Ruben Weltsch Collection
Scope and Content Note
Through the inclusion of a diary, personal dedications, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and photographs, this collection provides insight into Robert Weltsch's impact on the Jewish community and on his family's life. This collection is arranged in two series: Series I contains documents pertaining to Robert and Martha Weltsch over the time span from 1921 to 1980. Included in Series I is a diary written by Martha Weltsch documenting her trip to Palestine in 1925, books given and letters written to Robert Weltsch dating to the 1930s and 1962, newspaper clippings written about or by Robert Weltsch from 1966 through 1980, and other newspaper clippings from 1961 through 1979.
Series II contains documents pertaining to the relationship between Robert Weltsch and his children, Ruben Weltsch and Shoshana Gumpert, over the time span from 1817 through 2006. Included in Series I are documents about a 1817 Giacomo Meyerbeer letter belonging to Robert which Ruben had published through the Musicological Institute of Philipps University, speeches and papers belonging to Ruben Weltsch, as well as email correspondence between Ruben Weltsch and Maja Rehbein and Shoshana Gumpert and John Dippel concerning their father's legacy.
Dates
- 1817-2006
Creator
- Weltsch, Ruben, 1921-2011 (Person)
Language of Materials
The collection is in English and German.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Access Information
Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:
Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org
Biographical Note
Robert Weltsch was born on June 20, 1891 in Prague, at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Robert studied law at Prague University; however, his career in law was impeded by World War I. Robert became the editor of the Juedische Rundschau in Berlin in 1919 and stayed there until the Nazis shut it down and he and his family fled to Jerusalem in 1938. In 1945, Robert left Jerusalem to be a correspondent for Ha-Arets covering the Nuremberg Trials; he was then sent to London where he became the chairman and editor of the Leo Baeck Institute's Year Book. Robert died on December 22, 1982 in Jerusalem. Robert's wife Martha Weltsch, née Epstein was born in January 1893 in Böhmisch Krummau (today Český Krumlov, Czech Republic) and died in October 1930 in Berlin, Germany. They had two children: Ruben Weltsch, and Shoshanah Gumpert, née Weltsch.
Extent
0.25 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection's diary, personal dedications, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and photographs pertain to the legacy of Robert Weltsch, an eminent journalist, editor, and Zionist. The collection also documents the lives of Robert Weltsch’s family members including his wife Martha and their children, Ruben and Shoshanah, and the implications of their Jewish heritage on their choice to emigrate to Palestine amid the rise of Nazi Germany.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in two series.
Separated Material
A copy of Staat und Nation signed by Dr. Karl Renner, as well as a copy of Der Tod Georgs dedicated to Robert Weltsch in 1933 by Richard Beer-Hofmann has been transferred to the LBI library with copies of handwritten dedications and bibliographic information retained in the collection.
Processing Information
This collection has been arranged in keeping with the original series in which the collection was donated.
- Association of Jewish Refugees in Great Britain
- Berlin (Germany)
- Buber, Martin, 1878-1965
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Diaries
- Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955
- Emigration and immigration
- Gumpert, Shoshana
- Israel
- Jerusalem
- Jewish refugees -- Palestine
- Leo Baeck Institute London
- London (England)
- Palestine
- Photographs
- Weltsch, Martha, 1893-1930
- Weltsch, Robert
- Weltsch, Ruben, 1921-2011
- Zionism
- Title
- Guide to the Ruben Weltsch Collection 1817-2006 AR 25370
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by Madeleine Ostertag
- Date
- © 2016
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
- Edition statement
- This version was derived from RubenWeltsch.xml
Revision Statements
- April 2017:: dao links added by Emily Andresini.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository
