The Art of Resistance: Defending Academic Freedom since 1933 | Page 92
“It’s natural that your husbands do not
order machines from Germany for their
factories; but you must not buy any Odol
mouthwash or other toilet or domestic
things!” Her Christian landlady said to her
with reference to Hitler: “And there is
nobody who kills this big swine?” People say
we are ruled by madmen, are completely
bankrupt – it cannot last much longer.
Nothing has changed in the meantime; the
power of the Third Reich has only grown even
larger and more secure.
12th June, 1936 Isakowitz was with us – for the last time
– yesterday evening.
28th June, 1936 Isakowitz finally took his leave of us on
Thursday evening; he was very tired and
nervous – a new table cloth suffered the
consequences, in a single movement he poured
a whole cup of coffee over it – but
nonetheless in high spirits. Because at 45
years of age he is once again making a new
start, because he is moving from servitude
and lawlessness to human and civilised
conditions. Yet it was visibly hard for him
to leave Germany. He philosophised a great
deal and talked about art, with somewhat
limited knowledge and clarity but with much
interest and an evident moral foundation. I
heard with satisfaction that despite the
‘customs examination’ he has still managed
to get some property safely abroad, and that
other émigrés evidently also repeatedly find
opportunities to do so.
1st Jul, 1938 Frau Shaps writes of her children settling
down in London and of contact made with
Isakowitz the dentist. All these people have
made new lives for themselves – but I have
not succeeded in doing so, we have been left
in disgrace and penury, in some degree
buried alive, buried up to the neck so to
speak and waiting from day to day for the
last shovelfuls.
P
ostscripts to 1935 In the course of this year we won as new
noted down friends the Isakowitz family. That has
1st January, 1936 turned into a really warm friendship with
the father, mother and daughter. They will
probably emigrate to England and that would
be a real loss for us.
1
1th February, 1936 Last Sunday the Isakowitzes were our guests
in the evening. The man is much worn down by
worry and uncertainty; despite his despair
he told terribly smutty jokes, he himself
said: “Out of despair”.
6th March, 1936 Isakowitz informed me by telephone that he
has permission to practise in England and
wants to leave in April. We shall soon be
quite alone.
5th April, 1936 Last Sunday the Isakowitzes, man and wife
were here; ready to depart for London, very
nervous and low in spirit.
90
30th May, 1936 The Isakowitzes’ farewell visit last Sunday
was fairly depressing, and the leave-taking
today at the station very depressing. It was
from the women; over Whitsun the family is
staying with relatives in Landeck, while he
is returning to his surgery for one more
week, will also complete Eva’s treatment;
mother and daughter are travelling to London
via Berlin. The day before yesterday I
fetched flowers, which have been left to us
from their liquidated apartment.
A repetition of the Blumenfeld’s departure.
The Art of Resistance? Defending Academic Freedom
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