<persName ref="http://d-nb.info/gnd/117321265">Erich Lüth</persName> to <persName ref="http://d-nb.info/gnd/119365863">Arie Goral</persName>, <placeName ref="http://vocab.getty.edu/tgn/7005289">Hamburg</placeName> <date when="1953-05-05">February, 26 1953</date> Erwin Fink Institute for the History of the German Jewsredaktion@juedische-geschichte-online.net
Beim Schlump 83, 20144 Hamburg

Hamburg Institute for Social Research, Collection Arie Goral, GOR_160,13_Lüth an Goral_26021953. With kind permission

jgo:source-257

The exchange of correspondence betweenArie Goral and the Head of the State Press OfficeStaatliche Pressestelle in Hamburg, Erich Lüth, documents Goral´sefforts toward being able to show the exhibition "Children´s Paintings from Israel[„Kindermalereien aus Israel] in Hamburg. Choosing Hamburg as a venue for the exhibition, curated by Goral also meant returning to the city from which he had been expelled by the National Socialists. At the same time, the organizational questions clarified in the reciprocal letters also point to more general aspects of the relationship toGermany and of the dealing with the past. An overview of the letters can be found here.

 Erich LüthHamburgFebruary 26, 1953Hamburger Institut für SozialforschungGOR_160,13_Lüth an Goral_26021953 EnglishSource:Textdeu
ERICH LÜTHDIRECTOR OF THE THE STATE PRESS OFFICEStaatliche Pressestelle OF THE FREE AND HANSEATIC CITY OF HAMBURG February 26, 1953 L/Mu Dear Goral!

It is very bitter for me to receive up to ten disappointed letters a day,letters like the one you sent me on February 24. Youare quite right to say that it involves a ridiculously small sum.Unfortunately, I do not have this amount and unfortunately, ourHamburg Society is currently in debt, despite our tirelesswork. I had therefore passed on your proposalto the Hamburg school authorities, whose head told me a few days ago that his authority would probably coverthe exhibition.

Thus, I was quite hopeful that a positive decision would be made very soon.Perhaps positive notice is alreadyon its way to you, which I cannot tell at thismoment, as I must leave city hall in a few minutesfor an important event.

Of course, it is doubly painful for me to read letters like yours,but my activity has meant that every day,three to five restitution cases are submitted to me, cases with whichall the specialist lawyers are having a tough time. Every day,I receive three to five manuscripts of radio plays, stage plays, novelspoetry, and factual reports. I have just suceeded in arranging a German-Jewishexhibition of paintings. In addition, I have also remedied the currency problems concerning the re-export of the successful ceramics exhibition of an emigratedGerman Jewish woman. In addition, together with my friends, I am campaigningtoward changing the attitudes of academic youthsand toward the rapid ratification of the German-Israeli agreement.

Everything is supposed to happen alongside my regular duties and it often takes placeduring an 18 to 20-hour workday. And I know that weare obliged to do this work. However, not everything suceeds andnot everything can succeed. That is why I must put up with bitter letterslike yours, even though they are liable to sap the rest of my strength.For no one realizes that sometimes it isnot even possible to conjure up an exhibition grantmounting to 300 DM German marks on a certain date.

Forgive me for these words of resignation.

I salute youWith the highest consideration Erich Lüth Mr.Arie GoralMunichViktoriastr. 25c/o RosenowADDRESS:(24A) HAMBURG 1 – CITY HALL – TELEPHONE: 34 19 21