by Mischka's War- A Story of Survival from War-Torn Europe to New York (epub)
24 July 1946, 9/56a (business—ch. 8; friends’ departures—ch. 11).
Undated [after 26 July 1946]. 9/56a (business—ch. 8).
Undated [August 1946], 9/56a (proposed move to US zone—ch. 8).
Undated [August 1946], 9/56b (proposed move to US zone; sculpture—ch. 8). 7 January 1947, 9/59 (sculpture—ch. 8).
15 January 1947, 9/57a (sculpture—ch. 8).
Undated [after 15 January 1947], 9/57 (sculpture—ch. 8).
21 March 1947, 9/54b (Misha’s attitude to her; her upbringing of sons— chs 2, 8).
22 May 1947 (postmark), 8/52 (ch. 8).
26 September 1947, 9/2 (friends’ departures—ch. 11).
27 July 1948, 9/48 (DP status renewed; Arpad’s death—ch. 8; Fulda—ch. 11).
10 September 1948, 9/41 (destinations discussion; Fulda—ch. 11).
21 September 1948, 9/47 (Koellner—chs 4 and 8; news of Jan—ch. 8; letter from Arpad—ch. 8).
11 January 1949 (postmark), 9/3 (Fulda—ch. 11).
Undated [early 1949], 9/4 (her DP status; Heidelberg; ‘Helgalein’ and prospective marriage—ch. 10).
27 February 1949 (unsent), 9/50 (mentions letters to son Arpad—ch. 8; separation from Mischka—ch. 11).
2 April 1949, 9/55 (Gieseking—ch. 11).
23 June 1949, 9/5 (reassurance on nerves—ch. 10).
Undated [after 12 November 1949], 9/28 (comment on Nanni’s letter— ch. 10).
29 [November or December] 1949, 9/25, (Gieseking—ch. 11; relationship with Mischka after marriage—ch. 12).
Undated [1949], 9/30 (departure plans—ch. 11).
11 June 1949, 9/8 (ch. 10; Gieseking—ch. 11).
23 June 1949, 9/5, (Olga’s business card—ch. 8; Mischka’s nervous problems—ch. 10).
28 September 1949, 9/24 (Daniel Kolz—ch. 11; Mischka’s wedding— ch. 12).
Undated [soon after 12 November 1949], 9/28 (panic attack—ch. 10; destinations discussion; Mary Sakss—ch. 11).
27 February 1950, 8/2 (Olga’s illness—ch. 11).
Undated [March 1950], 9/31(departure plans; illness—ch. 11).
27 March 1950, 9/23 (Mischka’s departure plans—ch. 12).
28 April 1950, 9/22 (Daniel Kolz; illness—ch. 11).
31 July 1950, 9/20 (Jan and Arpad’s attempt to leave Riga, 1944—ch. 5; illness; departure—ch. 11).
Undated [mid-1950], 9/10 (illness—ch. 11).
Undated [mid-1950], 9/21 (illness; operation—ch. 11).
Undated [14 August 1950], 9/18 (ch. 11).
Undated [August 1950], 9/18 (Mischka’s departure plans—ch. 12).
26 January 1951 [misdated 1950], 9/58 (job for Mischka in New York— Afterword).
11 September 1950, 9/16 (Mischka’s departure plans—ch. 12).
13 September 1950, 9/17 (departure, ‘so much fear!’—ch. 11).
16 September 1950, 9/12 (sculpture—ch. 11).
16 September 1950, 9/13 (sculpture—ch. 11).
21 September 1950, 9/14 (sculpture—ch. 11).
27 September [must be October] 1950, 9/34 (voyage—ch. 11). 21 October 1950, 9/15 (departure—ch. 11).
2 November 1950, 9/35 (voyage—ch. 11).
26 [November] 1950, 9/58 (Helga and BDM—ch. 12).
28 November 1950, 9/37 (job in New York—Afterword).
12 December 1950, 9/39 (politics—ch. 12).
17 February 1951 [misdated 1950]. 9/36 (America—ch. 12). 11 March 1951, 9/58 (congratulations on PhD—ch. 12).
18 September 1953, 9/66 (‘don’t be so distant’—Afterword).
Other letters to and from Michael Danos
From ‘Mutti’ Loefer, Vienna, 25 May 1944, 5/228 (ch. 5).
From Waldtraut Herrnberger, 7 June 1944, 5/123 (comment on Misha as
‘theorist’ in Riga—ch. 9); 22 June 1944, 5/113; 18 July 1944, 5/116;
31 July 1944, 5/47; 17 November 1944, 5/98 (ch. 3).
From Arpad Danos (brother), 13 August 1944, 6/8 (departure plans— ch. 5).
From Marianne (Nanni) Schuster, 8 October 1944, 5/58 (trip to Chemnitz—ch. 5); 24 November 1945, 5/168 (life in Soviet zone— ch. 7); 22 February 1946, 5/164; 4 February 1947, 5/163 (‘diplomatic problems’ between Saxony and Hanover—ch. 9);9 February 1946, 5/166; 24 April 1947, 5/158; 23 June 1947, 5/177 (visit, return trip, argument on man–woman relations, including typed copy of Mischka’s letter—ch. 9); 20 July 1947, 5/176; 17 September 1947, 5/5 (‘faithless tomato’—ch. 9); 8 January 1949, 5/4 (waiting to leave—ch. 10); 2 April 1949, 5/43 (in Goettingen—ch. 10); 14 April 1949, 5/178 (signed Marianne Schuster—ch. 10); 9 May 1949, 5/16 (in Reutlingen—ch. 10); 27 May 1949, 5/17 (in Tübingen—ch. 10; 16 June 1949, 5/20 (in Tübingen—ch. 10).
To Nanni Schuster, 26 July 1946 [in diary], 1/6; to M.S. [Nanni Schuster], 12 October 1946 [in diary], 1/1 (suspicion of academicism—ch. 9).
To unnamed girl (‘Mädel’, probably Nanni), 14 December 1945, 1/1 [in diary] ( university tour—ch. 7).
To F.B., 27 July 1946 [in diary], 1/1 (suspicion of academicism; doubts suitability for marriage; Sennheiser—ch. 9).
To Ch.K., 19 January 1948 [in diary], 1/1 (doubts suitability for marriage; Nanni—ch. 9).
From Marjorie Broadhurst to MD and Andrejs Bičevskis, 4 February 1948, 5/19 (ch. 9).
To Helga Heimers, 15 May 1949, 10/13 (Jensen and Nazis—ch. 10); 22 May 1949, 10/12 (Jensen and Nazis—ch. 10); 27 June 1949, 10/8 (nervous problems—ch. 10).
To Dr Malkus, 23 June [1949], 10/8. Thanks to Helga for giving me a copy of this letter.
To Willy and Martha Heimers, 21 July 1949, 10/48 (early interest in radio—ch. 2; Heidelberg salary; decision to marry Helga—ch. 10). Thanks to Helga Danos for giving me a copy of this letter.
Telegram to Martha Heimers, 11 December 1953, 3/75 (Mary’s funeral— ch. 12).
From Tadasu Okada, 1 October 1954, 9/76 (‘now legal husband’— Afterword); 11 December 1956, 9/74 (news of Olga’s incurable liver cancer—Afterword).
Michael Danos: occasional writings
‘Eine Erwiderung’, undated essay, 2/46 (response to Manfred Büttner’s essay on nihilism—ch. 9).
Fragment, undated [1949], 10/8 (too old for Nobel prize—ch. 10).
‘Rittergut’, undated [1946] autobiographical statement, 2/46 (on leaving Riga—ch. 4).
Michael Danos: musings
‘Stories from my Grandfather’s Times’, 20 June 1998 (ch. 1).
‘Early Training for Arrogance’, 28 July 1995 (servants upstairs—chs 1 and 2).
‘Buying of Apples’, 25 February 1997 (chs 1 and 2).
‘Feynman and I’, 7 March 1992 (reaction to brother’s illness—ch. 2; Barkhausen—ch. 5; self-doubt—ch. 9; ‘floundering in orals’—ch. 12). ‘Levels of Society’, 22 September 1994 (books and lived experience—ch. 3). ‘VEF, Valsts Electrotechniska Fabrika’, 13 July 1994 and 4 June 1998 (ch. 3).
‘Plebiscite to Join the Union’, 11 October 1995 (Soviet arrival in Riga, occupation—ch. 3).
‘Mass Deportations in ‘41’, 8 February 1995 (deportations of cousins— ch. 3; ch. 4).
‘Everyday in the Soviet Union’, 9 October 1994 (ch. 3).
‘Dubna 1967’, 21 February 1998 (ch. 3).
‘What is Special about the Soviet Case?’, 30 March 1996 (ch. 3).
‘Civilising the Russians’, 4 September 1994 (ch. 3).
‘Socialism-Communism’, 29 June 1992 (ch. 3).
‘Assassinators’, 6 August 1993 (Sovietology—ch. 3).
‘Nazi Latvia’, 16 November 1994 (ch. 4).
‘Saving Jews: Why?’, 4 January 1995 (ch. 4).
‘Mass Graves’, 22 July 1996 (ch. 4).
‘Koelln and Seeliger’, 23 April 1996 (chs 4 and 8).
‘Beria: Individual vs Soviet System’, 6 March 1994 (Koelln and Seeliger— ch. 4).
‘Medical Experimentations’, 24 January 1997 (German nurse—ch. 5).
‘Dresden’, 20 and 21 January 1996 (departure—ch. 5; bombing—ch. 6).
; ‘Cleansing of Concepts: Informers vs Denouncers in Nazi, Soviet, DDR’, 21 March 1995 (ch. 5; Flensburg hospital encounters—ch. 7).
‘Shell Shock: Dresden, 1944, 1945’, 25 April 1997 (Teschen-Bodenbach bombing story—ch. 5; making rucksack—ch. 7).
‘Occupation Forces in 1945’, 26 July 1994 (arrogance of British—ch. 7).
‘Quasi-kruzhki Elsewhere: Memories [Heidelberg Tee-Colloquium; Philippe Lenard;Houtermanns]’, 14 September 1994 (Tea Colloquium—ch. 10; attitude to Germany—ch. 11).
‘Währungsreform’, 23 February 1997 (ch. 11).
‘Donosi [Denunciations] v. Informers’, 2 May 1994 (Mary Sakss—ch. 12).
‘Psycho-sociology in Germany’, 11 March 1995 (ch. 11).
‘Flying a Little Plane in New York’, 23 May 1997 (Afterword).
Olga Danos: diaries
‘Book of my marriage’, 1922–48, 3/1a.
1 April 1927 (husband lacks occupation—ch. 2).
April, Easter [1927] (husband has voice problems—ch. 2).
18 October 1928 (Russia 1918—ch. 1).
2 March 1944 (separation from husband—ch. 5).
2 May 1944 (visit to lawyer about divorce—ch. 5).
30 October 1945 (only entry for year—ch. 7).
9 March 1946 (thoughts of Riga family; repatriant’s visit—ch. 8).
31 March 1946 (thoughts of Riga family; letters to them—ch. 8).
10 March 1947 (Arpad Sr’s jealousy, ch. 2).
24 June 1947 (child-raising practices; thoughts of Riga family—chs 2 and 8).
2 April 1948 (reference to unnamed lover—ch. 2; Arpad’s death—ch. 8).
19 May 1948 (meeting Arpad—ch. 1; Arpad’s death—ch. 8).
American diary, 1950–56, 3/1
1 January 1951 (new life in United States—Afterword).
16 January 1951 (new life in United States—Afterword).
10 January 1953 (recalling Misha’s birth—chs 1 and 2; quarrel with Misha and Helga—Afterword).
6 July 1953 (Jack Bell, ‘Miami Herald towncrier’; sculpture business— Afterword).
14 July 1953 (Jack Bell; sculpture—Afterword).
28 July 1953 (quarrel—Afterword).
12 August 1953 (thinks of tearing up cheque from Misha—Afterword).
24 August 1953 (news of Helga’s pregnancy—Afterword).
8 July 1954 (fears for sons in Soviet Union—ch. 3).
8 March 1955 (fears for sons—ch. 3).
9 March 1955 (land as inheritance for sons; seven months as Olga Okada— Afterword).
26 June 1956 (last entry) ( land for sons—Afterword).
Olga Danos: documents
Certification from IRO, that Olga Danos has been screened and ‘found eligible for work and emigration’; preferred destination, Argentina, 26 October 1948, 2/26 and 3/56.
Bescheinigung (declaration) signed by Simon and Ilse Mirkin, authorising the return to Olga of rent paid for Florengasse 53, 7 June 1951, 9a/51d.
Other letters to and from Olga Danos
From Arpad Sr (‘Der Alte’), 1 October 1944, 3/53 (last letter to Olga— ch. 5; ch. 7).
From Simon Mirkin, 15 September 1946, 3/21 (ch. 7); 5 October 1950, 3/17 (Olga’s departure—ch. 11).
From Helga Danos, undated [June 1950], 8/37 (Helga’s work in Heidelberg—ch. 12); (with postscript from Mischka), 28 November 1950, 8/106m (Helga and BDM; Mischka’s publications—ch. 12); 11 January 1951, 8/5f (Mischka’s job—ch. 12).
To Martha Heimers, 23 July 1950, 9/9 (ch. 12).
To Helga Danos, 2 December 1950, 9/58 (what Mischka needs in a wife— ch. 12); 15 March 1951, 9/58 (paskha—ch. 12); 16 July 1951, 8/4e (departure—ch. 12).
From Paul Seeliger, 20 April 1952, 3/6 (chs 2 and 4, Afterword).
From Jan Danos, 21 November 1955, 6/20 (contact with Riga— Afterword).
From Arpad Danos, postcard, undated [after 11 January 1956], 6/21 ( contact with Riga—Afterword); telegram, 19 September 1956, 6/29 ( contact with Riga—Afterword).
From Ariadna Sakss, 29 July 1956, 3/37 (ch. 3; Afterword).
From Press Advisor (name illegible), friend from Flensburg, 2 November 1956, 3/34 (ch. 7).
Olga Danos: occasional writings, fragments
Undated autobiographical fragment, 3/29 (her mother’s illness—ch. 1).
Undated autobiographical fragment, 3/31 (her time in Russia; houses owned by Viksnes—ch. 1).
Autobiographical fragment, 19 May 1952 (date crossed out), 3/13 (her wedding—ch. 1).
Autobiographical fragment, 12 April 1919, in Russian, 3/43 (jealousy, quotation—ch. 2).
Undated autobiographical fragment, [early 1920s], in Russian, 3/46 (jealousy—ch. 2).
Autobiographical fragment, 14 April 1945, 3/51 (Glücksburg—ch. 7).
Fragment, in form of letter without addressee, mainly in German, 14 July 1947, 3/71 (‘buffoon’ quotation—ch. 8).
Undated [1950], untitled fragment in English on yellow lined paper, 3/28 (friend’s persuasion to go to America; unfavourable picture of United States [‘heartless robots’]—ch. 11).
‘The Voyage’, undated fragment, 9/15 (voyage to United States—ch. 11).
Undated fragment in German, 3/33 (Daniel [Kolz?]—ch. 12).
Handwritten essay in German, Ponte Vedre Beach, 25 September 1955, 3/31 (telegram from Riga—Afterword).
Fragment in German, 29 August 1956, 9/83 (contact with Riga— Afterword).
Acknowledgements
I have accumulated many debts in the writing of this book. Janis (Jan) Danos and the late Andrejs Bičevskis provided indispensable information through interviews and the sharing of documents. Helga Danos, the late Arpad Danos (Misha’s brother), Dailonis Stauvers and Helen Machen were generous with time and information. Other family members and friends who shared memories of Misha were his son Arpad Michael Danos, his daughter Johanna Danos, his second wife Victoria Danos, and his longtime friend and office mate Evans Hayward, as well as friends of Misha’s youth, Balva Berke and Georgs Jankowskis, to whom Jan introduced me in Riga.
Barry Mirkin contributed invaluable information on his father, Simon Mirkin, as well as photographs and press cuttings of Olga’s arrival in New York in 1950. Jan Danos and Johanna Danos also provided photographs from their family collections.
Kata Bohus carried out research on the Deutsch/Danos family in the Hungarian archives on my behalf. Livija Baumane provided wonderful data on Olga’s fashion atelier in Riga, and Andris Zeļenkovs shared information on the Latvian sporting scene before the war. Scholars who answered questions on various issues that came up in the course of the research include Holly Case, Bjorn Felder, Norman Naimark and Atina Grossmann. I am particularly grateful to Dr Margers Vestermanis of the Jewish Museum in Riga for his help.
For translation assistance, I thank Diana Weekes (who translated the Dresden diary) and Eva von Kügelschen; Johanna Danos and Barbara Helwing for German, Rita Lesnik and Arpad Michael Danos for Latvian, and Marco Duranti for Italian.
The institutions that supported me as I worked on this book are the University of Chicago, the Research School of Humanities at the Australian National University (2008 Fellowship), the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (2008–9 Fellowship), and the University of Sydney, which has been my academic home since 2012.
Because this was an unusual project for me, I leaned more heavily than usual on my friends for advice and encouragement: among them Jörg Baberowski, Phyllis Booth, Lorraine Daston, Desley Deacon, Orlando Figes, Marsha Siefert, Alfred Rieber, Yuri Slezkine, and Bernard Wasserstein. Donald Berger, Katerina Clark, Ann Curthoys, and Anne Nesbett all read chapters, as did Jan Danos and Helga Danos. I am particularly grateful to the long list of friends who read and commented on the entire manuscript: Ruth Balint, Lynn Dalgarno, Kay Dreyfus, Barbara Gillam, Kitty Hauser, Mark McKenna and Ross McKibbin. Their reactions, questions and criticisms were enormously valuable.
Arpad Danos, Paul Sakss and their five children (late 1920s). In the back row, from le
ft, are Ariadna Sakss, Vera (friend of Olga’s), Arpad Danos Sr, wife of Professor Bamburg (no information on the Bamburgs, who are presumably friends of the adults), Paul Sakss and Professor Bamburg. In the front row, from left, are Michael, Jan and Arpad Danos, and Jogita Sakss.
Michael Danos, aged ten, 1932.
Jogita, Mary and Ariadna Sakss, early 1930s.
Riga: revelry on the beach, 4 July 1943. Misha is kneeling on the right.
Olga and Michael Danos in Riga, early 1940s. I like to think that Olga is wearing one of her own fashion creations.
Michael Danos, aged twenty-one, 1943.
Michael Danos, pole vaulting, early 1940s.
Olga at the wedding of Michael Danos and Helga Heimers, Hanover, 1949. Olga is in a dress of her own design; a very decorous Heimers aunt is standing behind her.
Michael and Helga Danos at 31 Rohrbacher Street, Heidelberg, circa 1949. Helga and Mischka sit on either side of the artful arrangement of branches with which they decorated their new apartment.
Michael and Helga Danos in bed with Stauvers, Heidelberg, circa 1950. On the bed is the ‘beautiful big down quilt’ that Mischka and Helga wanted to take to America. Photograph by Dailonis Stauvers.
Hans Jensen with Maria Meyer, early 1950s.
Michael Danos and Helmut Steinwedel at the blackboard, Heidelberg, circa 1950. Mischka is on the left. Steinwedel, on the right, was a student of Jensen’s who was both a guest at Mischka and Helga’s first dinner party and the co-author of Mischka’s first published article.
Ariadna Sakss with her children, 29 July 1956. The children are Neraida (aged nine), Egons (six) and Paulis (three). This photograph was enclosed by Ariadna in a letter to Olga re-establishing contact after her return to Riga from exile in the Soviet Union.
Olga with Johanna and Tamara Danos, 1956.
Olga with two-year-old Johanna Danos and Martha Michael Danos, with daughter Johanna Heimers, Florida, 1955. The photograph has details under his arm, mid 1950s. written on the back by Martha Heimers.
Michael Danos, with daughter Johanna under his arm, mid 1950s.