The Free German League of Culture
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VOLAJRUME JOURNAL 0 NO.9 SEPTEMBER 200 The Free German League of Culture oday, it is hard to imagine that 1939 at an informal meeting held at the the AJR was once overshadowed Hampstead home of the refugee lawyer T by other organisations claiming and painter Fred Uhlman. It was formally to represent the refugees from Germany constituted at a meeting on 1 March 1939, and Austria in Britain. Yet this was the when Uhlman was appointed chairman, case during the wartime years, when and four honorary presidents were the Free German League of Culture elected: the artist Oskar Kokoschka, the (FGLC, Freier Deutscher Kulturbund) drama critic Alfred Kerr, the writer Stefan was active as the body representing the Zweig and the film director Berthold refugees from Germany, and the Austrian Viertel. The presence of these eminent Centre those from Austria. These were names indicates the importance of culture politically inspired organisations, aiming to the League and to its political aims. It to represent all anti-Nazi refugees from had close relations with the small group Germany or Austria irrespective of of German Communists who had fled to religion or race, unlike the AJR, whose London. Its strategy mirrored Communist constituency was the Jewish refugees tactics during the Popular Front period of irrespective of nationality. the 1930s: to use a programme of cultural Both the FGLC and the Austrian Centre and artistic events to enlist the support of were founded in 1939, just before the FGLC honorary president Oskar Kokoschka a broad spectrum of left-liberal, culturally outbreak of war. Both had an impressive and politically progressive opinion and to record in gaining membership among that is very readable and easily accessible weld it into an anti-Fascist alliance under the refugees and in providing their to lay readers. It complements the study Communist control. members with valuable social and cultural Out of Austria: The Austrian Centre in The FGLC advertised itself as politically services, under very unfavourable wartime London, 1939-1947, by Marietta Bearman neutral, describing itself as ‘a German, conditions. The refugees were then and others, published by Libris (London) anti-Nazi, anti-Fascist, non-party, refugee ‘enemy aliens’ who, forced to flee from in 2004. organisation’. Refugees from Hitler could their native lands, were living as uprooted, As the authors say in their admirably not have created a campaigning left-wing impermanent emigrants in a country clear introduction, the FGLC was the organisation in the conditions of 1939, that could devote scant attention to their foremost cultural, social and political as the British authorities would not have welfare. The importance of the FGLC organisation representing anti-Nazi permitted it. Communist influence over the and the Austrian Centre can be gauged Germans in Britain during the war. At League should not be overestimated: of the by the affection with which they are still its peak, it had some 1,500 members, but eight members of its executive committee, remembered by those who benefited from many more people attended the impressive only three, Hans Schnellenberger, the their services. They form a significant, list of cultural events that it put on. It League’s secretary, the composer Ernst but largely forgotten chapter in the early produced a newsletter, Freie Deutsche Hermann Meyer and the actor Gerhard history of the refugees from Hitler in Kultur; it had a lively youth wing, the Freie Hinze, were Communists. When the Britain. Deutsche Jugend; it created a university anti-Communist Uhlman was replaced as The publication of a full-length in exile, the Freie Deutsche Hochschule chairman later in 1939, his successor was historical study of the FGLC is greatly (Free German Institute of Science and the non-aligned left-winger Hans Flesch to be welcomed. Politics by Other Means: Learning); and, when the time was ripe for (Flesch-Brunningen). From December The Free German League of Culture political activity, it formed the core of the 1939, the FGLC had premises of its own, in London 1939-1946, by Charmian Free German Movement, which sought at 36a Upper Park Road, Belsize Park, Brinson and Richard Dove, published by to rally all anti-Nazi Germans behind a London. Vallentine Mitchell in 2010 (253 pages, £45 single political agenda and to plan for a The League was established as an anti- hardback), is a thoroughly researched and democratic, peaceful post-war Germany. Fascist organisation, aiming to mobilise a impeccably scholarly account that tells These were substantial achievements. substantial section of the refugees from the absorbing story of its subject in a way The FGLC was founded early in continued overleaf AJR JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 200 THE FREE GERMAN LEAGUE OF CULTURE cont. from page 1 Intern Jan will be missed by all Germany around a platform of anti-Fascist was restricted to such non-political but political and cultural activity. Its first invaluable tasks as rendering assistance declared objective was ‘to preserve and to those of its members who had been advance Free German Culture’. It believed interned and carrying out social welfare that since culture inside Germany had activities generally, to mitigate the many been destroyed, suppressed or distorted problems of homelessness, loneliness and by the Nazis, it was the responsibility of restrictive government regulation that those in exile to preserve the true heritage affected the refugees. Only after the entry and traditions of German culture. The term of the Soviet Union into the war in June ‘exile’ is significant, for it implied that once 1941 was the League able to embark on Nazism had been defeated, the refugees in political work. Victory over Hitler was its Britain would return to Germany, bringing primary objective. It sought to integrate Jan with ‘befriendee’ Michael Warner their brand of progressive, democratic the refugees into the war effort against t was with some trepidation that I German culture with them. The League Germany; it campaigned to support the welcomed Jan Botsch, from Tübingen saw its members as Germans temporarily Soviet Union and to promote Anglo-Soviet Iin south-west Germany, to the AJR a in exile, but the great majority of those friendship; and it strove to attract British year ago. This was the first time the AJR who had fled Hitler saw themselves as friends and patrons to its conception of had worked alongside ARSP (Action Jewish refugees, permanently estranged the democratic, progressive Germany Reconciliation Services for Peace) and had had a full-time intern. However, from Germany and unwilling to return. that would rise from the ashes of the within days my fears were allayed and If the FGLC could not openly campaign Third Reich. Jan became an integral part of the politically in Britain and was instead The specifically political dimension team. obliged to use culture as ‘the continuation of the FGLC was embodied in the Free Jan spent one day a week at the of politics by other means’, it did so most German Movement, which held its AJR Centre, where he helped members; regularly attended and supported the energetically. It was divided into five inaugural meeting at Holy Trinity Church team at the Hendon and Ealing regional sections – for writers, actors, artists, Hall in Finchley Road on 25 September groups; and befriended two clients. musicians and scientists – and it was 1943. The FGM leadership included In his ‘spare time’ in the office, he set within these culturally defined sections important Communist figures like Johann up and ran the computer help project, that much of its work was carried out. Fladung, Wilhelm Koenen and the brothers as well as writing the articles for the volunteer newsletter and updating the The writers included figures like Max Max and Siegfried Zimmering, as well as application process for new volunteers. Zimmering and Jan Petersen, as well as people of other political persuasions. But Everyone at AJR will miss Jan’s warm the young Erich Fried (an Austrian). The the FGLC’s push towards a new post-war smile, calming manner, sense of humour Artists’ Section had figures of international politics for Germany brought hitherto and compassionate nature. renown in Kokoschka and John Heartfield. latent conflicts to the surface. A group of Carol Hart Head of Volunteer Services Music, predictably, was a particular non-aligned, left-liberal members of the strength: the Musicians’ Section included League, mostly intellectuals and writers, figures like Ernst Hermann Meyer and suspicious of the influence wielded by and were eager to return to Germany Fritz Berend and helped to launch the the Communists and their enthusiasm for (mostly to the Soviet Zone), and the careers of such youthful prodigies as the Soviet Union, broke away in January Jewish refugees, who were largely non- Norbert Brainin of the Amadeus Quartet 1943 to form Club 1943, the distinguished political and had no wish to live in and the pianist André Asriel, who made refugee cultural forum that survives to Germany ever again. The AJR, which his career in East Germany. this day. made no secret of its disapproval of the The actors created a number of The FGLC failed to bridge the divide Free German Movement, proved better successful revues in the style of the Berlin between the political exiles from Hitler, a attuned to the needs and aspirations of cabaret, notably Going, Going – Gong!, number of whom shared its political views the Jewish majority among the refugees. staged at the Arts Theatre in 1939, and While the FGLC was urging the refugees Mr Gulliver Goes to School, staged at the AJR Directors Gordon Greenfield to return to Germany, the AJR, along with FGLC’s own Little Theatre in Upper Park Michael Newman its sister organisations in America and Carol Rossen Road, one of several witty and intelligent Palestine, was submitting to the United AJR Heads of Department revues scripted by Fritz Gottfurcht and Susie Kaufman Organiser, AJR Centre Nations Conference at San Francisco in Egon Larsen.