Holland played a major role in Waldemar Freundlich’s life (*1879)-: In 1901 at his age of 21, he was sent out for 5 years to Indonesia as manager of the Indonesian branch of a notable Hamburg Trading House (Edm.Sielken). He had left German gymnasium at 16 years of age, and his father Emil (a wealthy business man at the town of Stolp/Pomerania, member of town council, forwarding & logistics, country products trade, also “gentleman farming”)- allowed him to become a business man working as unsalaried clerk. (timely together with slightly older brother Otto, who later turned out to become a professional artist.
On his return in 1905 from Batavia to Italy (Genoa), he visited Florence to see his brother Otto there. At his hotel he came to make acquaintance of French professor of pedagogice, Marie Dugard (1862-1932?) from Paris, who turned to be a motherly friend, sending him books and letters up to 1928, a “femme de lettres”. In one of her letters (1907) she admired his expertise in French language as well his foresighted ability as business man giving both advice and unselfish help to colleagues as well a business friends, also reflecting his Hamburg- wide popularity. At same time, Waldemar did have many friends among artists and writers, and a book was printed in 1912, written by a notable young author, with printed dedication to “Waldemar Freundlich” presumably an “encoded”novel about the friendship of both.
In 1914 Waldemar takes a business journey to Indonesia, toghether wih his young wife (*ca1890) and baby son (*ca1912). Nobody could expect that he was destined to live there up to 1921-: In August 1914 he was bound to stay there as internee, being fit to bear arms as a German. Nevertheless he could enjoy to leve as a gentleman (Holland was a neutral state), and there were no restrictions in his business and his private life.
Throughout all of his years in Indonesia (1901-1905 and 1914-1921) he was notably a partner within the Dutch community, being fluid 4 languages, Dutch, English, French and German, also Malayan, and even some words of Chinese (such as he lightly told to us children). So he came to know personally, quite a number of prominent citizens of the Dutch community (maybe matching the number of his German acquaintance of corresponding prominence).
At same time he undertook studies in political economy (even paralleled by substantial exploit realization, particularly on friendly advice by earth-soils-specialist Dr. Mohr), especially on the colonial industrialization problem. He wrote a 254-page book in (nederlands) Dutch language, printed in 1918 as number 5 of a publication series on Social Problems of Colonial Economy (Koloniaal-Maatschappelige Vraagstukken) with consensual advice by Jhr. J.C.van Reigersberg-Versluys (1879-1934), politician and civil engineer).
While Waldemar by the multiplicity of his activities became a rich business man, his marriage was to fail-: His young wife was able to avoid the internee status being born in a region contested between Denmark and Germany (Tondern). The Danish Consulate in Java gave her a Dutch passport, and she could freely travel to Europe with her baby. After Waldemar’s return 1921 to Germany, this marriage did fail, subsequently divorced, second marriage 1926 with Ilse Seehausen, our mother; the years to follow saw a cheerful young family with two happy kids. He was an amiable father to all of us, after 1938 we always longed for his love.
The world economical crises after 1929 brought so heavy losses, that his big Hamburg trading firm had to be liquidated; presumably by 100% about 1936. But late in 1927 he unawares had to face acute danger to be ruined together with his family, by the racism of German Nazi tyranny.
In early Summer, 1938, good luck knocked at his door. Unexpectedly, a good Dutch friend, Dr. Julius Mohr (1873-1970), professor at Utrecht University living in Amsterdam, wrote a friendly letter to “Waldemar Freunlich, HAMBURG” (which promptly reached our private house in suburb Blankenese of Hamburg, Germany). Dr. Mohr was close to reaching his pension point, and reflecting that Waldemar was in similar situation, he made the following proposition-: whether he could imagine to come to Amsterdam and live there for a year or so (rooms and cost for free). The plan was, to translate his book (tropical soils), and remembering his smart languages’ genius Waldemar, he was about to invite him to access this task together. The result was that Waldemar agreed, telling that he personally had to look out for an “exile” place, anyhow, instantly.
Understanding Waldemar’s actual needs, Dr. Mohr spontaneously agreed. After all, it could be anticipated that the Hitler nonsense was bound to fall before long, and meantime a very reasonable task could be performed. So my father got his visa, bought a railway ticket to Amsterdam, had to endure all these humiliating procedures for those “forced emigrational” arrangements, packed his big suitcase and travelled to Amsterdam.
Every day to follow he wrote a letter to us. He loved his family so much that he did not apply to get the Dutch citizenship. He permanently kept close contacts with the German consulate hoping to get their permission for a short visit with his family in Hamburg.
The war beginning in Sept.1939, made no difference, up to May, 1940. Swiftly a pleasant family friendship had risen, along with the exchange of many letters. We even were able to give some help to members of the Mohr family, in Germany. Also his own Dutch firm “E.W.W.Freundlich” was established for earning money. All the mutual trustworthiness with his worldwide business friends had been untouched, though. Even the German invasion which criminally overran Holland’s neutrality in spite of all the treaties, conference pacts, all promises given, all recent reaffirmations.- Even by this, initially nothing was changed. By Autumn1940, though, this close co-operation was changed since my father was not allowed to live in the coastal zone (Bloemendaal) and he chose renting a furnished chamber at Hilversum.
His disaster was concluded in 1942 by the so-called “Wannsee Conference”. A law was made to deprive any German citizen of his German citizenship if being encountered in a conquered country. The procedure was to deprive citizenship casually, followed by seizing as “stateless person”, transport to a concentration camp, and deportation to the east. We never heard from him again. Declaration of death by local court of his last German home under the date of war’s end; later, a letter from the Netherland’s Red Cross arrived, and very much later-: a death certificate by the community of Hilversum.
Sources:
For Indonesia (1901-1905) there exist a public quote from Prof. J.Heusinger in “OttoFreundlich”, Bonn A.Macke-Haus, Schriften, Nr. 50) 2007, page 95, footnote 55. – there also Florence, with brother Otto.
About Waldemar’s father in Stolp is there the In Memoriam by Dr. J.Müller-Liebenwalde in the German hunter magazine (1921), volume 78, Issue 24 from 22 December 1921, pages 319-320.
The “Key novel”: Dr. Werner v.d. Schulenburg (1881-1958) “Don Juan im Frack- (Hamburg, a novel series)”, Dresden (Reissner Verlag) 1912, 280 pages.
Private information - among them letters from Prof. Marie Dugard from Paris.
My own voyage 1951 to Hilversum where I have received a big suitcase with personal belongings, books etc. There I learned that my father did not return from a visit to officials regarding his passport, so one believed that he has travelled to his family in Hamburg.
Other information from the book “Die Endlösung” (The Final Solution) by Gerald Reitlinger, German, Berlin (Colloqium Verlag) 1956, 698 pages.
Personal memories to my father from my childhood until 1938.
Placed on the website 7 May 2017 by the editors of Joods Monument on behalf of and written by Dr. Jürgen Freundlich, Sudetenweg 5, D-50858 Köln (Germany).(son of Waldemar Freundlich).