Guy Stern
Encyclopedia
Guy Stern is a German-Jewish scholar of literature, primarily German and comparative.
, Germany. He was the only member of his five-person family to escape to the United States in 1937, and was assisted by an uncle in St. Louis
and an American-Jewish agency. He also encountered a well-meaning consular official in Hamburg
. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to later secure passage overseas for the rest of his family. After the war he learned that his whole family was deported to the Warsaw Ghetto
and had perished there.
In 1940, Stern started studying romance languages
; he also later studied German
. In 1942, he volunteered for naval intelligence, but was initially rejected because he was not born in the United States; he was subsequently drafted in 1943. In 1944, he landed in Normandy
three days after D-Day
as a member of the so-called Ritchie Boys
, a special military intelligence unit composed mainly of German-, Austrian-, and Czech-Jewish immigrants to the United States. Part of his duty was the interrogation of German prisoners of war
and defectors
. For this he gained the Bronze Star Medal
.
After the war, he went back to his studies, receiving a Bachelor of Arts
in Romance Languages in 1948, a Master of Arts
in Germanistics in 1950, and a PhD
in 1953 from Columbia University
in New York City. After teaching at Columbia, he received an assistant professorship at Denison University
in Ohio, and was later professor and head of the department for German Language and Literature at the University of Cincinnati
in 1963. He was later head of the German and Slavic Studies department at the University of Maryland
, then until his retirement served as a distinguished professor of German Literature and Cultural History at Wayne State University
and intermittently as senior vice president and provost. He was a visiting scholar at the German universities of Freiburg im Breisgau, Frankfurt am Main (1993), Leipzig (1997), Potsdam (1998) und Munich.
He is currently the director of The Harry and Wanda Zekelman International Institute of the Righteous at the Holocaust Memorial Center
in Farmington Hills (near Detroit) and one of the founders of the Lessing Society (University of Cincinnati 1966), acting as its president from 1975 until 1977. As author and editor he published several books and compilations on German literary history, focusing mainly on literature on emigration and immigration. In 1998 he gave a lecture at the 60th anniversary of the Kristallnacht
at the German parliament Bundestag
in Bonn
.
Stern has received several awards throughout his life, among them the Grand Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1987) and the Goethe Medal
(1989). He has also received an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University
.
Life
Stern was born to an assimilated Jewish family in HildesheimHildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
, Germany. He was the only member of his five-person family to escape to the United States in 1937, and was assisted by an uncle in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and an American-Jewish agency. He also encountered a well-meaning consular official in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to later secure passage overseas for the rest of his family. After the war he learned that his whole family was deported to the Warsaw Ghetto
Warsaw Ghetto
The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all Jewish Ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It was established in the Polish capital between October and November 15, 1940, in the territory of General Government of the German-occupied Poland, with over 400,000 Jews from the vicinity...
and had perished there.
In 1940, Stern started studying romance languages
Romance studies
Romance studies is an umbrella academic discipline that covers the study of the languages, literatures, and cultures of areas that speak a Romance language. Romance studies departments usually include the study of Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese...
; he also later studied German
German studies
German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents, and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German history, and German politics in addition to the...
. In 1942, he volunteered for naval intelligence, but was initially rejected because he was not born in the United States; he was subsequently drafted in 1943. In 1944, he landed in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
three days after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
as a member of the so-called Ritchie Boys
Ritchie Boys
The Ritchie Boys was a US special military intelligence unit in World War II comprising mainly German-speaking immigrants to the USA. They were predominately Jews, most of whom had fled Nazi persecution...
, a special military intelligence unit composed mainly of German-, Austrian-, and Czech-Jewish immigrants to the United States. Part of his duty was the interrogation of German prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
and defectors
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
. For this he gained the Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
.
After the war, he went back to his studies, receiving a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Romance Languages in 1948, a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Germanistics in 1950, and a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in 1953 from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York City. After teaching at Columbia, he received an assistant professorship at Denison University
Denison University
Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...
in Ohio, and was later professor and head of the department for German Language and Literature at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in 1963. He was later head of the German and Slavic Studies department at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, then until his retirement served as a distinguished professor of German Literature and Cultural History at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
and intermittently as senior vice president and provost. He was a visiting scholar at the German universities of Freiburg im Breisgau, Frankfurt am Main (1993), Leipzig (1997), Potsdam (1998) und Munich.
He is currently the director of The Harry and Wanda Zekelman International Institute of the Righteous at the Holocaust Memorial Center
Holocaust Memorial Center
The Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, Michigan was the first institution of its kind in the United States .- History :...
in Farmington Hills (near Detroit) and one of the founders of the Lessing Society (University of Cincinnati 1966), acting as its president from 1975 until 1977. As author and editor he published several books and compilations on German literary history, focusing mainly on literature on emigration and immigration. In 1998 he gave a lecture at the 60th anniversary of the Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
at the German parliament Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
.
Stern has received several awards throughout his life, among them the Grand Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1987) and the Goethe Medal
Goethe Medal
The Goethe Medal, also known as the Goethe-Medaille, is a yearly prize given by the Goethe Institute honoring non-Germans for meritorious contributions in the spirit of the Institute. It is an official decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany....
(1989). He has also received an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
.
Selected works
- War, Weimar and literature. The story of the Neue Merkur, 1914-1925. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press 1971.
- Literatur im Exil. Gesammelte Aufsätze 1959–1989. Ismaning 1989.
- Literarische Kultur im Exil. Gesammelte Beiträge zur Exilforschung (1989 - 1997) . Dresden u.a. 1998.
- Fielding, Wieland, Goethe and the rise of the novel. Frankfurt am Main u.a. 2003.
Literature
- Konrad Feilchenfeldt/Barbara Mahlmann-Bauer (Ed.): Autobiographische Zeugnisse der Verfolgung. Hommage für Guy Stern. Heidelberg: Synchron 2005. ISBN 3-935025-50-5 (German)
External links
- Homepage of The Harry and Wanda Zekelman International Institute of the Righteous
- Hour Detroit: Active Duty: At 87, he keeps the Holocaust Memorial Center relevant by Jack Lessenberg, September 2009
- Wayne State University: Guy Stern, WSU distinguished professor emeritus, to receive award from the Society for Contemporary American Literature in German in: ASKI (Ed.): Kulturberichte 1/99: Erinnerungen eines Zeitzeugen (German)
- Werner Karg: Festschrift für Guy Stern. In: Einsichten und Perspektiven 01/2005. (German)