Kurt Ferber: personal papers

Kurt Ferber: personal papers 

Kurt Ferber: personal papers 

4 folders 

This collection, comprises a set of correspondence between Kurt Ferber and a friend in Berlin; material relating to the Kampfbund für deutsche Kultur; miscellaneous contemporary newspapers and cuttings; and unidentified notes. The correspondence is of particular interest for it provides a fascinating insight into the mentalities of 2 ordinary German citizens with special reference to their political and cultural interests. The provenance of the material is not known. Nor is anything known about the history of its custody prior to deposit. Olga Bruewitsch-Heuss' political stance is made clear in her first letter (1252/1/1), where she regards the Deutsche National Volkspartei as too liberal. In the same letter she reveals her anti-Semitism and her views on racial doctrine: she expresses her objection to Jewish land speculators and considers it the most important duty to preserve the purity of German blood. Her anti-Semitism is a constant theme throughout the letters. Equally apparent is her devotion and respect for the nazi party and its leaders; which she repeatedly refers to as 'unsere Bewegung'. At one point she admits that she wouldn't know how to live if she were not a nazi, it was like a religion to her (1252/1/14). In an earlier letter she describes how she was consumed with emotion at a nazi party rally at the Sportpalast; that [Georg] Strasser was a Titan; that even stone faced SA and SS men were driven to tears (1252/1/5). Her last epistle was written on the day that Hitler became Chancellor. She regrets being too ill to go out on the streets to celebrate and remarks (in relation to the speed with which all the newspapers were sold out) that the Jews are quick to capitalize on anything. Whilst her political views differ from those of Kurt Ferber, the tenor of the correspondence is one of respect and affection. They were clearly good friends and, on more than one occasion, arranged to meet up.

Kurt Ferber is more critical of the nazis and Hitler. He reports a conversation between him and a friend, a former nazi troup leader, in which they agree that Hitler is generally not regarded as the ideal leader or saviour (1252/1/4). Similarly he regards Hitler as a failure as a diplomat and laments the lack of importance, which Hitler attaches to foreign policy (1252/1/6). He betrays an ambivalence towards the Jews. On the one hand he naively thinks that the Jewish press will somehow capitalize on the progress of the nazi party (1252/1/8). Later he is almost apologetic for his defence of the contributions Jews have made to German society (1252/1/11); resigning himself to the acceptance of a contradictory relationship, in which German nationalists are compelled to reject Jews, but German society must acknowledge the benefits they have brought particularly to the economy.

The remaining material in the collection consists of papers relating to the Kampfbund für deutsche Kultur
(1252/2/1-7); Kurt Ferber's notes (1252/3/1-); and issues/ cuttings from contemporary German press (1252/4/1-8)