Heinrich Margulies (1890 - 1989)

  Born:
Sosnowiec, Poland 1890
(Ober Schlesien/Upper Silesia, at that time part of the russian-polish area).

Heinrich Margulies
Parents:
Moritz Margulies and Clara Sussman

Siblings:
Anna Margulies
Isidor Margulies
Julius Margulies
Siegmund Margulies
Bella Margulies
Emil Margulies
Hanns Margulies


  Spouse:
1. Nanny Auerbach
(born ?? in Posen, Father: Rabbi Baruch Menachem Auerbach)

Nanny Auerbach was an author and journalist and was active in the zionist movement. In 1911 she organised the first women's Zionist Meeting in Basle, and later was appointed an honarary life-time member of the WIZO, the Women's International Zionist Organisation.
She was one of the few female contributors to the "Jüdische Zeitung" (published by her brother-in-law, Isidor Margulies).
Beiträge von Frauen waren selten: zu den Ausnahmen zählt der Artikel von Nanny Auerbach-Margulies über Frauenarbeit in Palestina vom 29.02.19019[5]

Children:
Private

  Spouse:
2. ??

Children:
??



  Died:
1989 Kiriat Tivon, Israel


Studied in Leipzig and Berlin and became an economist. He was also an editor for the "Wiener Morgenzeitung". In 1925 he emigrated to Palestine, where he became a Director of the Anglo-Palestine Bank. [1][2]

Zionist publicist; studied in Berlin and Leipzig; 1919 Editor for the "Jüdisch Jugendblätter" Editor for the "Wiener Morgenzeitung" since 1919; Factory director in Berlin and Bank Director; 1925 emigration to Palestine; Change of name to MARGALIT; Director of the Bank Leumi Lejisrael [Anglo-Palestine Bank]; moved to Kiriat Tivon; Since 1956 scientific works, including studies of the old-semitic [altsemitisch] and sumeric cultures; Publications .... [see below] [6, Footnote 175] .
I'm not sure about these references to the Wiener Morgenzeitung: most sources only mention his brother Isidor. But the reference to the "Jüdisch Jugendblätter" is also repeated here[6, Footnote 153].

Heinrich seems to have sparked off several controversies. Here two examples:

  • In 1915 "Jüdischen Rundschau" published articles from Heinrich with inflammatory titles like "Der Krieg und die Zurückgebliebenen" oder "Wir und der Krieg". [...] Gershom Scholem and 15 members of the wrote an angry letter to the editors objecting to the war. The letter was also signed by 15 members of the "Jung-Juda" associated, but it wasn't published, and the president of the Zionistischen Vereinigung Deutschlands, Arthur Hantke, reprimanded Scholem and two others as he feared that if the letter were to be published, then the Vereinigung could be banned for unpatriotic behaviour[6].

  • In May 1918 the german philosopher Martin Buber gave a talk at the "Jüdischen Jugendtag" (Jewish Youth Conference) in the Vienna. Heinrich spoke out against some of Buber's ideas:
    Although I didn't find his speech - or indeed the figure of this Heinrich Margulies - particulary sympathetic, in my opinion his objection does have some merit[6].

    The second general speaker, Mr. Heinz [!] Margulies, tried to counter Dr. [Robert] Weltsch's remarks and made polemic comments about Buber's influence in the jewish Youth Movement, as his misunderstood ideas could lead to a really bad outcome[6, Footnote 175].

    ... Heinrich Margulies, whose article caused Scholem's first anti-war activity, turned against his mentor at a youth conference after the war. Margulies accused Buber of "spiritualizing" Zionism (Vergeistung des Zionismus), presumably by ignoring the need for a concrete program of emigration to Palestine[8].

Memo to self: Expand the controversies.



In 1953 he was the appointed Economics and Financial Advisor to the Israeli Embassy in London.

Garry remembers, that when we lived in Bristol, on Hartcliffe housing estate a big limousine with CD plates and flying the Israeli flag came to the estate. It was Heinrich, who then took Garry and Tissi to London for the week (-end ?) where they stayed as his guests in the Savoy.

On returning to Israel in 1956, he resigned from his activities in the financial world, to concentrate on his literary achievements.

The youngest brother, Heinrich, was already influenced by his two older brothers in the zionist Youth Movement, where he excelled. As a young man he published a two-volume "Critique of Zionism" and emmigrated soon after World War I to Erez Israel, where he has become a leading economist. Although he has attained an important position in his contry's financial economy -- he is one of the directors of the Anglo-Palestine Bank Ltd. -- he is often enticed back to his literature and architectural studies. He recently published with "Dwir", Tel Aviv, an interesting piece of archeological research "Paroh schebijmej Josef" (Joseph's Pharoah), under the pseudonym of H. Owadjy. [3]


According to Garry, Minna had a photograph entitled "Founders of Israel" (or something similar) and either Emil or Heinrich was in this photo.

See also the Margulies Family History, Moritz Margulies and Clara Sussman


(Partial) Bibliography:

This is only a very small extract of his bibliography, as he was a prolific writer. Some of his writings are held at the Central Zionist Archives (CZA) in Jerusalem. In their catalogue[4] he is listed with 4.2 (!) runnings metres of archived material (his brother Emil is listed with 0.2 metres).

  • Der Pharao Joseph, 19??
  • Der Kampf zwischen Suez and Baghdad im Altertum, 19??
  • Palästinas Untergang.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 1 (1916) Nr 5, S. 131-133.
  • Archiv für jüdische Wirtschaftsfragen.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 1 (1917) Nr 22, S. 641-646.
  • Das Galuthproblem im Zionismus.
    In: Der Jude, Jg 2 (1917) Nr 9, S. 601-607.
  • Die nationale Gliederung in Galizien und der Bukowina.
    In: Der Jude, Jg 2 (1917) Nr 10, S. 725-727.
  • Die Juden in der galizischen Wirtschaft.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 2 (1918) Nr 9, S. 215-218.
  • Wege und Irrwege.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 2 (1918) Nr 12, S. 271-281.
  • Der Mut zum Koster.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 2 (1918) Nr 19, S. 452.
  • Ekstatische Konfessionen.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 2 (1918) Nr 19, S. 452.
  • Lyrische Romantik.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 2 (1918) Nr 19, S. 451-452.
  • Heiliges Volk.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 3 (1918) Nr 3, S. 81-90.
  • Jüdische und europäische Politik.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 3 (1919) Nr 23, S. 496-502.
  • Kritik des Zionismus.
    In: Neue jüdische Monatshefte, Jg 4 (1919) Nr 1, S. 17-21.
  • Der Einfluss der jüdischen Aufbauarbeit auf die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung Palästinas und seiner Bewohner.
    In: Palästina, Jg 13 (1930) Nr 4, S. 113-129.
  • Die Frage der Einführung einer Einkommensteuer.
    In: Palästina, Jg 14 (1931) Nr 5, S. 208-211.
  • etc, etc, ....



  • Heinrich Margulies, by Ziona Tagar
  • Portrait by Ziona Tagar
    26" x 18"
    Sold: 2003 Southeby's Tel Aviv


References:

  1. Kurzbiographien zur Geschichte der Juden 1918-1845, K.G.Sauer Verlag, München, 1988
  2. Jüdisches Lexikon, 1927
  3. Dr. Emil Margulies, Ein Lebenskampf für Wahrheit und Recht, Faerber, 1949, Tel Aviv
  4. Guide to the archival record groups and collections, Central Zionist Archives, 2003
    (available on the internet as a PDF-file )
  5. Wien und die jüdische Erfahrung 1900-1938, Frank Stern, Barbara Eichinger, 2009, ...
  6. Chanukka und der Zionismus in Deutschland , Klaus Davidowicz, in DAVID - Heft Nr. 75 - Dezember 2007
  7. Eugen Hoeflich (Moshe Ya'akov Ben-Gavriêl), Tagebücher 1915-1927, Böhlau Verlag, Wien, 1999
  8. Gershom Scholem: Kabbalah and Counter-History, David Biale, Harvard University Press, 1982
    (Exerpts avaialble on the internet)
Further:
Oral History
Internet research
Biographical notes from one of his books