Fred Uhlman
Encyclopedia
Fred Uhlman was a German
-English writer, painter and lawyer of Jewish origin.
, Germany, into a prosperous middle-class Jewish family. He studied at the Universities of Freiburg, Munich and Tübingen from where, in 1923, he graduated with a degree in Law
followed by a Doctorate in Canon and Civil Law.
In March 1933, two months after Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor, Uhlman moved to Paris
to start a new life. This, however, proved very difficult; foreigners were not permitted to take paid employment, and were immediately expelled from France
if caught doing so. Uhlman supported himself by drawing and painting, and selling his work privately when he could. At one stage he supplemented his income by selling tropical fish
. Uhlman's star as a painter was in the ascendance, but buyers were hard to come by.
In April 1936 he moved to Tossa de Mar
, a small fishing village on the Costa Brava
in Spain
, but shortly thereafter the Spanish Civil War
broke out, and in August he decided to return to Paris, via Marseille
. Here, while making a telephone call from a café to Diana Croft, a friend in London
whom he had met in Tossa de Mar, his wallet, containing most of his money and his passport, was stolen from his jacket left unattended at his table. A foreigner in France without a passport effectively became a stateless person and subject to official harassment, internment and possible expulsion. Demoralised and in despair, he gave the café proprietor his Paris telephone number and continued his journey to Paris. The next day he received a telephone call at his hotel; the caller informed him that he had the wallet and passport and would mail them to Uhlman the next day, because he was a co-réligionnaire of Uhlman's, but would retain ten percent of the money in the wallet 'to cover expenses'. The wallet and passport arrived the following day. On 3 September 1936, Fred Uhlman landed in England with no money and unable to speak the language. Two months later, on 4 November 1936, he married Diana Croft, daughter of Henry Page Croft.
Nine months after the outbreak of the Second World War, Uhlman, with thousands of other enemy aliens, was, in June 1940, interned by the British Government, on the Isle of Man
. He was released six months later and reunited with his wife and with his daughter, born while he was interned.
Uhlman had his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Le Niveau in Paris in 1935. In London he exhibited at the Zwemmer Gallery in 1938, from then on he exhibited regularly in one man shows as well as mixed exhibitions throughout Britain
. A retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Leighton House Museum in London in 1968. His work is represented in many important public galleries, including the Fitzwilliam Museum
in Cambridge and Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Uhlman's memoirs, The Making of an Englishman, was published in 1960. His novella
Reunion was published in 1977.
Fred Uhlman died in London on 11 April 1985. He is the great-uncle of Joseph Uhlman, the youngest Chief of EMS Services in the history of the State of Kansas.
In 1989, the dramatic film Reunion
, based on Fred Uhlman's novella of the same title, was directed by Jerry Schatzberg
from a screenplay by Harold Pinter
. Reunion has also been adapted for the stage by Ronan Wilmot and was premiered at Dublin's New Theatre on 9 November 2010.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-English writer, painter and lawyer of Jewish origin.
Biography
Fred Uhlman was born in StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany, into a prosperous middle-class Jewish family. He studied at the Universities of Freiburg, Munich and Tübingen from where, in 1923, he graduated with a degree in Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
followed by a Doctorate in Canon and Civil Law.
In March 1933, two months after Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor, Uhlman moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to start a new life. This, however, proved very difficult; foreigners were not permitted to take paid employment, and were immediately expelled from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
if caught doing so. Uhlman supported himself by drawing and painting, and selling his work privately when he could. At one stage he supplemented his income by selling tropical fish
Tropical fish
Tropical fish include fish found in tropical environments around the world, including both freshwater and salt water species.Tropical fish are popular as aquarium fish, due to their often bright coloration...
. Uhlman's star as a painter was in the ascendance, but buyers were hard to come by.
In April 1936 he moved to Tossa de Mar
Tossa de Mar
Tossa de Mar is a municipality in Catalonia, Spain, located on the Costa Brava, about 103 kilometres north of Barcelona and 100 kilometres south of the French border...
, a small fishing village on the Costa Brava
Costa Brava
The Costa Brava is a coastal region of northeastern Catalonia, Spain, in the comarques of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and Selva, in the province of Girona. Costa is the Catalan and Spanish word for 'coast', and Brava means 'rugged' or 'wild'...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, but shortly thereafter the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
broke out, and in August he decided to return to Paris, via Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. Here, while making a telephone call from a café to Diana Croft, a friend in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
whom he had met in Tossa de Mar, his wallet, containing most of his money and his passport, was stolen from his jacket left unattended at his table. A foreigner in France without a passport effectively became a stateless person and subject to official harassment, internment and possible expulsion. Demoralised and in despair, he gave the café proprietor his Paris telephone number and continued his journey to Paris. The next day he received a telephone call at his hotel; the caller informed him that he had the wallet and passport and would mail them to Uhlman the next day, because he was a co-réligionnaire of Uhlman's, but would retain ten percent of the money in the wallet 'to cover expenses'. The wallet and passport arrived the following day. On 3 September 1936, Fred Uhlman landed in England with no money and unable to speak the language. Two months later, on 4 November 1936, he married Diana Croft, daughter of Henry Page Croft.
Nine months after the outbreak of the Second World War, Uhlman, with thousands of other enemy aliens, was, in June 1940, interned by the British Government, on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. He was released six months later and reunited with his wife and with his daughter, born while he was interned.
Uhlman had his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Le Niveau in Paris in 1935. In London he exhibited at the Zwemmer Gallery in 1938, from then on he exhibited regularly in one man shows as well as mixed exhibitions throughout Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. A retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Leighton House Museum in London in 1968. His work is represented in many important public galleries, including the Fitzwilliam Museum
Fitzwilliam Museum
The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge, England. It receives around 300,000 visitors annually. Admission is free....
in Cambridge and Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Uhlman's memoirs, The Making of an Englishman, was published in 1960. His novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
Reunion was published in 1977.
Fred Uhlman died in London on 11 April 1985. He is the great-uncle of Joseph Uhlman, the youngest Chief of EMS Services in the history of the State of Kansas.
In 1989, the dramatic film Reunion
Reunion (1989 film)
Reunion is a 1989 dramatic film based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Fred Uhlman, directed by Jerry Schatzberg from a screenplay by Harold Pinter. It was released in France under the title L' Ami Retrouvé and in Germany as Der Wiedergefundene Freund. The story is centred on the "enchanted...
, based on Fred Uhlman's novella of the same title, was directed by Jerry Schatzberg
Jerry Schatzberg
Jerry Schatzberg is a photographer and film director.-Career:Schatzberg was born to a Jewish family of furriers and grew up in the Bronx. He photographed for magazines such as Vogue, Esquire and McCalls. He made his debut as a feature film director with 1970's Puzzle of a Downfall Child starring...
from a screenplay by Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
. Reunion has also been adapted for the stage by Ronan Wilmot and was premiered at Dublin's New Theatre on 9 November 2010.
Books by and about Fred Uhlman
- Captivity: twenty-four drawings by Fred Uhlman. London: Jonathan Cape, 1946.
- The Making of an Englishman, London: Victor Gollancz, 1960.
- Reunion
- Anna Plodeck: The making of Fred Uhlman: life and work of the painter and writer in exile. [Dissertation, University of London (Courtauld Institute of Art), 2004]
External links
- The Fred and Diana Uhlman Collection http://www.ncl.ac.uk/hatton/collection/africa/
- The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, U.K. has a large collection of Uhlman's drawings. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/dept/pdp/opac/cataloguesummary.html?_searchstring_=((((((AG='PDP'%20and%20((%20%20(VV='uhlman*'%20or%20BE='uhlman*'%20or%20ob='uhlman*'%20or%20Tz='uhlman*'%20or%20MA='uhlman*'%20or%20CL='uhlman*'%20or%20IN='uhlman*'%20or%20OB='uhlman*'%20or%20OC='uhlman*'%20or%20C2='uhlman*'%20or%20TK='uhlman*')))))))))&_startfrom_=31&_function_=xslt&_resultstylesheet_=imagecs&_limit_=10&_sort_=]
- The New Theatre Dublin http://www.thenewtheatre.com