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German organisations/links with Birmingham

ChrisM

ChrisM

Super Moderator
Staff member
Two Birmingham businessmen pause for a moment on a sunny Berlin street to have their photograph taken. It is 1932, the last summer before Germany starts to change for ever.

My father is on the right. The identity of his colleague is unknown. We are on the Charlottenstrasse, a smart area of central Berlin. Exactly why we are here I cannot tell you. But what is certain is that we are engaged in some sort of business on behalf of the company we work for, ICI at its Kynoch Works on the outskirts of Birmingham.

It is a fairly ordinary scene showing a moment of seventy-five years ago frozen in time and history. But take a moment to look at some of the detail and think about what it represents...........

​
(If you want to read more about what lies behind this picture, I have put it all on this website page.​
The link with Birmingham is a little tenuous, I have to admit. (One definite car, one definite bloke, one further bloke, possibly). But apart from the family stuff which really interests no one but me, it does provide a bit of a reminder about aspects of recent European history).​


Chris


HMUkColleagueBusinessTripBerlin1932img045.jpg
 
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Hello Chris M

I read the post and looked at the website. I am very impressed with the analytical approach, depth and thought. So much in a photo. My kind of history. Object lesson to us all

thanks
 
Many thanks ChrisM, a very, very thought provoking web page and wonderful images.

Many Thanks.

Dibs.
 
Thankyou for a wonderfully presented piece about a time just before the war, in Berlin. The pictures are superbe and the narative matches this quality also.

Regards,
Rupert
 
Chris,

What a very sad story yet wonderfully written in all its detail with an amazing amount of photographic witnesses as illustration. Thanks for posting here and sharing part of your family history with us.

Graham.
 
Chris M,
What a brilliant contribution!
I was devastated by your commentary of the picture on the linked site, because I know Berlin quite well and love to be there - we were walking along the Charlottenstrasse only six weeks ago.
My wife Barbara's grandfather had a commercial stationer's business a few blocks away, which folded in the mid 1920s, when the financial scene was rather like we have around us today, but possibly more so. Our last visit, incidentally, was for a family reunion, when all kinds of old family photos were brought out.
I haven't looked at everything on your home guard site yet, but what I did see on the Berlin site was staggering. We will both have a longer look at it soon.
Thanks for mentioning this on our site, and especially for doing it so well.
Peter
 
Thank you very much to everyone for your generous comments. One never really knows whether one has produced total rubbish and it's reassuring indeed to hear that one or two people have got something out of it.

Chris
 
Chris, without going over the top in praising this I can tell you that I got a big kick out of reading it, so I'm sure that others will too even if they don't post a comment.

Graham.
 
Hi Chris, I read your article about a corner of Berlin and found it most interesting and enlightening. Many thanks for posting it.
Sheri
 
This is dragging things a bit further south than most other topics but it's worth a try.

In Maypole lane, Warstock, just down from the gate to Daisy Farm park, there was a small engineering works, housed in a small, single storey building.

Hanging above the door was a shield, bearing the Federal German eagle, declaring that it was a German embassy.

Seems a strange place to have had an embassy.
 
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It would not have been the German Embassy which is in London but might have been a German Consulate. Many countries appoint Honorary Consuls in large towns around the country. These are usually local businessmen and others who through their business dealings or even nationality have an association with Germany. Their role is usually to act as liaison officers for the embassy in London with Germans living in or visiting the local areas. The present consul for Germany in the West Midlands is based in Coventry.
 
Will have a look tomorrow, I assume you mean the old Central Networks building on the opposite side of the road to the park, next to the Prince of Wales pub.

Colin
 
No Colin, the place I remember was literally a few yards past Westfield avenue.

Anything could have happened to that plot since I was last down that way.
 
Sorry Baz you didn't give a date and I assumed you were talking recent times.
Back in 1949, (Kelly's) there was,
Benson Road

175. Harris Mrs. Shopkeeper
183 Precision tool Co. (B'ham) Ltd. tool makers.
187 Worrall Chas. Shopkeeper.

Westfield Ave.

Doherty W.H. Ltd. Screw mfrs.

Bit before my time didn't get round that area until the early 70's.
Colin
 
I seem to remember BASF having a factory down there, mid 50s, they made audio
and other tapes,and were I believe a German company, might be a link there,
Bernard
 
Colin B said:
Sorry Baz you didn't give a date and I assumed you were talking recent times.
Back in 1949, (Kelly's) there was,
Benson Road

175. Harris Mrs. Shopkeeper
183 Precision tool Co. (B'ham) Ltd. tool makers.
187 Worrall Chas. Shopkeeper.

Westfield Ave.

Doherty W.H. Ltd. Screw mfrs.

Bit before my time didn't get round that area until the early 70's.
Colin
Click to expand...

Those names don't look very Germanic do they ?

This would've been in the 60s, sorry I can't be more precise.

It sticks in my mind that the entrance to the premises was off Maypole lane though.
 
Bonjour,
I live en France, in the region of Lyon.
Excuse-me for my possible errors in english grammar, because I'm not used to speak and to write in english.
I'm very interesting by the history of Berlin in the 1930s. As I do researches on the subject, I have discovered the article you have writen in 2007, starting from a photography of your father : "Two Birmingham Businessmen in Berlin".
Thank you for this very interesting article. I have really liked your way of speaking about history of tragic 1930s and 1940s, starting from the particular history of your father in Germany, and that of the family Sorensohn. For this reason, I have translated your article in french, but I didn't know how tu send you this translation. So I have published it on my page Facebook ( François Croix ). I would be happy to know what you think about this translation. But I don't know if you can read a text in french or if a person can do it for you.
In my translation in french, I had to use some photographies of your article and I hope that you won't be contraried by that. If it's the case, say it to me and I will withdraw ma translation from my page Facebook.
I hope that you will can reply me.
I thank you for your attention to my mail.
François Croix ( I use too the name Camille François )
 
Welcome to the Forum, Camille Francois, and thanks for your comments.

I shall be very interested to read your translation. Unfortunately, however, I am having difficulty in finding your Facebook page. Could you post a link to it here, please?

Chris
 
I am very pleased about your interest, Francois. I have now had a look at your version. It appears at first sight to be excellent and the additional information is very useful.

I am at present away from home for three weeks and need my main computer in order to examine your article in detail. But I shall comment further when I return.


Chris
 
Thank you very much for your reply, Chris. I'm happy of your interest for my traduction.
I'm going to try to send you the text ( in file pdf ) from my personal mailbox. That will be perhaps more simple to read for you or for another person.
I wish you good weeks during your stay outside your home.
François
 
Bonjour Chris,
Thank you for your personal email address. So I will expect your next mail to send you the traduction of your article in file pdf.
I wish you a good month of april.
François
 
Info wanted on the Birmingham German Club, active at least c1900, please? I have one photo, from the club's trip to Kenilworth. I'd be be grateful for any info about the club and/or comments to help date this picture.B'hamGermanClubArKenilworth copy.jpeg
 
I don't know for certain, but the club possibly closed by 1914 (WW1) as the German Athaenium closed its doors in London due to local pressure. Viv.
 
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