Abstract

Uwe Wittstock’s “Marseille 1940” offers a detailed exploration of the plight faced by writers and intellectuals fleeing Nazi persecution in France during World War II. The book chronicles the experiences of notable figures such as Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, and Varian Fry, an American journalist who played a pivotal role in facilitating German refugees escape through his Emergency Rescue Committee. Wittstock dispels common myths surrounding these figures’ journeys, providing a nuanced account of their struggles to obtain visas and navigate perilous escape routes. He emphasizes the humanitarian efforts of Fry and his collaborators, who risked their lives to save at least 1500 refugees from certain death. Through meticulous research and compelling narratives, Wittstock sheds light on both well-known and lesser-known individuals caught in this harrowing chapter of history, ultimately portraying a powerful testament to human resilience and solidarity under dire circumstances.

Keywords:Marseille 1940; Varian Fry; Nazi persecution; Refugee escape; World War II; Intellectual exodus; Emergency Rescue Committee; Humanitarian efforts.

Review

Compelling Account

Uwe Wittstock’s “Marseille 1940” is a comprehensive account of the fate of writers who had to flee Germany and France due to Nazi persecution. The book provides a detailed narrative of events previously known through personal accounts like Lion Feuchtwanger’s “The Devil in France” and Anna Seghers’ novel “Transit”, but with much more specificity. Wittstock dispels common myths, such as the notion that Walter Benjamin fled France over the Pyrenees together with Franz Werfel, Heinrich and Golo Mann. Instead, he clarifies that Benjamin attempted to leave Nazi-occupied France later and under much more difficult circumstances. The book also describes the struggles of other writers like Walter Mehring, Hannah Arendt, and Alfred Kantorowicz in their attempts to escape or obtain visas. Importantly, Wittstock doesn’t neglect the fates of lesser-known writers and their often-unsuccessful attempts to leave occupied France [1-4].

Tribute to Varian Fry

A central focus of Wittstock’s book is the American journalist Varian Fry, whose tireless efforts in Marseille under challenging conditions made it possible for many emigrants to flee to the USA, saving their lives. Among those he helped were Anna Seghers, Walter Mehring, Alfred Kantorowicz, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Victor Serge, and Andre Breton. Fry’s motivation stemmed from witnessing SA brutality against Jewish citizens in Berlin in 1935. This experience led him to establish the Emergency Rescue Committee in New York in June 1940, before the US entered the war with Nazi Germany.

Rescue Operations

Wittstock, drawing on his journalistic skills, provides compelling details about the escape routes, often through the Pyrenees to Spain, then to Portugal, and finally by ship to America. These operations were facilitated by Fry’s committee members under difficult conditions and often supported by the local French population. The author also highlights the courageous, sometimes life-threatening involvement of Mary Jayne Gold and Miriam Davenport in Fry’s organization, providing a comprehensive picture of a humanitarian effort that included both men and women. Wittstock’s book leaves no doubt that without the efforts of Fry’s Rescue Committee, the fate of many refugees would have been sealed in death camps or Gestapo torture chambers. Fortunately, this compelling account has just been translated by the acclaimed and experienced translator by Daniel Bowles into English.

References

1. Feuchtwanger L. The Devil in France. My Encounters with him in the Summer of 1940. Los Angeles: University of Southern California Press, 2009.
2. Seghers A. Transit. London: Virago, 2021.
3. Wittstock U. Marseille 1940. Die große Flucht der Literatur. Münchem: Beck, 2024.
4. Wittstock U.: Marseille 1940. The Flight of literature, Hoboken, New Jersey Wiley, 2025.