W
I left Germany on the first of May 1933 after the Nazis hadpersued me for a long time. Formerly( before 1933) I was anofficial of the republican Government of Prussia and memberof parliament( Reichstag ). I went from Germany to the Saar-territory and there I stayed during the plebiscite campaignas a leader of organisation of this campaign against Hitler .After the plebiscite on the 15th of January 1935 I fled to France ( Mulhouse in Alsace- Lorrain). There I was founder and editor
of a weekly news paper against Nazism " Freiheit Korrespondenz"Freedom correspondence) which had a branch in Luxemburg , therforethI often visited Luxemburg . I was also there on the 10'
of May
On the of November 1936 Hitler took away my German nationali-ty, becaus I was his enemy. On the 14th of June 1940, the dayon which German troops occupied Paris , few friends of mine anddmyself fled from Mulhouse to the south border of France and laterto the west border( Bas Pyrenées). In the end of September 1940the U.S. Consul Generale at Marseille gave us visas to this countrybut I could not go because the French Government refused methe exit- visa. Later I understood the reason: the French Governmenthad a list given by the Gestapo of 150 to 200 Nazieenemies whomust be prevented from leaving France . Therefore I was only ableto leave France many months later( the 31 of March 1941) onlywith the aid of French friends. I went from Marseille toMartinique and after four weeks in camp there I came to New York .I arrived in this country th 29th of May 1941 on the steamer