Emil Ludwig
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Emil Ludwig (25 January 1881 – 17 September 1948) was a German-Swiss author, known for his biographies and study of historical "greats."


Biography

Emil Ludwig (originally named Emil Cohn) was born in Breslau (now part of Poland) on 25 January 1881. Born into a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family, he was raised as a non-Jew but was not baptized. "Many persons have become Jews since
Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
," he said. "I have been a Jew since the murder of
Walther Rathenau Walther Rathenau (; 29 September 1867 – 24 June 1922) was a German industrialist, writer and politician who served as foreign minister of Germany from February 1922 until his assassination in June 1922. Rathenau was one of Germany's leading ...
n 1922 from which date I have emphasized that I am a Jew." Ludwig studied law but chose writing as a career. At first he wrote plays and novellas, also working as a journalist. In 1906, he moved to Switzerland, but, during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he worked as a foreign correspondent for the '' Berliner Tageblatt'' in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
and
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. He became a Swiss citizen in 1932, later emigrating to the United States in 1940. After the 1921 trial of Soghomon Tehlirian for the assassination of Talat Pasha, the main architect of the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
, Ludwig wrote, "Only when a society of nations has organized itself as the protector of international order will no Armenian killer remain unpunished, because no Turkish Pasha has the right to send a nation into the desert". During the 1920s, he achieved international fame for his popular biographies which combined historical fact and fiction with psychological analysis. After his biography of Goethe was published in 1920, he wrote several similar biographies, including one about Bismarck (1922–24) and another about Jesus (1928). As Ludwig's biographies were popular outside of Germany and were widely translated, he was one of the fortunate émigrés who had an income while living in the United States. His writings were considered particularly dangerous by Goebbels, who mentioned him in his journal. Ludwig interviewed
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
and on 1 December 1929
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish field marshal and revolutionary statesman who was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first President of Turkey, president from 1923 until Death an ...
. His interview with the founder of the Republic of Turkey appeared in ''Wiener Freie Presse'' in March 1930, addressing issues of religion and music. He also interviewed
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
in Moscow on 13 December 1931. An excerpt from this interview is included in Stalin's book on
Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
. Ludwig describes this interview in his biography of Stalin. Ludwig's extended interviews with T.G. Masaryk, founder and longtime president of
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, appeared as ''Defender of Democracy'' in 1936. At the end of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he went to Germany as a journalist, and it is to him that we owe the retrieving of
Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
's and Schiller's coffins, which had disappeared from
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...
in 1943/44. He returned to Switzerland after the war and died in 1948, in Moscia, a neighborhood, part of the commune of
Ascona 300px, Ascona Ascona ( ) is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is located on the shore of Lake Maggiore. The town is a popular tourist destination and holds the yearly Ascona Jazz Festival. ...
, in the canton of Ticino, which is the Italian part of Switzerland. In 1944, Ludwig wrote a letter to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' where he urged that "Hitler’s fanaticism against the Jews could be exploited by the Allies. The Three Powers should send a proclamation to the German people through leaflets and to the German Government through neutral countries; threatening that further murdering of Jews would involve terrible retaliation after victory. This would drive a wedge into the already existing dissension of the generals and the Nazis, and also between ultra-Nazis and other Germans." In a May 1948 ''Tempo'' magazine article, Ludwig theorized that Hitler could have survived by having a body double killed and cremated in his place. The same year, presiding judge at the
Einsatzgruppen trial ''The United States of America vs. Otto Ohlendorf, et al.'', commonly known as the trial, was the ninth of the twelve " subsequent Nuremberg trials" for war crimes and crimes against humanity after the end of World War II between 1947 and 1948 ...
at Nuremberg Michael Musmanno dismissed Ludwig's theory in an article stating his own definitive view that Hitler had died; Musmanno elaborated these opinions in a book two years later. Ludwig died in his sleep near Ascona on 17 September 1948.


French and English editions of works by Ludwig

The following French editions of Emil Ludwig's books were published in the period 1926–1940: Biographies: ''Goethe'' (3 volumes), ''Napoléon'', ''Bismarck'', ''Trois Titans'', ''Lincoln'', ''Le Fils de l'Homme'', ''Le Nil'' (2 volumes). Political works: ''Guillaume II'', ''Juillet 1914'', ''Versailles'', ''Hindenburg'', ''Roosevelt'', ''Barbares et Musiciens'', ''La Conquête morale de l'Allemagne'', ''Entretiens avec Mussolini'', ''La Nouvelle Sainte-Alliance''. Biographies of Goethe, Napoleon, Bismarck and Wilhelm Hohenzollern are available in English from G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York and London). An English edition of "The Mediterranean", translated by Barrows Mussey, was published by Whittlesey House in 1942.


Writing style for Napoleon

Ludwig describes the characters using accurate vocabulary and dramatic quotes and sentences. His ability to combine facts with popular stories and rumors in his novel "
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
" makes the entire book a detailed odyssey. The explicit descriptions and psychological interpretations in his books make it appear as if the characters were heroes. His unique writing style simplifies the intricate political activities of that time in an interesting and readable manner.


Legacy

According to Barbel Schrader, Emil Ludwig was "one of the Weimar Republic's big success stories."


Books

* ''Leaders of Europe'', Ivor Nicholson and Watson Ltd. (1934), translated by James Murphy * ''Bismarck'' * ''Cleopatra'' * ''Diana'' * ''Genius and Character'' * ''Gifts of Life'' * ''Goethe'' * ''Hindenburg'' William Heinemann Ltd. (1935), translated by Eden and
Cedar Paul Cedar Paul, ''née'' Gertrude Mary Davenport (1880 – 18 March 1972) was a singer, author, translator and journalist.''Who Was Who'' Biography Gertrude Davenport came from a musical family: she was the granddaughter of the composer George Ale ...
* ''July '14'' (1929) * ''Kaiser Wilhelm II: Wilhelm Hohenzollern'' (1926) * ''Nine Etched from Life'' * ''Lincoln'' * ''Napoleon'' (1922) * ''On Mediterranean Shores'' * ''The Practical Wisdom of Goethe'' * ''Schliemann'' * ''Son of Man (Jesus)'' * ''Talks with Mussolini'' * ''Three Titans'' * ''The Davos Murder'' * ''Defender of Democracy'' * ''Masaryk of Czechoslovakia'' * ''The Nile: The Life-Story of a River'', The Viking Press (1937), translated by Mary H. Lindsay * ''Mackenzie King. A Portrait Sketch'' (1944) * ''Rembrandts Schicksal'' (1923) * ''Three Titans: Michael Angelo, Rembrandt, Beethoven''. (1930) * ''Wagner: oder Die Entzauberten'' (F. Lehmann, 1913) * ''Otelo'' * ''Bolivar and Napoleon'' (1939) * ''A New Holy Alliance'' (1938)


See also

* Exilliteratur


References


External links

* *
Ludwig's interview with Stalin



Talks with Mussolini

Guide to the Papers of Emil Ludwig (1881-1948)
at the
Leo Baeck Institute, New York The Leo Baeck Institute New York (LBI) is a research institute in New York City dedicated to the study of German-Jewish history and culture, founded in 1955. It is one of three independent research centers founded by a group of German-speaking J ...
. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ludwig, Emil 1881 births 1948 deaths Writers from Wrocław Writers from the Province of Silesia German biographers Male biographers German war correspondents War correspondents of World War I Converts to Protestantism from Judaism Converts to Judaism from Protestantism Jewish writers Exilliteratur writers Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States 20th-century biographers German male novelists German male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century German novelists 20th-century German dramatists and playwrights 20th-century German male writers Rembrandt scholars