Allies. was an outspoken opponent of the Nazis, commented: “This significant As Prince Max feared, events rapidly ran out giving public expression to his abhorrence of increase is profoundly troubling and of his control. The start of peace negotiations Nazi violence even after Hitler’s assumption a stain on Britain which already does made it obvious that Germany could no of power in January 1933. For this he was so much to counter these hateful longer hope to win the war and that a new arrested and imprisoned for five days in attacks. Most worrying is the form focus for popular support was required; but March 1933; he was only released after and sources of reported incidents, Prince Max, even as chancellor, was a little- an appeal from Ramsay MacDonald, the from among politicians to students as well as both physical and verbal known figure unable to unite the mass of British Prime Minister.

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