Adin Talbar ( he, עדין טלבר) (8 October 1921 – 6 September 2013), was a German-born
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i diplomat and athlete who served as Deputy Director of the Israel Ministry for Commerce and Industry, furthered German-Israeli cooperation and founded the Israel Academic Sports Association (A.S.A.).
Biography
Adin Theilhabar (later Talbar) was born in Berlin. He was a grandson of
Adolph Theilhaber, who was an advisor to the
Bavarian court
The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...
, and the son of , a dermatologist and author in the early 20th century. Originally from
Bamberg
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
, his father came to
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, where he married Stefanie Czapinska, who came from an educated Jewish household in
Włocławek
Włocławek (Polish pronunciation: ; german: Leslau) is a city located in central Poland along the Vistula (Wisła) River and is bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park. As of December 2021, the population of the city is 106,928. Loc ...
, Poland.
After attending the Theodor-Herzl elementary school, Talbar was a pupil at the
Goethe-Gymnasium for one year until 1933. When antisemitic discrimination increased he re-joined the Theodor-Herzl School run by
Paula Fürst Paula Fürst (August 6, 1894 – probably June 1942) was a German reform educator of Jewish descent.
Education and early development
Paula Fürst was born in Głogów to Otto Fürst, a Jewish merchant and Malvine Fürst, née Rosenberg. Following ...
, which was the only Zionist school in Berlin. His father was arrested and deported to the concentration camp
Plötzensee for two months in 1933. After his release his doctor's license was cancelled and, in 1935, the family
immigrated
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
to the British Mandate Palestine. Without his parents, Talbar joined
Kibbutz
A kibbutz ( he, קִבּוּץ / , lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural: kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1909, was Degania. Today, farming h ...
Mishmar Haemek
Mishmar HaEmek ( he, מִשְׁמַר הָעֵמֶק, . "Guard of the Valley") is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the western Jezreel Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Megiddo Regional Council. Mishmar HaEmek is one of the ...
, where he studied and worked in agriculture. Individualistically disposed, he left the Kibbutz in 1938 to follow his brother Tola Theilhaber to London. There he studied for his matriculation at the
Regent Street Polytechnic
The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Polyte ...
. Talbar studied Economics at the
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
/ At the outbreak of the Independence War of Israel in 1948 he had to discontinue his studies, because of a shortage of officers in the Israeli army. After two years in the army he continued his studies at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
, where he completed his bachelor's degree.
Military career
After returning to Palestine at the outbreak of World War II, for several months Talbar joined the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force in 1940.
[Henryk Brode]
Adolf und seine Söhne
"Spiegel Online.“ 11. November 2007. In 1942 he became an officer in the
Palestine Regiment
The Palestine Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army that was formed in 1942. During the Second World War, the regiment was deployed to Egypt and Cyrenaica, but most of their work consisted of guard duty. Some Palestine Regiment mem ...
of the British Army. There he became friends with Hazim el-Khalidi, who later was the commander of the Syrian Yarmouk Regiment in the Israel-Arab War 1948–1949, and Jordanian tourism director in Jerusalem until 1967. Despite the Arab-Israeli conflict Talbar and Khalidi stayed lifelong friends, advocating a peaceful two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine question.
Talbar saw combat in
northern Italy in 1944–1945, after the
Jewish Brigade
The Jewish Infantry Brigade Group, more commonly known as the Jewish Brigade Group or Jewish Brigade, was a military formation of the British Army in the Second World War. It was formed in late 1944 and was recruited among Yishuv Jews from Manda ...
had been posted to
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
in 1943. After the end of the war he helped Jewish Holocaust survivors escape from northern Italy in order to facilitate their emigration to Palestine. During a motorcycle trip to Munich a month after the war Talbar met the man who later became the Prison Psychologist of the
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies of World War II, Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II.
Between 1939 and 1945 ...
,
Gustave Gilbert
Gustave Mark Gilbert (September 30, 1911 – February 6, 1977) was an American psychologist best known for his writings containing observations of high-ranking Nazi leaders during the Nuremberg trials. His 1950 book ''The Psychology of Dicta ...
, in Salzburg, where Gilbert handed him photographs of the
Dachau concentration camp
,
, commandant = List of commandants
, known for =
, location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany
, built by = Germany
, operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS)
, original use = Political prison
, construction ...
. The post-war period Talbar spent in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. During the demobilization of the Jewish Brigade Talbar began studies at the
Institut Paris des Hautes Études Cinématographiques In 1946 he became aware of the situation in the
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen , or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, in 1943, parts of it became a concent ...
and began to shoot a film there about the living conditions of the 15,000 Jewish survivors under British administration. Due to the politically charged situation – the future of the Holocaust-Survivors was unclear and immigration restrictions to the British Palestine Mandate remained – Talbar was arrested. According to the British Undersecretary State of War
Michael Stewart the film constituted "anti-British propaganda", was "subversive and could have severe effects on the security of (British troops), in Germany and also in Palestine".
Talbar spent four months in the British military prison of Bielefeld until he was released after the intercession of his Colonel in the Jewish Brigade. During his time in prison Talbar exchanged letters with
Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler, (, ; ; hu, Kösztler Artúr; 5 September 1905 – 1 March 1983) was a Hungarian-born author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest and, apart from his early school years, was educated in Austria. In 1931, Koestler join ...
, whom he had already gotten to know in his father's household. After his release Talbar recovered for a few weeks in Koestler's house in Wales. Through Koestler Talbar established contact with the pro-Jewish British Member of Parliament
Richard Crossman
Richard Howard Stafford Crossman (15 December 1907 – 5 April 1974) was a British Labour Party politician. A university classics lecturer by profession, he was elected a Member of Parliament in 1945 and became a significant figure among the ...
. Even Crossman could only find out that the film material had been destroyed.
Diplomatic career
After his graduation from the university he joined the Israel Finance Ministry. He served as Israeli Consul to Canada in Montreal from 1957 to 1960, and between 1961 and 1965 he was economic counselor at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
["Michael Adin Talbar.“ Kurzbiographien. Israelisch-Deutsche Gesellschaft Jerusalem. Jerusalem September 1991.] During this time he negotiated with the United States amongst others the
Food for Peace
In different administrative and organizational forms, the Food for Peace program of the United States has provided food assistance around the world for more than 60 years. Approximately 3 billion people in 150 countries have benefited directly fro ...
agreement. As Deputy Director General of the Commerce and Industry Ministry he was the Israeli negotiator at the
Kennedy Round
The Kennedy Round was the sixth session of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) multilateral trade negotiations held between 1964 and 1967 in Geneva, Switzerland. Congressional passage of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act in 1962 authorized the ...
of the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is a legal agreement between many countries, whose overall purpose was to promote international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs or quotas. According to its pre ...
(GATT) between from 1965 to 1967. He negotiated the economic agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany (1965–6) and he was the representative of the Commerce Ministry for the negotiations with the
European Community
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...
to reach a free trade agreement between 1965 and 1975. Thereafter he entered private business and became a consultant to the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade. It was established in 1964 by the ...
(UNCTAD) and referee at GATT.
[ From 1985 until his death Talbar has served as the Danish Honorary Consul in Jerusalem.
]
Sports career
As a child active in Bar Kochba und Makkabi Berlin, Talbar was national 800 meter champion in 1942 and medium distance champion of the 8th British Army in 1945. In 1953 he founded the Israeli Academic Sports Association (A.S.A.) and was A.S.A.'s representative to Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire
The Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU, en, International University Sports Federation) is responsible for the organization and governance of worldwide sports competitions for student-athletes between the ages of 17 and 25 ...
(FISU) from 1954 to 1977. Furthermore, he was chief auditor of the FISU executive from 1967 to 1971. In light of Talbar’s success in convincing the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to join FISU, and due to his efforts to reconcile the eastern and western blocks in sports, Talbar was made honorary member of FISU in 2001. Moreover, the American State Department awarded him a medal for his assistance to the United States in their preparations for the FISU Universiade 1967.
German-Israeli relations
Following the successful negotiations about economic aid to Israel, Talbar was co-founder of the German-Israeli Chamber of Commerce in Tel Aviv in 1966. In 1966 Talbar organized an international university basketball tournament at the Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...
. For the first time a German sports team – the team of the University of Heidelberg
}
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...
– participated in a competition against an Israeli team in Israel. The games were opened by FISU president Primo Nebiolo
Primo Nebiolo (14 July 1923 – 7 November 1999) was an Italian sports official, best known as president of the worldwide athletics federation IAAF.
Primo Nebiolo was the ideator of the IAAF Continental Cup.
Biography
As an active athlete in ...
. Accompanied by demonstrations and under the protection of 200 policemen the Israeli and German team leaders exchanged crests. The German flag was guarded by police throughout the tournament. This broke the taboo of sports, however, and by extension cultural contacts between Germany and Israel. In 1978 he founded the German-Israeli Association in Jerusalem.[
]
Awards and recognition
Talbar was awarded the German first class Federal Cross of Merit
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
in 1985, received the Danish Knight’s Cross Dannebrog
Dannebrog (until the mid-20th century often spelled Danebrog) may refer to:
Flags and orders
* The national Flag of Denmark
* Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen, links=no), a Royal Danish decoration
Places
* Dannebrog Island, an i ...
in 1993, and, in 2011, he became honorary citizen of Jerusalem.["De kongelige danske Ridderordeners Kapitel." Kopenhagen 16. April 1993.]
Filmography
* ''In Our Own Hands. The Hidden Story of the Jewish Brigade in World War II'' (1998) as himself
* ''Helden ohne Heimat.'' (2003) as himself
* ''Das Wiedersehen.'' (2007) director and as himself
Published works
*"Erinnerungen an die Theodor Herzl Schule in Berlin". Ed. of the German Version. Jerusalem, 1998.
*"Foreign Trade." ''Economy. Israel Pocket Library.'' Jerusalem, 1973.
*"Trade Shows Need Planning." ''Going into Trade Fairs.'' International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT. Genf 1982.
*"Sports in the Jewish Brigade." in Georg Eisen, Haim Kaufman und Manfred Lämmer (Hrsg.) ''Sport and Physical Education in Jewish History.'' Wingate Institute Israel, 2003.
*Felix A. Theilhaber. Hrsg. von Adin Theilhaber-Talbar und Günther Keller. "Jüdische Flieger im Weltkrieg." Faksimilie der Erstausgabe von 1924. Verlag Der Schild, Berlin 2009.
*"The Last One of the Second Aliya. Ziva" "האחרונה מהעלייה השנייה. זיוה". Jerusalem, 2011.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Talbar, Adin
1921 births
2013 deaths
Athletes from Berlin
Israeli consuls
Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to Mandatory Palestine
Palestine Regiment officers
Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Israeli male middle-distance runners
Mandatory Palestine military personnel of World War II
Jewish Brigade personnel