Felix Jud (1899–1985) was a political activist and German bookseller. He was born in Wilhelmstal and was educated as an

ironmonger Ironmongery originally referred, first, to the manufacture of iron goods and, second, to the place of sale of such items for domestic rather than industrial use. In both contexts, the term has expanded to include items made of steel, aluminium ...

. He then worked as a bookseller in the "Frommansche Buchhandlung" in

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...

but was fired due to a lack of punctuality. He eventually found another job in a bookstore in Hamburg, where he moved to and worked from 1919. In 1923 he opened (with his colleague Erna Kracht, who stayed there until 1932) his own store, the "Hamburger Bücherstube", in the Collonaden 104. Although inflation and

WWI World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...

had impoverished most of the population, he hoped for a better future and trusted in the people of Hamburg, who, he hoped, would help him establish his business. The bookstore established itself as an important piece of history for the city. During

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

, Felix Jud was asked to change his last name because it led many to think that he was

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 ...

. He refused to do so. At the time, he decorated multiple provocative store windows as well, where, with humour and knowledge, he made fun of Adolf Hitler. For example, he decorated a store window for the anniversary of the business, in which he put a Nazi cartoon with the slogan "Jud stays Jud" and a photo of himself as a baby, one as a confirmand and another current one. A laundry board saying "Persil stays Persil" could be seen under that. Jud also sold forbidden literature in his store and had connections to the "

Weiße Rose The White Rose (, ) was a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany which was led by five students and one professor at the University of Munich: Willi Graf, Kurt Huber, Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorell, Hans Scholl ...

" in Hamburg. The business became a meeting point for opponents of the Nazi regime. On December 18, 1943, he was arrested and sent to the "Polizeigefängnis

Fuhlsbüttel is an urban quarter in the north of Hamburg, Germany in the Hamburg-Nord district. It is known as the site of Hamburg's international airport, and as the location of a prison which served as a concentration camp in the Nazi system of repression. ...

" jail for his actions and later, in 1944, transported to the

KZ Neuengamme Neuengamme was a network of Nazi concentration camps in northern Germany that consisted of the main camp, Neuengamme, and more than 85 satellite camps. Established in 1938 near the village of Neuengamme in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, the ...

. His trial was with Albert Suhr, Hannelore Willbrandt, Ursula de Boor und Wilhelm Stoldt, who were accused of actions against the Nazi regime as well. After Germany was defeated, Jud rebuilt his bookstore, first in "Neuer Wall 39", where he was kicked out because the landlord wanted to use the space otherwise. Following this, he was kicked out of his own apartment, because the landlord did not want to have a business in his apartment. Then, he continued rebuilding in the house of the journal "Hamburger Abendblatt" which was offered by a friend, Axel Springer. Lastly, he rebuilt in "Neuer Wall 13", where the store currently stands. From 1972 Wilfried Weber led the bookstore with Jud and established it further as an art business. .

Personal life and death

In 1938, he married Elisabeth Thode. They had three children, two daughters Karen (born 1939), Barbara (born 1941), and a son Michael (born 1943). On August 25, 1985, Jud died at the age of 86. His last words were "Tomorrow is Goethe's Birthday, I would have liked to die then." He called his co-workers on that day and told them that his funeral should be big, since it was his last reclaim. In the Hamburg-Neuallermöhe quarter, there is a street, the "Felix-Jud Ring", named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jud, Felix 1899 births 1985 deaths German booksellers German activists