Siegfried Einstein
Encyclopedia
Siegfried Einstein was a German
-Jewish poet
, novel
ist, essay
ist and journalist
.
owner Max D. Einstein, Siegfried Einstein was born in the small city of Laupheim
in Württemberg
. His father was the owner of the city's largest department store. The Einsteins had been residents in Laupheim since the second half of the 18th century.
On 1 April 1933, the recently elected Nazis organized a one-day boycott of all Jewish-owned businesses in Germany. The department store Einstein was one of the Jewish businesses in Laupheim picketed by local members of the SA
. During this action the shop windows were deliberately smashed.
Whilst hiking
in the mountains in August 1933, Einstein's twenty-year old sister Clärle was killed by lightning in front of his eyes. For the rest of his life he kept the iron tip of her ice axe
as a memento.
During antisemitic
actions in Laupheim in 1934, Siegfried Einstein was chased across the school yard and injured by being pelted with stones whereupon, on 26 September 1934, he fled to Switzerland
and settled in the municipality of Au
in the Canton of St. Gallen
. There he went to boarding school. In November 1938, following the so-called Reichskristallnacht, his father was arrested and sent to the concentration camp Dachau. While being held at Dachau concentration camp, he was deprived of his department store following the programme of Aryanization
. Einstein's father was subsequently released from the concentration camp, physically and mentally a broken man. In 1940, both his parents managed to emigrate to Switzerland, their German nationality having been taken away, thus rendering them stateless. Siegfried Einstein had already been deprived of German nationality.
Between 24 February 1941 and 25 June 1945, Siegfried Einstein, being a stateless foreigner, was interned by the Swiss government in nine labour camps and forced to work in road construction, draining swamp
s and as a clerical assistant. During this period, he managed to contact German resistance groups and learnt about German literature produced by exiled authors. Following his release in 1945 his first works were published.
In 1949, during his first visit to Germany since his emigration, Siegfried Einstein met Erich Kästner
.
From 1950 until 1952, he headed the Pflug Verlag in Thal
near St. Gallen
in Switzerland.
In 1953 he returned to Germany and settled in the Hessian
town of Lampertheim
. However, following antisemitic riots directed against him, exhaustingly reported in the media, he moved to Mannheim
in 1959.
In 1956, the Thomas-Mann-Society awarded him the Thomas-Mann-Förderpreis. In the same year he held the speech during the commemorations of the centenary of Heinrich Heine
's death at Montmartre Cemetery
. His speech was subsequently published in Les Lettres Francaises.
Between 1957 and 1967 he collaborated with several socialist
and satirical
newspapers and magazines amongst which were the Andere Zeitung, Deutscher Michel
and Simplicissimus
. He was also a regular contributor to several radio stations.
In 1961, influenced by the trial of Adolf Eichmann
, he published "Eichmann. Death's Head accountant" (Eichmann. Chefbuchhalter des Todes), a documentary about Nazi culprits and new anti-semitic tendencies within Germany. For this book he was awarded the prestigious Tucholsky-Prize.
In 1962 he travelled to Moscow
, where he met Ilya Ehrenburg
, Konstantin Fedin
, Yevgenia Ginzburg
and Lev Kopelev
. Based on his experience during this journey, he wrote "Unforgettable days in Leningrad - Tashkent and Samarkand" (Unvergessliche Tage in Leningrad - Taschkent und Samarkand).
In 1967 he married Ilona Sand.
From 1954 onwards he worked as a lecturer for literature at the adult education centre
in Mannheim. He also gave lectures and held speeches in Germany as well as abroad. His poems were published in several anthologies
.
He died suddenly of a heart attack
in Mannheim and was buried next to his sister, Clärle, in the Jewish cemetery in Laupheim.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-Jewish poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
ist and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Life
The son of department storeDepartment store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
owner Max D. Einstein, Siegfried Einstein was born in the small city of Laupheim
Laupheim
Laupheim is a city in southern Germany in the state of Baden Württemberg. Laupheim was first mentioned in 778 and gained its city rights in 1869. One of the main trading routes, from Ulm to Ravensburg and then on towards Lake Constance ran through Laupheim...
in Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
. His father was the owner of the city's largest department store. The Einsteins had been residents in Laupheim since the second half of the 18th century.
On 1 April 1933, the recently elected Nazis organized a one-day boycott of all Jewish-owned businesses in Germany. The department store Einstein was one of the Jewish businesses in Laupheim picketed by local members of the SA
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
. During this action the shop windows were deliberately smashed.
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
in the mountains in August 1933, Einstein's twenty-year old sister Clärle was killed by lightning in front of his eyes. For the rest of his life he kept the iron tip of her ice axe
Ice axe
An ice axe, is a multi-purpose ice and snow tool used by mountaineers both in the ascent and descent of routes which involve frozen conditions. It can be held and employed in a number of different ways, depending on the terrain encountered...
as a memento.
During antisemitic
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
actions in Laupheim in 1934, Siegfried Einstein was chased across the school yard and injured by being pelted with stones whereupon, on 26 September 1934, he fled to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and settled in the municipality of Au
Au, St. Gallen
Au is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rheintal in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-Coat of arms:The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure a Crescent Or in bend issuant behind a Cliff Argent.-Geography:...
in the Canton of St. Gallen
Canton of St. Gallen
The Canton of St. Gallen is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of . , the population included 97,461 foreigners, or about 20.9% of the total population. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling...
. There he went to boarding school. In November 1938, following the so-called Reichskristallnacht, his father was arrested and sent to the concentration camp Dachau. While being held at Dachau concentration camp, he was deprived of his department store following the programme of Aryanization
Aryanization
Aryanization is a term coined during Nazism referring to the forced expulsion of so-called "non-Aryans", mainly Jews, from business life in Nazi Germany and the territories it controlled....
. Einstein's father was subsequently released from the concentration camp, physically and mentally a broken man. In 1940, both his parents managed to emigrate to Switzerland, their German nationality having been taken away, thus rendering them stateless. Siegfried Einstein had already been deprived of German nationality.
Between 24 February 1941 and 25 June 1945, Siegfried Einstein, being a stateless foreigner, was interned by the Swiss government in nine labour camps and forced to work in road construction, draining swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s and as a clerical assistant. During this period, he managed to contact German resistance groups and learnt about German literature produced by exiled authors. Following his release in 1945 his first works were published.
In 1949, during his first visit to Germany since his emigration, Siegfried Einstein met Erich Kästner
Erich Kästner
Emil Erich Kästner was a German author, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known for his humorous, socially astute poetry and children's literature.-Dresden 1899–1919:...
.
From 1950 until 1952, he headed the Pflug Verlag in Thal
Thal, Switzerland
Thal is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Rorschach in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.-History:Thal is first mentioned in 1163 as curtis tale....
near St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
in Switzerland.
In 1953 he returned to Germany and settled in the Hessian
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
town of Lampertheim
Lampertheim
Lampertheim is a town in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Lampertheim lies in the southwest corner of Hesse in the Rhine rift at the Biedensand Conservation Area and borders on Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate...
. However, following antisemitic riots directed against him, exhaustingly reported in the media, he moved to Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
in 1959.
In 1956, the Thomas-Mann-Society awarded him the Thomas-Mann-Förderpreis. In the same year he held the speech during the commemorations of the centenary of Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
's death at Montmartre Cemetery
Montmartre Cemetery
Montmartre Cemetery is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France.-History:Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the shutting down of the Cimetière des Innocents in 1786, as they presented health hazards...
. His speech was subsequently published in Les Lettres Francaises.
Between 1957 and 1967 he collaborated with several socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
newspapers and magazines amongst which were the Andere Zeitung, Deutscher Michel
Deutscher Michel
Der Deutsche Michel is a figure representing the national character of the German people, rather as John Bull represents the British. Such figures differ from those that serve as personifications of the nation itself, as Germania does the German nation and Marianne the French...
and Simplicissimus
Simplicissimus
Simplicissimus was a satirical German weekly magazine started by Albert Langen in April 1896 and published through 1967, with a hiatus from 1944-1954. It became a biweekly in 1964...
. He was also a regular contributor to several radio stations.
In 1961, influenced by the trial of Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
, he published "Eichmann. Death's Head accountant" (Eichmann. Chefbuchhalter des Todes), a documentary about Nazi culprits and new anti-semitic tendencies within Germany. For this book he was awarded the prestigious Tucholsky-Prize.
In 1962 he travelled to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where he met Ilya Ehrenburg
Ilya Ehrenburg
Ilya Grigoryevich Ehrenburg was a Soviet writer, journalist, translator, and cultural figure.Ehrenburg is among the most prolific and notable authors of the Soviet Union; he published around one hundred titles. He became known first and foremost as a novelist and a journalist - in particular, as a...
, Konstantin Fedin
Konstantin Fedin
-Biography:Born in Saratov of humble origins, Fedin studied in Moscow and Germany and was interned there during World War I. After his release he worked as an interpreter in the first Soviet embassy in Berlin...
, Yevgenia Ginzburg
Yevgenia Ginzburg
Yevgenia Ginzburg was a Russian author who served an 18-year sentence in the Gulag. Her given name is often Latinized to Eugenia.-Family and early career:...
and Lev Kopelev
Lev Kopelev
Lev Zalmanovich Kopelev was a Soviet author and a dissident.- Biography :...
. Based on his experience during this journey, he wrote "Unforgettable days in Leningrad - Tashkent and Samarkand" (Unvergessliche Tage in Leningrad - Taschkent und Samarkand).
In 1967 he married Ilona Sand.
From 1954 onwards he worked as a lecturer for literature at the adult education centre
Folk high school
Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...
in Mannheim. He also gave lectures and held speeches in Germany as well as abroad. His poems were published in several anthologies
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
.
He died suddenly of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Mannheim and was buried next to his sister, Clärle, in the Jewish cemetery in Laupheim.
Selected works
- Melodien in Dur und Moll, 1946 - poems.
- Die Frau eines Andern oder Der Mann unter dem Bett, 1947 - translation of Fyodor DostoevskyFyodor DostoevskyFyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer of novels, short stories and essays. He is best known for his novels Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov....
's Cuzaja zena i muz pod krovat'ju. - Sirda, 1948 - novel.
- Das Schilfbuch, 1949 - novel.
- Thomas und Angelina, 1949 - novel.
- Das Wolkenschiff, 1950 - poems.
- Legenden, 1951 - novel.
- Eichmann: Chefbuchhalter des Todes, 1961 - documentary.
- Die Geschichte vom Goldfisch, 1961 - translation of Roger Mauge's Histoire d'un poisson rouge.
- Meine Liebe ist erblindet, 1984 - poems, posthumously published.
- Wer wird in diesem Jahr den Schofar blasen?, 1987 - essays, poems and speeches, posthumously published.
See also
- German LiteratureGerman literatureGerman literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
- History of the Jews in LaupheimHistory of the Jews in LaupheimThe History of the Jews in Laupheim began in the first half of the 18th century. Until the second half of the 19th century, the Jewish community in Laupheim expanded continuously to become the largest of its kind in Württemberg...
- LaupheimLaupheimLaupheim is a city in southern Germany in the state of Baden Württemberg. Laupheim was first mentioned in 778 and gained its city rights in 1869. One of the main trading routes, from Ulm to Ravensburg and then on towards Lake Constance ran through Laupheim...