Hans Seelig was born on the 18th July 1930 in Mannheim, Germany the only child to Jewish parents, Eugen Seelig (born 7 Oct 1888, East Prussia) and Franziska Hünerberg (born 6 Aug 1904, Mannheim). For his safety he was sent on one of the few Kindertransports to Sweden in March 1939. Whilst it was only a matter of a few months before he was reunited in Brighton with his father and thereafter his mother, this experience had a profound effect on him for the rest of his life. He won a scholarship to Southfield school, Oxford, where he excelled in German and music, 1941-1948. After a period of National Service, Sergeant instructor in foreign languages, he went on to study German and French at Worcester College, Oxford University, 1950-1954. He obtained a Diploma in education and teaching practice at Tavistock, Devon, 1955. After a year teaching in a school in Zurich, Switzerland, he became a German master, later head of the German department at the County Grammar School, Hyde, Cheshire, where he also cultivated his interest in music by teaching musical appreciation to the senior forms. He also studied musical composition. He seemed to be well-liked by his pupils judging from the copious correspondence after he departed (1860/1/5). In 1963 he was employed as head of German at Apsley Grammar School, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Some time before 1977 he was employed as a lecturer (later senior lecturer) in German at Middlesex Polytechnic. It is not known when he retired. He died in 2009. In addition to his passion for music as evidenced by his awards for composition and concerts he took part in (see 1860/1/1-2), he was also a keen bibliophile, having amassed a personal library of some 10,000 volumes. His passion for culture was exemplified by his chairmanship from 1993 until his death in 2009 of the Club 1943, the group of German-speaking (mostly Jewish) former refugees who met regularly to discuss issues of cultural, political and historical interest. For this Hans Seelig was awarded the Order of Merit by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1997.
See also photo archive for family photographs.
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9 folders
This collection contains the personal and family papers of Hans Seelig, university lecturer and musician and former Kindertransport refugee from Mannheim, Germany. The papers include material which documents Hans' life as a school student, his life as a languages student in Oxford, his life as a school teacher and later a university lecturer, his role as chairman of the Club 1943 (1860/1/6), and his activities as a musician (1860/1-2). Also included are papers and correspondence of his father Eugen (1860/2), mother Franziska (1860/3/1) including correspondence with friend of the family Alfred Landory (aka Landauer), famous tenor and actor from Mannheim (1860/3/2).
Hans Seelig: papers