A rare Jewish émigré to return to Germany immediately after WWII, Jella Lepman (1891-1970) spearheaded an effort to re-educate the children of Germany, and the world, so they would become less susceptible to the pull of ultra-nationalism and xenophobia that led to the horrors of two world wars.
While Allied occupations sought to de-Nazify Germany-efforts which were quickly dismantled after the Allied armies returned home, Lepman thought the only true way forward was to “start with the children.” She sought to change the hearts and minds of the next generation by exposing youth to books from other countries, so they would become more empathetic and internationally-minded. Her work resulted in the establishment of what has since become the largest children’s book library in the world, an international consortium that links 80 countries, and indirectly, the mammoth Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy. Those institutions still exist today.
Lepman documented her work in an autobiography, A Bridge of Children’s Books (1964) but glossed over the formative experiences in wartime Britain that shaped and inspired her later achievements. Lecturer David Jacobson has mined numerous archives in the U.K., Germany and the United States to sketch a vivid picture of her life and work in Britain, undescribed until today. An effort that literally required connecting the dots.
David Jacobson is a veteran writer, journalist and Japanese translator. His first biography, Are You an Echo? The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko (a picture book for children), introduced the life and work of a beloved Japanese children’s poet to the English-speaking world. He is currently working on a biography of Jella Lepman.
This event took place in 21 October 2024
26 окт 2024
