Ferdinand Rieser

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Ferdinand Rieser (born December 17, 1874 in Konstanz , † March 10, 1944 in Masseube , Département Gers ) was a German philologist , librarian and director of the Badische Landesbibliothek in Karlsruhe . As a Jew, he was forced to retire in Nazi Germany and deported to France, where he died of a heart attack in a hospital in 1944 as a result of imprisonment in concentration camps.

Childhood and Adolescence (1874-1893)

Ferdinand Rieser was born as the son of the religion teacher Salomon Rieser. The early death of the father forced the family to move to Heidelsheim near Bruchsal , where they were supported by their mother's relatives. Ferdinand Rieser attended elementary school there and grammar school in Bruchsal. In Bruchsal he became chairman of the “Philatelic School Association Bruchsal”. After this had gone bankrupt, Rieser paid off the mountain of debt in the amount of 272 Reichsmarks himself to save his honor.

Training and first professional activity as a librarian (1893–1913)

Rieser studied new philology in Heidelberg, Freiburg, Berlin and Strasbourg. He completed his studies with the state examination. After a probationary year as a teacher training candidate at a grammar school, however, he decided against a career as a teacher and began working as an intern at the Badische Hof- und Landesbibliothek in Karlsruhe in 1898 . In 1906 Rieser received his doctorate in German studies under Max von Waldberg at the University of Heidelberg . On March 27, 1913, he married Adele Behr in Karlsruhe. Rieser rose steadily in the hierarchy of the state library and in 1908 was made official as a grand ducal librarian.

During World War I (1914–1918)

From July 1, 1915 to August 21, 1916, Rieser served in the army with the 2nd Badisches Landsturmbataillon, but because of his health in the administration (" garrison capable "). On the initiative of Theodor Längin , director of the Badische Landesbibliothek, Rieser was classified as indispensable and recalled to his post. Their first child Eugen was born on March 16, 1916, who was dependent on constant care due to his disability. In 1917 he received the honorary title of professor.

Post-war years and director of the state library (1918–1933)

The daughter Eva was born on September 25, 1920. In the same year Rieser was promoted to senior librarian and in 1931 he and Theodor Längin saved the state library from the threat of closure. On December 1, 1932, shortly before the start of National Socialist rule, Rieser was appointed director of the state library. Rieser's commitment was also directed to the Jewish Cultural Association in Karlsruhe, which he chaired until 1933.

Forced retirement, deportations and death (1933–1943)

On April 5, 1933, the Gauleiter Baden Robert Wagner was given leave of absence due to his Jewish origins , and on September 23, Ferdinand Rieser was forced to retire by Wagner decision. Rieser now devoted himself to his historical studies, but as a Jew was no longer allowed to use libraries and archives from 1938. Former colleagues gave him illegal access to the Badische Landesbibliothek. On October 22, 1940, he and 6000 other Jews were deported from Baden to Gurs in France as part of the “Wagner-Bürckel Campaign” . Rieser tried to build a library there. On March 17, 1941, Ferdinand and Adele Rieser were transferred to the Récébédou camp. Four letters have survived from this period. Rieser tried unsuccessfully to leave the country. Rieser also ran the camp library in Récébédou. In August 1942, the couple escaped deportation to Drancy or Auschwitz for unknown reasons. Both were deported to the Nexon concentration camp on October 7, 1942 , and to Masseube on March 15, 1943 . Adele Rieser died there on October 23, 1943 in a hospital. On March 10, 1944, Ferdinand Rieser died of heart failure in the same hospital. The couple found a grave in the Auch cemetery . There are documents in the Karlsruhe City Archives about the terrible conditions of the camp detention.

Murder of the son Eugen Rieser

At the request of his parents, the mentally handicapped Eugen Rieser was accommodated in the St. Josefs-Anstalt in Herten from the age of 6 . As part of the so-called Action T4 , Eugen was brought to Grafeneck on December 2, 1940 and murdered.

Publications (selection)

  • Des Knaben Wunderhorn and its sources. Introduction and general part . Dissertation University of Heidelberg 1907.
    • expanded publisher's publication: Des Knaben Wunderhorn and his sources. A contribution to the history of the German folk song and romanticism . Ruhfus, Dortmund 1908 ( digitized version ).
  • The Tannhauser song. Story of a folk song . In: The pyramid. Weekly for the Karlsruher Tagblatt 1920, pp. 225–228.
  • Robber barons. Based on old German songs and chronicles . In: Zeiten und Völker 1911, pp. 62–66. 85-91.
  • Exhibition August Gebhard : [Paintings - Graphics and Drawings] / [Ferdinand Rieser]. Stiess, Karlsruhe 1918 ( digitized version ).
  • August Gebhard, a young painter from Baden . In: Ekkhart 1, 1920, pp. 37-45.

literature

  • Rainer Fürst: Library director Ferdinand Rieser (1874–1944) . In: BLB-Magazin 2, 1996, 1, pp. 13–21 ( PDF )
  • Rainer Fürst: Rieser, Ferdinand . In: Badische Biographien NF Vol. 5 (2005), pp. 239–240.
  • Richard Lesser: Ferdinand Rieser . In: Memorial Book for the Karlsruhe Jews, 2007
  • Alwin Müller-Jerina: Fates of Jewish VDB Members in the Third Reich . In: Association of German Librarians 1900–2000, Wiesbaden Harrassowitz, 2000, pp. 101–120.
  • Josef Werner: Swastika and Star of David as the fate of the Karlsruhe Jews in the Third Reich . 2., revised. and exp. Ed., Karlsruhe Badenia-Verlag, 1990 (publications of the Karlsruhe City Archives; 9).

Web links

Commons : Ferdinand Rieser  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikisource: Ferdinand Rieser  - Sources and full texts
  • Ferdinand Rieser in the memorial book for the Karlsruhe Jews in the Karlsruhe City Archives

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Richard Lesser: Ferdinand Rieser . In: Memorial Book for the Karlsruhe Jews 2007.
  2. ↑ Alwin Müller-Jerina: Fates of Jewish VDB members . In: Association of German Librarians 1900–2000 . Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2000, pp. 101–120, here p. 119.
  3. ↑ Alwin Müller-Jerina: Fates of Jewish VDB members . In: Association of German Librarians 1900–2000 . Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2000, pp. 101–120, here pp. 118 ff .; Rainer Fürst, Rieser, Ferdinand . In: Badische Biographien NF 5 (2005), pp. 239–240; Richard Lesser: Ferdinand Rieser . In: Memorial Book for the Karlsruhe Jews 2007.
  4. ↑ Richard Lesser: Ferdinand Rieser . In: Memorial Book for the Karlsruhe Jews 2007.
personal data
SURNAME Rieser, Ferdinand
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German philologist and librarian
DATE OF BIRTH December 17, 1874
PLACE OF BIRTH Constancy
DATE OF DEATH March 10, 1944
Place of death Masseube