Dr. Richard Koch Collection
Scope and Contents
The Richard Koch Collection includes materials that pertain to the life and work of Richard Koch. The bulk of the collection consists of Richard Koch’s poetry, including a copy of a manuscript, “Gedichte aus der Jugend und dem Alter von Lewi ben Schelomoh Germani.” His poetry is supplemented by that of his wife, Maria Koch. The rest of the collection documents his legacy after his death in 1949 and pertains mainly to the publication of the book Richard Koch und Franz Rosenzweig : Schriften und Briefe zu Krankheit, Sterben und Tod by Frank Töpfer.
The collection is arranged in two series and includes poetry, biographical notes, newspaper and journal articles, genealogical materials, and scans of books. Most of the items have been compiled by Koch's daughter, Naomi Laqueur, after his death in 1949.
Dates
- 1920-2007
Creator
- Koch, Richard, 1882- (Person)
Language of Materials
The collection is in German, English, and Russian.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Access Information
Visit the Lillian Goldman Reading Room at the Center for Jewish History.
Biographical / Historical
Richard Koch (September 3, 1882- July 30, 1949) was born to Fritz Koch and Auguste (née Epstein) in Frankfurt. His siblings included Alfred (1893-1918), Emma, and Hedda. After medical studies in Munich, Lausanne, Heidelberg, and Berlin, he served in a reserve military hospital during World War One. He married Maria Rosenthal in 1914. In Frankfurt, he had a successful career as a physician, a professor of medicine and medical history at the Goethe University, and as the medical editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. His area of medical interest included infectious diseases, history of medicine, and balneology. In 1933, with the Nazis’ ascent to power, Koch was removed from his university post and his medical practice was boycotted. In 1936, he left Germany, first for Brussels and, after obtaining Soviet citizenship, for Moscow. In 1937, he was assigned to a medical post in Essentuki, in the Caucasus. With the exception of a year during the war when he was evacuated to Tsqaltubo, Georgia, Koch remained in Essentuki until his death in 1949.
Extent
0.25 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Richard Koch Collection documents the work of Richard Koch, a physician and professor active from the 1910s to the 1940s. The papers include a collection of his poetry as well as documents reflecting his legacy and contribution to the field of medical theory. The collection is arranged in two series and includes poetry, biographical notes, newspaper and journal articles, genealogical materials, and scans of books.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series:
- Poetry, undated, 1897- 1964
- Material about Richard Koch, 1920s- 2007
Separated Materials
Books were removed from the collection and placed in the LBI library. Scans of the covers and handwritten inscriptions have been scanned and placed in Folder 6 of Series II.
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of Dr. Richard Koch
- Author
- Agata Sobczak
- Date
- 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository
