Rehfisch, Hans J.

Description

Inscribed on the front flyleaf in two different hands:

“Für Gustav von Wangenheim in alter Freundschaft. Hans J. Rehfisch. Alfred H. Unger. London, Oktober 1945.”

[“For Gustav von Wangenheim in old friendship. Hans J. Rehfisch. Alfred H. Unger. London, October 1945.”]
Trifecta of Exile Association

EXILE: Hans J. Rehfisch (1891–1960) was a German playwright of Jewish heritage. His drama, The Crime of Captain Grisel, was the last play of democratic Germany, opening to audiences on January 26, 1933 (Hitler assumed power at the end of January). By February 2, 1933, the Nazis had banned the play and Rehfisch was imprisoned. He was released under the condition that he never return to the country. Rehfisch moved to England. There he co-founded and was president of the predominantly Jewish exile group “Club 1943”.

Alfred H. Unger (1898–1989) was a German novelist of Jewish descent who won numerous German literature prizes in 1929 and 1930. Among other topics, he wrote about women’s rights. From 1924–1933 he held a leading position at UFA film studios. In 1934 the Nazis terminated his employment, banned his books, and the Gestapo arrested him. He escaped to England in 1937. Most of his family was murdered in concentration camps.

The recipient of the book was Gustav von Wangenheim (1895–1975) a German writer, actor, and director and member of the Communist Party of Germany since 1921. His plays were shut down by the Nazis in 1933, and he fled to the Soviet Union. After World War II he moved to East Germany, where he had a successful career as a director and screenwriter at the state-owned movie company.

The book is a collection of anti-fascist texts by Rehfisch, Unger, and a who’s who of German exile in England. The authors were members of “Club 1943” and decided to publish this book at one of their club meetings. With the double inscription of exile authors to a third exile author, this book is a lovely object documenting the comradery of exile authors fighting fascism.

Bibliography: Sternfeld & Tiedemann; Dt. Exilarchiv EB58/27.