Description
Object description
German Jewish civilian emigrated to GB, 1933; worked as assistant at British Museum and Warburg Institute, London, 1933-1938; interned at Lingfield Race Course, 1940; worked as antiquarian bookseller and art historian in London and Oxford, 1941-1945; post-war career as music scholar and booksellerr in GB.
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in Germany, 1914-1933: family background and childhood in Munich; story of watching returning German Army, 1919; attitude to patriotism; musical activities including playing violin; father's career as art historian and antiquarian bookseller; education; story about father's shop being closed by Nazis, 1933; description of journey to GB via Switzerland, 10/1933. Aspects of period in GB, 1933-1945: accommodation with Deputy Keeper of Manuscripts at British Museum, 1933-1938; employed as assistant on medieval manuscripts at British Museum; story of obtaining post at Warburg Institute; reason for choosing career as art historian; story of leaving Germany and settling in England; role of Warburg Institute in cultural life and promoting art history as academic discipline; relations with Courtauld Institute; story of beginning career as antiquarian bookseller in London; story of house being bombed during London Blitz, 11/1940; moved to Oxford and worked at Bodleian Library, 1941; various memories of émigré community in Oxford.
REEL 2 Continues: story of applying for naturalisation on outbreak of war, 1939; story of being arrested and interned, 1940; description of bus journey to Lingfield Race Course; volunteered as cook; attitude to internment; worked in camp administration; story of deciding to remain in camp and friends being sent to Australia; released from internment and returned to London, 8/1940; further comments on house being bombed and saving books, 11/1940; story of playing violin in internment camp; opinion of Egon Wellesz. Aspects of period in GB, 1945-2000: reason for changing from art to music scholarship; musical activities in Oxford; amusing story about composer Ralph Vaughan Williams; story about Paul Sacher and Stravinsky manuscripts; story of taking over publishing firm from Otto Haas, 1/1955.
REEL 3 Continues: opinion of influence of European refugees on British culture; attitude to Jewish religion; opinion of British way of life and culture; reason for émigré community settling in certain parts of London.