Emil Henk

Emil Henk (born December 17, 1893 in Heidelberg ; † May 10, 1969 there ) was a German entrepreneur, politician ( SPD ) and resistance fighter against National Socialism .

Life and work

Emil Henk passed his Abitur in 1913 at the Realgymnasium , today's Helmholtz-Gymnasium on Kettengasse in Heidelberg , and began to study economics in Munich . He took part in the First World War as a non-commissioned officer and was "seriously wounded before Verdun". After the war he studied literature in Heidelberg from 1920 , where he came into closer contact with Alfred Weber , Gustav Radbruch , Wolfgang Fortner , Karl Jaspers and Friedrich Gundolf . From this he was introduced to the poetry of Stefan Georges and through him he in turn introduced Max Kommerell , whom he tried to convince of the "empty intellectualism" of the reform pedagogue Gustav Wyneken and the Wickersdorf community founded by him, to the George district . He later worked as a journalist. In order to be able to publish, he became a member of the Reich Association of German Writers, founded in 1933, until he was expelled in 1938 from the Reichsschrifttumskammer, in which the Reich Association was incorporated. Henk was also the owner of a pharmaceutical wholesaler, which was later continued by his son Richard Henk, the "Emil Henk OHG", which he took over after his release from prison and whose management provided him with excuses for trips to secret encounters with other resistance fighters even during the war ( see below). Initially leading in Wandervogel in Baden , in 1921 he came into contact with the group The community around Wilhelm Fraenger , Theodor Haubach and Carl Zuckmayer . There he met Carlo Mierendorff , with whom he had a long friendship and through whom he came into contact with Wilhelm Leuschner . In retrospect, he viewed both of them as the leading figures of the social democratic resistance. Under his pseudonym Rechenberg he led after the seizure of power of the Nazis in 1933 a resistance group in the Rhine-Neckar region. On October 4, 1934, he was arrested and charged with preparing for high treason, but sentenced to a prison term of 20 months in Karlsruhe due to a lack of evidence only for violating the law against the formation of new parties . Even after that, he was under police surveillance. Nevertheless, after his release, he re-established contact with his old friends and undeterred continued his conspiratorial activity. Talks also took place in his Heidelberg apartment at Kaiserstraße 33. Since 1939 he took part in the meetings of the Kreisau Circle and, like Mierendorff, Haubach and Ludwig Schwamb, was close to the trade union wing around Leuschner within the circle, which like Carl Friedrich Goerdeler himself was not part of the inner circle, but was close to it and also to Goerdeler held. Like the friends mentioned and Julius Leber, Henk counted himself among the political leaders who also considered winning over the bourgeoisie to be indispensable and in this sense tried to influence Leuschner. On July 20, he was together with his friend Theodor Haubach at his mountain hut in Oberstdorf , from where they both returned to Mannheim on July 29 for the wedding of their son Richard Henk. Henk, who was planned as state administrator for Baden in the Kreisau's plans, escaped arrest as one of the few members of the Kreisau Circle, while Haubach was arrested by the People's Court on August 9th in Heinrich Gleißner's house on his return to Berlin was sentenced to death and executed. After the end of the war, Emil Henk successfully supported the American occupation forces for the rapid reopening of the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg and cooperated closely with Karl Jaspers. For this commitment he was made an honorary citizen of the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg in 1965awarded after he had been awarded the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1963 for his “fearless commitment against terror and inhumanity”. Immediately after the end of the Nazi regime, he published the brochure "The tragedy of July 20, 1944. A contribution to the political prehistory", which he made "the dead friends" from the social democratic resistance Theo Haubach, Carlo Mierendorff, Wilhelm Leuschner, Adolf Reichwein and Ludwig Schwamb dedicated.

His cousin Karl Berckmüller was an NSDAP politician, head of the secret state police office in Karlsruhe and from 1937 to 1945 mayor of Villingen.

After the end of the Second World War , Henk worked briefly (May 10 to July 8, 1945) as Head of Education and Culture in the Central Rhine / Saar Upper Government Presidium created by the US occupation forces , the first of the Allies in the course of the gradual takeover of the Government power in the occupied German Reich newly created state governments . Other members of this provincial government, which was put together on the recommendation of Alfred Weber and Karl Jaspers, were the former Lord Mayor of Mannheim, Hermann Heimerich, as head of the government, Dolf Sternberger as press spokesman and Alexander Mitscherlich as head of the human resources department and the public health department, all of whom were old companions of Henk. After the agreement on the cession of occupation sovereignty to the French became known and the imminent handover of the territory to the French occupation zone, Henk resigned with the entire government of Hermann Heimerich on July 5, 1945.

Political party

Henk joined the SPD in 1926 . After the Second World War he was involved in rebuilding the party in Heidelberg. In June 1947 he became the local SPD chairman after having been deputy chairman there since the beginning of the year.

MP

From 1950 to 1952 he was a member of the state parliament of Württemberg-Baden . After the formation of the state of Baden-Württemberg in 1952, he was also a member of the state parliament there from 1956 to 1960 . He represented the Heidelberg-Land constituency in parliament.

Board member and first chairman of the board of the Heidelberg Adult Education Center

Like his friend Adolf Reichwein from the Kreisau district, Henk was also committed to adult education and became a member of the board of directors of the Heidelberg Adult Education Center in 1951, and its first chairman until his death in 1957. “He helped to shape, enrich and lead the development from a modest, more remote educational circle to a comprehensive post-school adult education facility of a contemporary adult education center. [...] He made sure that the adult education center was open and accessible to everyone; And many considerations served the question of how the difficult fundraising could be reconciled with the easiest possible participation for every person who wanted to advance professionally, broaden his worldview and orient his actions according to self-responsible, rationally verifiable decisions. "

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Aid Foundation July 20, 1944

From 1949 until his death in 1969 was Henk Chairman of the Board of Trustees of 1947 on the initiative of Walter Albert Bauer , Fabian von Schlabrendorff and Elisabeth gardener Strünck , composed of Federal President Theodor Heuss and Eugen Gerstenmaier founded Foundation's Fund 20 July 1944, the 1994 " Foundation July 20, 1944 ”was renamed. In this capacity he gave five commemorative speeches on behalf of the foundation on the anniversary of the failed assassination attempt, namely on July 19, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1960 and 1961. He also corresponded with the writer Ricarda Huch and provided her with information for her book In to collect a memorial book ...: Pictures of German resistance fighters .

Member of the Heidelberg district association of the association of those persecuted by the Nazi regime

Since 1946 Henk was a member of the Heidelberger Kreisverband der Heidelberger Kreisverband des Vereinigung der VVN (VVN), whose main goal was to support the victims of the Nazi regime, for example by providing money, clothing and food as well as housing and work.

Publications

• The tragedy of July 20, 1944. Heidelberg 1946. (a second expanded edition appeared in the same year, DNB 451951239 )
• Prison poems. In: Ruperto-Carola. Journal of the Association of Friends of the Student Union of Heidelberg University e. V. 41, 1967, p. 112 f.
• Prison poems. In: Gunter Groll (Ed.): De Profundis. German poetry during this period. An anthology from twelve years. Kurt Desch, Munich 1946, pp. 166–163 (compilation not identical!)
• I dropped the anchor again . In: Fritz Singer : Lived for freedom. Emil Henk's essence and work. In: [Richard Henk (Ed.)]: In memoriam Emil Henk 1893–1969. Memories of his friends. (with contributions by Carl Zuckmayer , Henry Goverts , Fabian von Schlabrendorff and others). Brausdruck, Heidelberg 1970, pp. 39–44, here p. 44 (the poem also in: Ruperto-Carola. Journal of the Association of Friends of the Student Union of Heidelberg University e.V. 41, 1967, p. 113.

literature

• Wolfgang Benz , Walter H. Pehle (Hrsg.): Lexicon of the German resistance. Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN 3-596-15083-3 , pp. 274-276.
• Klaus Eisele, Rolf-Ulrich Kunze (ed.): Co-conspirators - co-creators. July 20th in the German southwest. UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, Konstanz 2004, ISBN 3-89669-722-6 , p. 149 f.
• Ludger Fittkau / Marie-Christine Werner: The conspirators. The civil resistance behind July 20, 1944 , wbg Theiss, Darmstadt 2019, ISBN 978-3-8062-3893-8 .
• Axel Ulrich with the assistance of Angelika Arenz-Morch: Carlo Mierendorff versus Hitler. A close colleague of Wilhelm Leuschner in the resistance against the Nazi regime. Edited by the state centers for political education in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. Wiesbaden 2018. ISBN 978-3-9815040-0-2 , see index of people.
• Peter Zimmermann: Theodor Haubach (1896–1945). A political biography. Dölling and Galitz, München / Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-935549-87-3 , pp. 92–95, pp. 98–101, p. 351, p. 377, p. 380, p. 408.
• Friederike Reutter: Heidelberg 1945–1949. On the political history of a city in the post-war period. Guderjahn, Heidelberg 1994, ISBN 3-924973-47-4 , p. 59, p. 62, p. 173, p. 178-183, p. 201, note 27, p. 326 f.
• Thomas Schnabel (Ed.): Forms of Resistance in the Southwest 1933–1945. Failure and aftermath. Süddeutsche Verlagsgesellschaft, Ulm 1994, ISBN 3-88294-200-2 , p. 40.
• Richard Albert: The militant social democrat. Carlo Mierendorff 1897–1945. A biography. Gietz, Berlin / Bonn 1987, passim (26 entries, cf. name register under "Henk, Emil", p. 485)
• Christoph Kleßmann : The problem of the “people's movement” in the German resistance. In: Jürgen Schmädeke , Peter Steinbach (Ed.): The resistance against National Socialism. German society and the resistance against Hitler. 2nd Edition. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1986, ISBN 3-492-10685-4 , pp. 822-837, here p. 832.
• Wilhelm Doerr (Ed.): Semper apertus. Six hundred years of Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg 1386–1986. Springer, Berlin a. a. 1985, Volume 3, pp. 35 f., P. 546 f., P. 552.
• Erich Matthias , Hermann Weber (Hrsg.): Resistance against National Socialism in Mannheim. Edition Quadrat, Mannheim 1984, ISBN 3-923003-27-7 , pp. 142-184, p. 483.
• Renato de Rosa (Ed.): Karl Jaspers KH Bauer. Correspondence 1945–1968. Springer, Berlin et al. 1983m ISBN 3-540-12102-1 , p. 32 f, p. 72 f., P. 75-79, p. 88, p. 93-95, p. 113 f.
• [Richard Henk (Ed.)]: In memoriam Emil Henk 1893–1969. Memories of his friends. (with contributions by Carl Zuckmayer , Henry Goverts , Fabian von Schlabrendorff and others), Brausdruck, Heidelberg 1970.
• Social democratic resistance in the Mannheim area. In: 100 years of the SPD in Mannheim. A documentation. Mannheim 1967, pp. 68-73.
• Gunter Groll (Ed.): De Profundis. German poetry during this period. An anthology from twelve years. Kurt Desch, Munich 1946, p. 165 (on the biography)

Web links

• Henk, Emil . In: Martin Schumacher (Ed.): MdB - The People's Representation 1946–1972. - [Haack to Huys] (=  KGParl online publications ). Commission for the History of Parliamentarism and Political Parties e. V., Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-00-020703-7 , pp. 474 , urn : nbn: de: 101: 1-2014070812574 ( kgparl.de [PDF; 507 kB ; accessed on June 19, 2017]).
• Short biography at the Heidelberg History Association, accessed on July 20, 2012.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Portrait photo of Emil Henks on the LEO-BW page ; Portrait photo of Emil Henks on the site of learning about moral courage resistance. History portal for Baden.
2. ↑ See Henry Goverts, Emil Henk and our Heidelberg Circle, in: [Richard Henk (Hrsg.)], In memoriam Emil Henk 1893–1969. Memories of his friends. Brausdruck, Heidelberg 1970, pp. 18–23, here p. 19.
3. ↑ See Henry Goverts, Emil Henk and our Heidelberg Circle, in: [Richard Henk (Hrsg.)], In memoriam Emil Henk 1893–1969. Memories of his friends. Brausdruck, Heidelberg 1970, pp. 18-23, here p. 19; Gerhard Hinz, Emil Henk and the University, in: ibid. Pp. 52–54, here p. 52.
4. ↑ Max Kommerell: Letters and Notes 1919–1944, edited from the estate by Inge Jens. Walter-Verlag, Olten Freiburg im Breisgau, 1967, pp. 92–98, with excerpts from two essays by Henk on the subject, the quotation on p. 93.
5. ↑ Max Kommerell: Letters and Notes 1919–1944, edited from the estate by Inge Jens. Walter-Verlag, Olten Freiburg im Breisgau, 1967, p. 14 f., P. 89-98, p. 102.
6. ↑ See Gunter Groll (Ed.), De Profundis. German poetry during this period. An anthology from twelve years. Kurt Desch, Munich 1946, p. 165 (the biographical information provided there apparently comes from Henk himself).
7. ^ The company Emil Henk oHG, chem.-pharm. Preparations, Handelsstr. 15, 6904 Eppelheim (district of Heidelberg) published the so-called "Hauspostille der Firma Emil Henk oHG, Heidelberg", a series of books about picturesque cities in the south-west of Germany, for many years in line with the pronounced cultural interests of Emil Henk and his son Richard.
8. ^ Georg Müller: Walter Krause and the Baden-Württemberg state politics in the post-war period. Dissertation, Stuttgart 2000, p. 59.
9. ↑ See Anne-M. Wallrath-Janssen, The publishing house H. Goverts in the Third Reich, Berlin et al. 2007, ISBN 978-3-11-097661-8 , p. 31 14 f .; Carl Zuckmayer: As if it were a piece of me. Hearing of friendship. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1966, p. 285.
10. ^ Emil Henk, Die Tragödie des July 20, 1944. A contribution to the political prehistory . Adolf Rausch Verlag, 2nd edition Heidelberg 1946, pp. 11-13; P. 15; P. 17; P. 22; P. 26.
11. ^ Emil Henk, Die Tragödie des July 20, 1944. A contribution to the political prehistory . Adolf Rausch Verlag, 2nd edition Heidelberg 1946, p. 26; Martin Dehli, Life as Conflict. On the biography of Alexander Mitscherlich. Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-8353-0063-7 , pp. 124f.
12. ↑ Cf. Klaus Eisele, Rolf-Ulrich Kunze (ed.): Mitverschwörer - Mitgestalter. July 20th in the German southwest. UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, Konstanz 2004, ISBN 3-89669-722-6 , p. 149 f .; Peter Zimmermann, Theodor Haubach (1896–1945), Dölling and Galitz, Munich & Hamburg 2004, ISBN 978-3-935549-87-5 , pp. 407 f .; Gunter Groll (Ed.), De Profundis. German poetry during this period. An anthology from twelve years. Kurt Desch, Munich 1946, p. 165 (the biographical information provided there apparently comes from Henk himself).
13. ^ Gerhard Hinz: Emil Henk and the university. In: In memoriam Emil Henk… pp. 52–54.
14. ↑ Cf. Gerhard Hinz, Emil Henk and the University, in: [Richard Henk (Ed.)], In memoriam Emil Henk 1893–1969. Memories of his friends. Brausdruck, Heidelberg 1970, pp. 52–54, here p. 53f .; Renato de Rosa (Ed.) Karl Jaspers KH Bauer. Correspondence 1945–1968. Springer, Berlin et al. 1983, pp. 72 f., Pp. 75-79, p. 88, pp. 93-95; Klaus Eisele, Rolf-Ulrich Kunze (ed.): Co-conspirators - co-creators. July 20th in the German southwest. UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, Konstanz 2004, p. 150.
15. ^ Emil Henk, Die Tragödie des July 20, 1944. A contribution to the political prehistory. Adolf Rausch-Verlag, Heidelberg 1945, 2nd edition 1946.
16. ↑ Martin Dehli, Life as Conflict. On the biography of Alexander Mitscherlich. Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen 2007, pp. 126–129; Ulrich Springorum, formation and development of the administration in Rhineland-Palatinate after the Second World War (1945–1947). Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1982, ISBN 3-428-05128-9 , p. 61 (= series of publications by the University of Speyer. Volume 88).
17. ^ Friederike Reutter: The foundation and development of the parties in Heidelberg 1945-1946. In: Jürgen C. Heß (inter alia): Heidelberg 1945. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-515-06880-5 , p. 208. (= Transatlantic historical studies. Volume 5).
18. ↑ Martin Dehli erroneously claims, life as conflict. On the biography of Alexander Mitscherlich. Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen 2007, p. 44 with note 95, with reference to Eberhard Demm, From the Weimar Republic to the Federal Republic. Alfred Weber's political path. Droste, Düsseldorf 1999, ISBN 978-3-7700-1605-1 , p. 315, that Henk was a member of the 1st Bundestag as a member. However , this is not listed on the list of members of the German Bundestag (1st electoral term) .
19. ↑ See article “Volkshochschule Heidelberg” in: Rhein-Neckar-Wiki.
20. ↑ Helmut Stahl, Emil Henk and the Adult Education Center, in: [Richard Henk (ed.)], In memoriam Emil Henk 1893–1969. Memories of his friends. Brausdruck Heidelberg 1970, pp. 46–48, here p. 47.
21. ^ History of the Foundation July 20, 1944 on their homepage.
22. ↑ The speeches can be found by entering "Emil Henk" in the search mask. Page of the German Resistance Memorial Center  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Henk's speech of July 19, 1953 ( Memento of the original of January 16, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Henk's speech of July 19, 1955 ( Memento of the original of January 15, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Henk's speech of July 19, 1958 ( Memento of the original of January 16, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Henk's speech of July 20, 1960  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Henk's speech on July 19, 1961  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. However, Emil Henk's biography is missing on the website of the German Resistance Memorial Center German Resistance Memorial Center. Biographies .         
23. ^ To collect in a memorial book ...: Pictures of German resistance fighters. Edited from the estate by Wolfgang Matthias Schwiedrzik. Leipziger Universitätsverlag, Leipzig 1997, p. 57, note 72 ISBN 3-931922-80-4 .
24. ↑ See Friederike Reutter, Heidelberg 1945–1949. On the political history of a city in the post-war period. Guderjahn, Heidelberg 1994, ISBN 3-924973-47-4 , p. 201, note 27.