Erich Klibansky

Erich Klibansky

Erich Klibansky was born on November 28, 1900 in Frankfurt, Germany.

He was the Headmaster and a Teacher at the Jawne (the first Jewish Gymnasium in the German Rheinland in 1919) in Cologne, Germany.

A Gymnasium is what the Europeans call a Preparatory High School that gets its Students ready to enter the University.

He attended an interdenominational Boarding School in Frankfurt which his Father ran.

Klibansky attended the Frankfurt Goethe-Gymnasium and studied History, German Studies and Romance Studies at university in Frankfurt am Main, Marburg and Munich.

He finished his Schooling in 1925.

He married his Wife, Meta, and they had 3 Children (Hans-Raphael, born in 1928, Alexander, born in 1931  and Michael, born in 1935.)

In 1929 the Family moved to Cologne.

He then became the Headmaster and a Teacher at Jawne.

In 1933 the Nazis came to power in Germany.

In 1937 Kilbanksy and his Family had to leave their spacious apartment and move into a smaller place.

After the Anti-Jewish Pogrom of Kristallnacht throughout Germany and Austria in November 1938,  Kilbansky devised a way for many of his Students and Teachers to emigrate to England by learning English and passing the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency.

The Central British Council for Refugees arranged for the accommodation in a College for his Students and Teachers.

By the time World War 2 started in September 1939, Kilbanksy was able to send 5 Classes or 130 Students from Nazi Germany to safety in England.

Erich Kilbansky was unable to save himself or his Family.

They were deported by the Nazis from Cologne on July 20, 1942 from Cologne-Deutz station on the “Special Train DA 219” and murdered in an Open Pit at Maly Trostenets in German-Occupied Belarus (near Minsk) on July 24, 1942.

Erich Kilbanksy was 41 years old, his Wife, Meta was 40 and his Children were 14, 11 and 7 years old.

In 1990 Cologne dedicated the Erich Klibansky Platz in honor of him and his work.

Something to remember as Children across the United States and the World start going back to School.