‘Ihr Berge, adieu’ – nature as a sanctuary for a persecuted Munich Jew

ABSTRACT

The connectedness of place, space and time is a well-known idea in the context of space in social theory. This paper argues that the factor of agency, specifically the question whether meaning is given to a space in a conscious or unconscious process, should also be discussed. By analysing a body of correspondence, the perception of nature in the eyes of the Munich Jewish citizen, Erwin Schwager, during the Nazi period is explored, showing the meaning of nature as space of Heimat, recreation and sanctuary in changing circumstances. The usage of a microhistorical approach proved effective for linking the concepts of place, space, time and agency.

KEYWORDS:

• Jewish History
• National Socialism
• space
• agency
• persecution
• Munich

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Andreas Heusler, Biographisches Gedenkbuch der Münchner Juden, 1933–1945 (München: Stadtarchiv München, 2003–2007).

2. For detailed information on the increasing persecution on German Jews: Uwe D. Adam, Judenpolitik im Dritten Reich, Unveränd. Nachdr. der Orig.-Ausg, Droste-Taschenbuch Geschichte (Düsseldorf: Droste, 2003). For information on the development of the Munich Jewish Community and its rise during the 1930s: Peter Hanke, Zur Geschichte der Juden in München 1933–1945., Miscellanea Bavaria Monacensia, vol. 3 (München, 1967).

3. Carlo Ginzburg, The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller/Carlo Ginzburg, trans. John and Anne Tedeschi (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980).

4. Claire Zalc and Tal Bruttmann, “Introduction: Towards a Microhistory of the Holocaust,” in Microhistories of the Holocaust, vol. 24, ed. Claire Zalc and Tal Bruttmann, War and Genocide (New York: Berghahn, 2017).

5. For a long time, the idea of a ‘choiceless choice’ shaped the idea of the Jews as a helpless group caught up in the Shoah. This term war introduced by Lawrence L. Langer solely in the context of death camps but has been transferred to the overall situation: Lawrence L. Langer, “The Dilemma of Choice in Deathcamps,” in Holocaust: Religious and Philosophical Implications, ed. John K. Roth and Michael Berenbaum (New York: Paragon House, 1989). This term implies the helplessness of individuals, denying them influence on their own fate or how to deal with developments. The sociological term of agency – the power to act – contradicts this perspective.

6. The Schwager family members were closely attached to each other, as the extended letter collection of Erwin Schwager shows. For this paper, only the corpus of letters written by Erwin Schwager in Munich during 1936 until to his emigration to the United States in October 1938 is being used. The extended collection contains letters from a so far unknown, wider period, as well as the answers of friends and family that Erwin received during this wider period and until 1942 when he already was a young immigrant in the US. All these letters are still in the private possession of the Erwin Schwager family and will hence be cited accordingly. I want to hereby thank the family for the generosity of allowing access to their heritage and supporting this article.

7. Ibid.

8. Michael A. Peters and Fabian Kessl, “Space, Time, History: The Reassertion of Space in Social Theory,” Policy Futures in Education 7, no. 1 (2000): 20–30.

9. Angelo Torre, “A ‘Spatial Turn’ in History? Landscapes, Visions, Resources,” Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales 63, no. 5 (2008), https://www.cairn-int.info/article-E_ANNA_635_1127–a-spatial-turn-in-history.htm.

10. Torre, “A ‘Spatial Turn’ in History?” 658.

11. Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1991).

12. Richard White, “What is Spatial History?” https://web.stanford.edu/group/spatialhistory/cgi-bin/site/pub.php?id=29.

13. Peters and Kessl, “Space, Time, History,” 25.

14. Ibid., 26.

15. White, “What is Spatial History?” 2.

16. Michael A. Peters and Fabian Kessl, “Space, Time, History: The Reassertion of Space in Social Theory,” Policy Futures in Education 7, no. 1 (2000): 24.

17. Stephen A. Ross, “The Economic Theory of Agency: The Principal’s Problem,” The American Economic Review 63, no. 2 (1973), https://www.jstor.org/stable/1817064.

18. Chris Barker, Cultural studies: Theory and Practice. 5th ed. (London CT: Sage Publications, 2016), 277–94 gives a comprehensive overview on the development of agency theory in Social Studies.

19. This development is observed not only in Munich but throughout the Reich. For general developments: Wolf Gruner, ed., Die Verfolgung und Ermordung der europäischen Juden durch das nationalsozialistische Deutschland 1933–1945: Band 1: Deutsches Reich, 1933–1937 (München: R. Oldenbourg Verlag, 2008), http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&AN=757814. and Susanne Heim, Die Verfolgung und Ermordung der europäischen Juden durch das nationalsozialistische Deutschland 1933–1945: Band 2: Deutsches Reich, 1938-August 1939 (München: R. Oldenbourg Verlag, 2009), http://dx.doi.org/10.1524/9783486708721. For a closer look on the situation in Munich: Wolfram Selig, Leben unterm Rassenwahn: Vom Antisemitismus in der ‘Hauptstadt der Bewegung’/Wolfram Selig (Berlin: Metropol, 2001). For Erwin, the situation worsens when his parent’s business is threatened by the so-called ‘aryanization”, a development described in Wolfram Selig, ‘Arisierung’ in München: Die Vernichtung jüdischer Existenz 1937–1939 (Berlin: Metropol, 2004). Information on his parent’s business can be found on pages 297–299.

20. Erwin Schwager to Anneliese Wallach, Munich 09.12.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

21. Erwin Schwager to Fanny Strauss, Munich, 09.03.1938, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family. All letters are written in German. Translation by the author. All translations have been discussed with and corrected by Dianne Schwager.

22. Erwin Schwager to Elisabeth (last name unknown), Munich, 08.01.1938, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

23. Erwin Schwager to Fanny Strauss, Munich, 05.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

24. Erwin Schwager to Mädchen, Munich, 09.01.1938, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family. The name of Mädchen is unknown. It becomes clear throughout the correspondence that Mädchen is of so-called Aryan descend, which makes the correspondence with a Jewish descendant at least uncommon, if not forbidden. Both writers are aware of and reflecting on this issue but cannot withstand to continue the communication due to a deep friendship. The style of the letters to Mädchen is usually very open and honest, the communication on a deep level.

25. Own translation.

26. Erwin Schwager to Hildegard Jung, Munich, 04.08.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

27. A remarkable example is the story of Lieselotte Cahnmann, a young Jewish woman that had an accident during her last weekend in the mountains before emigration. She broke her leg, therefore departure to Palestine had to be delayed. With the outbreak of war, her emigration became more and more questionable until finally she succeeded to leave with one of the last illegal Aliyah transports. Sigwart Cahnmann to his children, Munich,15.07.1939, in Werner and Gisella Cahnman Collection; AR 25210; 2; 2; Leo Baeck Institute.

28. Erwin Schwager to Heinz Stein, Munich, 23.01.1938, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

29. Fanny Strauss, married name Erich, was a close friend of Erwin. They met in Nuremberg, where Erwin was living during 1930 to 1932 to participate in an apprenticeship program. Throughout the entire period covered in the letters, Erwin and Fanny stay in touch, support each other in questions regarding emigration and share important life events by letter, such as Fanny’s wedding or the births of her two children.

30. Erwin Schwager to Fanny Erich, Munich, 06.02.1938, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

31. Erwin Schwager to Mädchen, Munich, 22.01.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

32. Erwin Schwager to Mädchen, Munich, 10.02.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

33. Erwin Schwager to Fanny Erich, Munich, 08.12.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

34. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 27.04.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family. Trude has asked Erwin Schwager to not include her last name in the translation of his letters or in any publication.

35. Erwin Schwager to Hildegard Jung, Munich, 08.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

36. Erwin Schwager to Elisabeth, Munich, 27.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

37. L.F., “Bar-Kochbas Jugend beim Herbstwaldlauf.: Goldfarb, Schwager und Finkel siegen im Mannschaftslauf. Goldfarb Erster und Schwager Zweiter im Einzellauf,” Bamberger Volksblatt, October 13, 1929.

38. Erwin Schwager to Elisabeth, Munich, 22.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

39. Erwin Schwager to Mädchen, Munich, 09.01.1938, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

40. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 04.08.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

41. Erwin Schwager to Elisabeth, Munich, 27.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

42. Bayerisches Wirtschaftsarchiv K1, XXI 16, Akt. 28, Fall 19 and 16b as well as Akt. 18a; Stadtarchiv München Leihamt/Wiedergutmachung Nr. 434.

43. Erwin Schwager to Fanny Erich, Munich, 08.12.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

44. Erwin Schwager to Mädchen, Munich, 22.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

45. Erwin Schwager to Pepi Teller, Munich, 26.08.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

46. Erwin Schwager to Mädchen, Munich, 22.08.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

47. Erwin Schwager to Elisabeth, Munich, 07.11.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

48. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 27.03.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

49. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 25.04.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

50. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 20.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

51. Erwin Schwager to Hildegard Jung, Munich, 25.05.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

52. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 27.04.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

53. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 20.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

54. Ibd.

55. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 27.03.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

56. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 04.01.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

57. Erwin Schwager to Hildegard Jung, Munich, 11.05.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

58. Erwin Schwager to Unknown, Munich, 22.05.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

59. Erwin Schwager to Fanny Erich, Munich, 05.07.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

60. Erwin Schwager to Mädchen, Munich, 20.09.1936, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

61. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 04.01.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

62. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 27.03.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

63. Erwin Schwager to Mädchen, Munich, 22.08.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

64. Erwin Schwager to Trude, Munich, 04.09.1937, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

65. Erwin Schwager to Fanny Erich, Munich, 06.02.1938, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

66. Erwin Schwager to Fanny Erich, Munich, 06.02.1938, in private possession of the Erwin Schwager family.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Katharina Seehuber

Katharina Seehuber is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Jewish History and Culture under Prof. Dr Michael Brenner at LMU Munich. She holds a Staatsexamen in History, German and Politics. Her current research focus lies on German-Jewish History and Contemporary History, especially on the period of the National Socialists. Katharina has been awarded a PhD scholarship from Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation Germany.