Walther Michaelis - Book collector
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From a very early age my father developed a great interest in literature and in books - by the time he was 9 years old he had started his collection of first editions of works by classical German writers. He did well at school and must also have been quite athletic as he held some sort of record in high jump when he was at his grammar school.
His collection of books grew ultimately to over ten-thousand volumes (he had a catalogue of all his books), and bibliophiles regularly came to our flat to see some of his collection. It include several very old Bibles including two that were either hand written or at least embellished by hand. There were also a variety of modern books which, for one reason or another, were collector's items.
My father never had much money and nearly all his books were bought very cheaply. As a result of so many wealthy people having to sell a lot of their property in the 1920s, books from old libraries were being sold through second hand book dealers, a large number selling from street carts - there were many 'book flee-markets' . My father used to browse through the books and buy what he wanted at the asking price (which was generally very little because these people knew very little about the value of the books) and he would then tell them what else they had that was valuable - so he was always very welcome. I sometimes went with him on these expeditions.
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At home, the books were kept on purpose built bookcases reaching almost to the ceiling and with shelves deep enough to always hold one row behind the other. As was the custom for collectors of books, quite a large proportion of the books were marked with a special printed label with his name, designed for my father by an artist. Except for the 4 books that I brought with me to England I do not have any reliable information on what became of a single one and, in spite of enquiries, none were ever traced.
The Nazis banned the books of many authors. One day my father discovered that Winnie-the-Pooh, which we had in German translation, was banned, presumably because A A Milne, the author, had written an anti-war play, and we had to get rid of the book. However, although it was dangerous, my father kept quite a few banned books - one of them (All Quiet on the Western Front) was kept in the bookcase in the photograph. This is his bookplate.
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The ultra-liberal Synagogue to which we belonged (and where he was one of the three 'elders') had a valuable library of which he took charge. In November 1938 the Nazis set fire to almost all synagogues in Germany and most were destroyed. 80 Scrolls, which contain the scriptures written by hand in Hebrew and are the most treasured possession of any synagogue, and which had been saved from some of these, were placed in a cellar with a hidden entrance in the basement of this library - he showed me where they were. After the War I wrote to the remaining very small Jewish community in Berlin to tell them where they were, just in case they had not been found.
A very old friend of his had started a collection of judgements under Jewish law made in the 17th century by rabbis at a religious college in Amsterdam. Most are concerned with matters arising in everyday life, such as disputes over wills, in business and related subjects. The judgments were treated rather like case law by Jews throughout Europe and beyond. My father's friend translated them from the Hebrew and asked my father to produce the German text in clear (and correct) German, and also take charge of the styling of the book. The name of the book, translated into English, is "Fruit From The Tree Of life". My father gave me a copy, with an inscription from him, to take with me to England and at the time of writing this I intend to check if the Jewish library in Berlin have a copy - if not I feel I will have to give them mine (he subsequently did this).
Walther Michaelis - Judge
The legal system was very different to the system we have in England, and when he was still quite young he was appointed to a position between what we would call a magistrate and a circuit judge. Unlike his 3 brothers he did not join the armed forces in World War One but continued as a judge and in due course became an "Office Judge". This is part of a system in Germany under which many cases are settled basically by correspondence. In 1933 he was appointed President of the Court in Charlottenburg, one the main districts of Berlin, but before he could take up his post the Nazis came to power and he was removed from office. However, because of the pressure exerted by non Nazis he, like all others in a similar position, continued to be entitled to be addressed "Judge (Retired)" and was given a small pension which was enough for us to live on. But we could never again afford to go away on holiday and there was almost no money for any 'luxuries'. Any additions to his book collection from this time on had to be confined to items that he could get for next to nothing.
Individual judges were asked to volunteer to act as (legal) guardians for orphans and other children in special need, and for old people. He had many such people to care for and this continued after 1933 although after this new cases were confined to Jews. I went with him on a few occasions to visit young people that were legally in his care.
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In 1930, on the occasion of his 50th birthday, a tribute to him appeared in what was then the German equivalent of The Times in which he was described as one of the best known judges in Berlin.
In the 1960s a book was produced to commemorate those Jews who, knowing what was happening, had stayed on in Germany to do what they could to help the remaining community. He is remembered in that book.
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Ernst Michaelis, October 2007
On 13 September 1940, just after his 60th birthday, a quite unusual event took place in one of the only Jewish synagogues still operational in Berlin: it was a service of thanksgiving for the life of someone still living – at a time everyone knew of the threat to their survival. I have no record of the words that were used in the address but an article appeared in the Jewish news-sheet, which was still produced at this time (I obtained a copy of the text some twenty years later).
I learnt just a little of what had taken place a few months after it happened as at that time America was not yet in the war and my Mother was able to get out a letter to friends there who, she knew, would pass it on to me. She reported primarily on the beautiful music, sung by a man who had been a famous opera singer. Years later, I received a copy of the address given by Rabbi Fritz Kemper. This is a translation of what he said. I have adjusted the language in the sense to make it sound no more formal than it was meant to be in the language of the time – to give a true feeling of what was meant.
Translation of a text that appeared in ‘Judisches Nachrichtenblatt’ Berlin 1st September 1940
This week Walther Michaelis celebrated his sixtieth birthday. It is our wish to use this opportunity to express our gratitude to this man who has, quietly and with great humility, done so much for us.
For many years, acting without any thought of self interest, Walther Michaelis has been at the centre of work for the Jewish community. For years he has been on the council of the (ultraliberal) Jewish reform synagogue. Particularly in the most recent times he has played a valuable role in ensuring that services would continue, including in Jewish social work in schools.
He is one of the people who realised early on the need for setting up Jewish schools in the west of Berlin and we thank him for his involvement in the founding and in maintaining both the Joseph-Lehman School and the Holdheim (grammar) School.
His involvement however reaches far beyond the former Reform Synagogue: for years he has served as guardian and trustee in numerous Jewish organisations in the service of Jews in need. He is a straightforward human being who brings his long years of experience to the clear understanding of any problem. He is someone whose wisdom is valued by the wider circle of the Jewish community in Berlin and he is always ready to give active help. He uses his intelligence and sense of humour to enabled us to forget many worries, and to lighten our many burdens.
May his fresh outlook and strength last long into the future, to be enjoyed by his family and friends as well as the wider Jewish community to whom he is totally committed.
Footnote: I know from my memory of him that whilst he was very conscious of his place in the Jewish community, his desire would always have been to serve the wider community, and he played significant roles in various fields and non Jewish organisations until this was no longer allowed.