Martha Haushofer

Martha Haushofer née Mayer-Doss (born April 21, 1877 in Mannheim , † March 10, 1946 in Hartschimmelhof near Pähl am Ammersee) was a German writer , women's rights activist and research assistant to the geopolitician Karl Haushofer .

Life and professional development

Martha Mayer-Doss was born in Mannheim on April 21, 1877 as the daughter of the Jewish cigar manufacturer Georg Ludwig Mayer-Doss (1847-1919), who converted to Catholicism in 1882, and his wife Christine, née von Doss (1854-1930). At a young age, her father strictly prevented her from developing her strong intellectual inclinations and abilities. In 1895 the family moved to Partenkirchen . In the same year, shortly before her 18th birthday, Martha met the eight years older artillery lieutenant Karl Haushofer. The church wedding took place in 1896 in the pilgrimage church of St. Anton above Partenkirchen .

In the same year Martha Haushofer became a member of a women's association, which in 1899 was named Verein für Fraueninteressen eV. In the first member list she was listed next to her sister-in-law Marie Haushofer, father-in-law Max Haushofer Jr. and his later wife Emma Merk. In 1897 she was elected to the board, on which she remained until 1919. From 1897 to 1902 she held the position of secretary and treasurer in the association. In the events she gave lectures on various topics of women's work and the legal requirements derived from it, as well as on August Strindberg and Rahel Varnhagen . Her first major publication was the translation of Anatole France's book "The juggler of our dear women". From 1898 she worked in the legal protection office of the association.

With a special permit, she was admitted to the events of the University of Munich in 1898, without a high school diploma. Haushofer was gifted with languages ​​and spoke several languages ​​such as Japanese, French and English. She was very interested in politics and legal issues. Her interests were only tolerated by her husband because they contradicted his ideas about the role of women. By nature she was rational and fearless. Since she also had an open ear for her husband's military concerns and dealt with these matters, he also entrusted her with official secrets. He knew that she could count on complete secrecy on such matters. In 1900, their father bought the Hartschimmelhof near Pähl am Ammersee as the future place of residence for the young Haushofer family . Their son Albrecht Haushofer was born on January 7, 1903, and their second son, Heinz Haushofer , in 1906 .

Her husband Karl Haushofer had meanwhile been promoted to captain and in 1908 he was transferred to the central office of the Bavarian General Staff. Since he was no longer particularly interested in the "purely" military, at Martha's insistence he applied in 1907 for a contract trip to East Asia. On June 24, 1907, he learned that he had been selected for this expedition. From the moment the application was submitted, it was clear that both would only start this trip together. Because, as Martha Haushofer noted in her travel diary: "I was actually the driving force behind the decision." Karl Haushofer included Martha intensively in the travel preparations from the start. This involved compiling and studying available specialist literature on the individual countries, drawing up country sketches, checking existing contacts and consulting with people who already had specific country experience. To learn the language they used the Japanese Murata, whereby Martha Haushofer got along quite well with the Japanese language. Her husband described his command of Japanese in an essay in 1913 as "bad and right". Shortly before the start of the journey, the children were placed in the care of their grandparents in Partenkirchen .

Stay in Japan

October 19, 1908, was set as the departure date. In addition to the Haushofer couple, the small tour company also included: the employee of the General Staff Heinrich Graf von Luxemburg (1874–1960) and Martha's criminal lawyer and cousin, Max Ernst Mayer (1875–1923). Martha kept a diary of the trip in order to authentically record the many new and scientifically usable knowledge. For Karl Haushofer, the aim of the mission was to study the political and military situation in the countries visited, to contribute to the consolidation of the relations between these countries and Germany and to examine possible strategic partnerships. Japan in particular was included in the visit program for military reasons, because the client expected important information from the experience of the Russo-Japanese war. In Japan itself it was planned to assign Karl Haushofer to the German embassy in Tokyo for a longer period of service and then to be deployed as a military observer in a Japanese field artillery regiment near Kyoto. Martha's job consisted of documenting the impressions she had gathered, accompanying her husband, who was by nature not a "world traveler", and using her advanced language skills to support the maintenance of contacts and conversations.

On October 19, 1908, they boarded the imperial post steamer “ Goeben ” in Genoa and reached Japan via India , Ceylon , Singapore and Hong Kong after four months, on February 19, 1909. In Tokyo they were welcomed by members of the German embassy and introduced to high officials in the government and the military. The stay here lasted 7 weeks. As Martha noted in her travel diary, they were happy to be able to continue their journey, as they had got the impression that they had not got to know the real Japanese customs and traditions. The city was still clearly in a process of upheaval and development, and the people it met at receptions were polite but distant. Nevertheless, it was already possible to establish good contacts with leading Japanese military and politicians.

From Tokyo , the journey continued to the regions of southwestern Japan. They spent the rainy season in Kyoto and reached the region around Fujiyama in August 1909 . During this phase of the trip, Karl Haushofer had considerable depression and fear of the future. It was completely unclear to him what task he would face after returning to Germany. Because even before the start of the trip, he had already quarreled with the military tasks assigned to him. This was compounded by a severe homesickness that gripped him. Here Martha Haushofer was challenged to build him up and help him look ahead. In September 1909 they viewed the progress of Japanese railroad construction in Japanese-occupied Manchuria. They made contacts with officers of the Japanese occupation forces in Tianjin and met the secretary of the embassy Honda Kumatarō (1874–1948), who later became the Japanese ambassador (from 1924) in Berlin. She continued the journey to Fushimi-ku (Kyōto) , where the artillery regiment was stationed, the real highlight of the study trip. They were received here with unusual openness, made familiar with very internal military issues. Here Karl Haushofer felt himself to be in his real element and, on the basis of mutual sympathy with numerous Japanese, he succeeded in building friendly relationships. In general, the two Haushofers achieved a tremendously high level of awareness like hardly anyone else after them. This created a decisive basis for the later scientific and populist activities of Martha and Karl Haushofer in the 1920s and 1930s in the field of geopolitics.

On the return journey, which they started on June 15, 1910 and which led from Kyoto via Vladivostok , Irkutsk , Moscow and Warsaw to Munich, Karl Haushofer fell ill and required Martha to take care of him. While his recovery was delayed until 1912, Martha began to sort out the impressions and collected information immediately after returning home. Above all, she wrote the mandatory residence report while her husband dictated parts of it from the bedside. She completed and added to the records in her travel diary, prepared overviews and researched facts in the specialist literature. In addition, she attended numerous lectures and events that served her husband's scientific work, for example events at the Geographical Institute in Munich and lectures by the geoscientist Erich von Drygalski (1865–1949). She dealt with some of the Asian topics herself as a writer and at the same time grew into the role of an irreplaceable research assistant for her husband. She played a very large part in the elaboration of his reflections on Greater Japan's military force "Dai Nihon", which appeared in 1913. It was, as she noted in the family records: "K's first book in common work". Karl Haushofer paid tribute to this by dedicating this work to her, which became the cornerstone of his scientific career.

Further professional development until 1932

After her return, Martha Haushofer also resumed her work in the Association for Women's Interests . She joined the board in 1913, wrote an obituary for the recently deceased Ika Freudenberg and the foreword to her book What the Women's Movement Has Achieved . In quick succession she published three essays in which she processed the impressions of her stay in Asia. In 1912 the article appeared in the largest crater in the world about the Aso (volcano) on Kyūshū, a year later the essay The Japanese feeling for nature and in 1913 and 1914 the article The national reform movement in Ceylon .

From the beginning of the First World War in 1914, Karl Haushofer went through a military lightning career that raised him from major to major general. During this time Martha Haushofer corresponded on current political books and new scientific publications, issues from the field of the women's movement, and above all pursued geopolitical issues. She collected material, organized documents, conceived, edited, wrote scientific texts and thought about the future after the war. She was particularly moved by this because her husband had no tendency to return to the "troupe" even before the trip to Japan. On the other hand, their lives were shaped by the decline of the German Empire as a result of the war and the opportunities that the Weimar Republic offered them. Together with their son Albrecht, the Haushofers joined the national liberal German People's Party ( DNVP ) in 1919 , which most closely reflected the family's political interests at the time. Karl Haushofer left the military in 1919 and, supported by Martha Haushofer, began a scientific career that made him one of the founders of geopolitics based on the model of Friedrich Ratzel (1844–1904). What was invaluable to them, almost a unique selling point, was that they had close ties to Japan, not only to military, but also to political, diplomatic and economic circles. This was completed by the fact that they were well informed about current political events through the German embassy in Tokyo. Numerous Japanese personalities were guests of the Haushofer family during their stay in Germany in the 1920s: for example, the constitutional lawyer Takerabe Seiji (1881–1940) in 1921, the economist Hira Yasutaro (1896–1970) in 1925, and those who were friends with them Ambassador Honda Kumatarō , who presented his credentials in Berlin in 1924, and the military attaché Watanabe Ryozo. The Haushofers also had connections to the emerging National Socialist movement, primarily through Rudolf Hess (1894–1987), who made contact with the Haushofers in 1919 through a common “front-line comrade”. He was a constant guest and friend of the house and worked temporarily as an assistant to the Haushofers. When Hess was imprisoned at the Landsberg am Lech fortress in Munich for his involvement in the Hitler putsch in 1923 , Karl Haushofer visited him several times and brought him books. On this occasion there was also a first encounter with Adolf Hitler .

Martha Haushofer focused very much on the new approach of geopolitics as a science and discussions about future options for a strategic alliance between Berlin, Moscow and Tokyo. Due to the good contacts to the Japanese military and politicians, the concept of the "monsoon countries" pursued by both Haushofers was, on the one hand, particularly fed by the latest information from Japan and, on the other hand, formed an important basis for inspiring new strategic considerations on the international balance of power after the First World War. In 1924 Karl Haushofer published the book Geopolitics of the Pacific Ocean: Studies on the Interrelationships between Geography and History , published by Vowinckel Verlag Berlin in 1924, and in it described a strategic pioneering role for Japan in the Asian region. Martha was actively involved in the creation of the work, carried out research, translated foreign-language texts and carried out other supporting activities. But she also had her own publications. Her translations Lost Rule: How England gave up India by ALCarthill (1923) and Geography and World Power: An Introduction to Geopolitics by James Fairgrieve (1925) were published by Kurt Vowinckel Verlag, Berlin. Karl Haushofer only wrote the preface for both books. His book Building Blocks for Geopolitics was published by the same publisher in 1928.

From 1933

From 1933 the political framework for Martha Haushofer changed dramatically. She quickly came to terms with the conditions of the Weimar Republic. A system with extreme ideological polarization and an absolute claim to totality did not correspond to their thinking. The family received a first clear signal when their house was searched in March following a denunciation of alleged possession of weapons. But also personally a difficult situation arose for Martha Haushofer, who had meanwhile developed into a publicly noticed person. As a " half-Jew " she was discriminated against and endangered, and because of the increasing anti-Semitism in the public, she became more and more distressed. The then "Deputy Leader" Rudolf Hess , upon request, issued a so-called "letter of protection" for Martha Haushofer, which at least offered her some security against access and direct persecution. But still she had to be extremely restrained in her work in public appearances or publications. The consequence of this was that she herself no longer signed any articles with her name and also no longer published translations of non-fiction books. The scientific processing of geopolitical issues was not affected. The Haushofers also maintained their personal relationships with Japan and corresponded on geopolitical, strategic and military topics. This also resulted in closer relationships with Joachim Ribbentrop (1893–1946), who at the time was still Adolf Hitler's foreign policy advisor . Through Ribbentrop, the eldest son Albrecht Haushofer became a consultant and freelancer for the Ribbentrop office from 1934 . Secret political missions and special assignments took him to Great Britain, Southeast Asia and, in 1937, to Japan.

In their scientific work, the Haushofers vehemently pursued the concept of the "monsoon countries" and the theory that future world domination for Germany could only be achieved in an alliance with Moscow and Tokyo. They saw it as their task to provide German politicians with the geographical and political knowledge with which they should bring about the rise of Germany. Although they pursued a different approach than Adolf Hitler's government with regard to the strategic role of the Soviet Union, in 1936, through the efforts of their son Albrecht, they were involved in the formation of the Anti-Comintern Pact between Germany and Japan. Several times they sought the opportunity to talk to Adolf Hitler about their strategic alliance assessments. It was not until autumn 1938 that Karl Haushofer found the opportunity to do so on the sidelines of a public event. In doing so, he tried to warn Hitler against further military activities after the Munich Agreement . When he further addressed his views on the constellation and alliance possibilities in the Asian region, which stood in opposition to the "political line", the conversation was abruptly broken off by Adolf Hitler. After that, the Haushofers suffered severe cuts in their geopolitical activities and research. They were increasingly hostile to practiced National Socialism.

In February 1939, Karl Haushofer had given up his job as a university lecturer. This destroyed the most important basis of their scientific work. The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 and Germany's attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941 plunged both Haushofers into a violent crisis. Karl Haushofer fell into severe depression. Only her son Albrecht maintained a connection to the political system through his part-time work in the information department of the Foreign Office in Berlin. He lost this, however, when he was briefly imprisoned on May 10, 1941 after Rudolf Hess' flight to Scotland . Martha and Karl Haushofer, who had retired to their Hartschimmelhof near Pähl am Ammersee, were also targeted by the Gestapo. After the Hitler assassination attempt on July 20, 1944 , Albrecht Haushofer went into hiding, while Heinz Haushofer was arrested on August 25, 1944. Albrecht and Karl Haushofer were then arrested on December 7, 1944. Karl Haushofer spent a month as a prisoner in the Dachau concentration camp. Heinz Haushofer was only released on April 22, 1945, and Albrecht Haushofer was murdered by an SS commando on the night of April 23, 1945.

On March 10, 1946, Martha and Karl Haushofer killed each other with arsenic in a remote location on their hard mold farm. They wrote to their lawyer that they had decided in incurable sadness about the fate of the German people and the murder of their son Albrecht, which had destroyed the meaning of their life's work and the heirs of their scientific work. The couple was buried in the Hartschimmelhof.

Own work and publications

• "The Japanese feeling of nature" in: Geist des Ostens - magazine of the Society for Customer of the East , publisher Hermann von Staden (1868–1927), Munich, 1st year 1913, issue 3 p. 147 books.google
• "The national reform movement in Ceylon" (category: West-Eastern Earth Spirit ) in: Geist des Ostens , 1st volume, issue 11 p. 664, volume 12, p. 721 books.google and 2nd volume, p. 116 books.google
• "Japan: The Heroes of Tsingtau" (rubric: West-Eastern Earth Spirit ) in: Geist des Ostens , 2nd year, p. 456 books.google
• Anatole France, "The juggler of our dear woman" (translation) in: Youth Volume I, No. 8 of February 22, 1896
• "Between Antung and Mukten" in: Munich Latest News (MNN) of March 20, 1910
• "All sorts of Korean" Part I. in: MNN of July 6, 1911
• "All kinds of Korean" part II. In: MNN (undated)
• "Jishin, Kaminari, Kwaji, Oyaji: The many horrors of the Japanese" in: Frankfurter Zeitung from September 6, 1911
• "Ika Freudenberg" (obituary) in: Extra sheet of the Federation of German Women's Associations from February 1, 1912
• "Chinese and Manchu" in: MNN of February 7, 1912
• "In the service of the social worker" "in: Zeitschrift - Frauenstreben from April 27, 1912
• "A bird's eye view of Beijing" in: The time of March 5, 1912
• "Children's reading halls" in: magazine - youth home from August 1, 1912
• "The exhibition to combat junk literature in Munich" in: Zeitschrift - Hochwacht No. 8 from 1912
• "In the largest crater in the world" in: Kosmos (magazine) year 1912, issue 12, p. 481-5 books.google

• together with Lotte Willich, publisher of "The female service obligation, Munich 1916
• Dr. Gertrud Wolf "The acquisition of women in the main cultural states" (review) Munich 1916
• Dr. med. von Kemnitz "The woman and its determination - a contribution to the psychology of women and the reorientation of their duties (review) Munich 1917
• "Household in Japan" in: Women's Newspaper No. 38 of 1920
• "Women emigrating" in Frauen Zeitschrift, supplement, 1920
• AL Carthill "Lost rule. How England gave up India" (translation) Kurt Vowinckel Verlag, Berlin 1924
• James Fairgrieve "Geography and World Power. An Introduction to Geopolitics" (translation) Kurt Vowinckel Verlag, Berlin 1925

literature

• Ernst Haiger, Amelie Ihering, Carl Friedrich Weizsäcker: Albrecht Haushofer , ed. by the Ernst Freiberger Foundation , 2nd edition, published by Langewiesche-Brandt, Ebenhausen 2008 (now: Beck, Munich)
• Christian W. Spang: Karl Haushofer and Japan. The reception of his geopolitical theories in German and Japanese politics , Volume 52 of the monographs from the German Institute for Japanese Studies , 2013, books.google

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Hohenemsgenealogie.at
2. ↑ genealogie-oberbayern.de
3. ^ Haiger / Ihering / von Weizsäcker, Albrecht Haushofer , Ernst-Freiberg-Stiftung, Berlin 2002, p. 12f.
4. ↑ https://www.literaturportal-bayern.de/autorinnen-autoren?task=lpbauthor.default&pnd=140378049
5. ^ ^{A b} Ingvild Richardsen , portrait of Martha Haushofer, literature portal Bavaria
6. ↑ published in: Youth Volume I. No. 8 of February 22, 1896
7. ↑ Spang 2013, p. 157 books.google footnote 349: "Karl Haushofer to his wife, January 18, 1918, quoted in: Jacobsen 1979, I, p. 146f."
8. ↑ quoted from HPA, Reise-Tagebuch p. 5, in Spang 2013 p. 89 books.google
9. ↑ From the experiences of the first Bavarian Japan Command , in: Geist des Ostens 2/1913, p. 98; see. Spang 2013, p. 120 books.google 0
10. ↑ Spang 2013, p. 155 books.google
11. ↑ Publishing ESMittler and son
12. ↑ Spang 2013, p. 149 books.google with footnote 306
13. ^ In: Centralblatt des Bund deutscher Frauenvereine , February 1, 1912.
14. ↑ Kosmos , year 1912, issue 12, pp. 481-5 books.google .
15. ↑ In: Geist des Ostens , Volume 1, year 1913, p. 147 books.google .
16. ↑ In: Geist des Ostens , 1st year, issue 11 p. 664; Issue 12 p. 721 books.google and Volume 2 p. 116 books.google .
17. ^ Haiger / Ihering / von Weizsäcker, Albrecht Haushofer , Ernst Freiberg Foundation, Berlin, 2002 p. 43ff.
18. ↑ Spang 2013 p. 75 books.google
19. ↑ Spang 2013 p. 180 f. books.google