Helene Nathan
Helene Nathan (born August 23, 1885 in Oels ; † October 23, 1940 in Berlin ) was a librarian, library manager and namesake of the Helene Nathan Library in Berlin-Neukölln .
Life
On July 1, 1921, Helene Nathan began her work as head of the library in Neukölln. At that time there were few women holding such a position in a larger library. Helene Nathan was a member of the SPD and saw her work as an educational instrument in the Neukölln workers' district. She was particularly interested in youth library work.
Due to her political commitment and her Jewish origins, Nathan was given leave of absence with immediate effect in March 1933 after Hitler came to power and fired on August 20 of the same year.
Between 1935 and 1937 she worked in the Jewish bookstore Kedem. She later got the offer to emigrate to Great Britain . However, this plan failed with the outbreak of the Second World War .
Because the situation seemed hopeless to her, Helene Nathan committed suicide on October 23, 1940 at the age of 55.
A plaque commemorating Helene Nathan is located at Ganghoferstraße 3–5 in Berlin-Neukölln, where the city library was then. In the 1950s, a new city library for Neukölln was built on Erlanger Strasse, which was named after Helene Nathan. The building was demolished at the end of the 1990s for the new construction of the Forum Neukölln (now Neukölln Arcaden ). After completion, the Helene Nathan Library moved to the top floor of the shopping center. Helene Nathan was also the namesake for the Helene-Nathan-Weg in Rudow .
literature
- Claudia von Gélieu : Pioneering Neukölln women: From the Britz princess to the first city councilor. Trafo Verlag, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89626-148-7 , pages 173-179.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nathan, Helene |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German librarian, library manager |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 23, 1885 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Oleśnica |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 23, 1940 |
| Place of death | Berlin |