4.6 The last years in Tübingen and the Emeritierung

Koschaker wrote a letter to the Minister of Education and Culture in January 1945, asking for sick leave, on account of the fatigue he felt due to his health problems,^[502] to his age and to four years of hard work.

The Faculty decided to appoint Koschaker as the new dean, a role that he would occupy until 20^th July 1946.^[506] Taking on this new role was anything but easy for him, also on account of the fact that he was still in Walchensee in May 1945 and it took some months before he was able to move back to Tübingen. As he wrote in his letter to Guido Kisch on 27^th November 1947:^[507]

Das Schlimmste kam aber erst 1945/1946. Ich war unglückseligerweise zur Zeit der Besetzung Tübingens durch die Franzosen hier, konnte erst nach Monaten zurück. Inzwischen war meine Wohnung durch die Franzosen requiriert worden, nachdem sie vorher von Deutschen tüchtig ausgeplündert worden war.

Not only was it difficult for him to return to Tübigen, because the Americans had withheld his pass due to some problems over connections with the French zone,^[508] but his apartment in the city had been confiscated by the French, after it had been burgled by the Germans.^[509] In any case, Koschaker spent most of his time in his house in Walchensee, even though he could not gain access to all the books and literature he needed for his research when he was there.

Koschaker wrote an interesting handwritten letter in 1945 that offers us insights into his life at the time.^[510] Unfortunately, it is not possible to trace who the addressee was, even though from the text it is reasonable to think that he was a member of the Law department of the Faculty in Tübingen.

The first lines of the letter read:

Die Post von und nach Tübingen arbeitet jetzt nicht befriedigend (3-4 Tage). Daß ich über Below verärgert war, werden Sie verstehen. Die weiteren Aufklärungen, die er gab, lassen sein Verhalten verständlicher erscheinen. Er hätte aber mir seine Lage schildern sollen. Man hätte ihm auch in Tübigen helfen können. Mein weiteres Verhalten ist bestimmt durch die Nachricht, daß Pringsheims Rückkehr in Freiburg gewünscht wird. Daß er einer solchen Einladung folgt, ist mir sogar wahrscheinlich, wenn sich seine Stellung in Oxford, wie er sie mir von einigen Jahren, als er dorthin ging, noch in Berlin schliderte, und wesentlich verbessert hat. Wenn diese Rückkehr innerhalb der nächsten Jahre auch mir wahrscheinlich ist, hat Below m. E. sich bei Pringsheim zu habilitieren, und nicht bei mir.

The name of Below reappears in this document. It was apparent that at some point Koschaker had become angry with him once again, and Koschaker would not understand the reasons for Below’s annoying behaviour until after receiving further clarifications from the latter. The problem was, Koschaker added, that if Below had talked to him earlier he would have found a more sympathetic ear in Tübingen. The precise nature of Below’s troubles, however, cannot be inferred from the text.

The letter also tells us that Koschaker’s colleague, Pringsheim, had been asked to return to Freiburg;^[511] and his return to Germany was considered probable by Koschaker.

For these reasons, according to Koschaker, Below ought to finish the work on his Habilitation in Freiburg with Pringsheim.

The letter then continues:

Ich hoffe, im Sommer doch ein Unterkommen in Tübingen zu finden, und daher auch lesen zu können. Derzeit bin ich dabei, in einem Bericht an die Militärregierung meine Lage zu schildern, und hoffen, daß dies Eindruck macht. Aber da ich französisch schreiben muß, so wird es noch eine Weile dauern, ehe das Bericht fertig wird. An Arbeit fehlt es uns hier nicht und ich habe wieder das mir angenehme Gefühl, zu wenig Zeit zu haben. Derzeit diktiere ich mein Buch “Europäische Privatrechtswissenschaft und römisches Recht”, das im Manuskript im Wesentlichen fertig ist, in die Maschine.

Ich bin Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn Sie für mich ankündigen: “Grundzüge des römischen Privatrechts als Einführung in das moderne Rechtsdenken” Mo-Fr. 9­10. Mit Rücksicht auf das kürzere Sommersemester werde ich um den Stoff halbwegs zu bewältigen, 6 Wochenstunden brauchen und hätte nichts dagegen sie auch anzukündigen.

Koschaker hoped to find accommodation for the summer in Tübingen and hold his classes there. He was willing to teach his course “Grundzüge des römischen Privatrechts als Einführung in das modern Rechtsdenken”, foreseeing that he would have needed six hours a week to deal with the subject matter, since the summer semester was brief (it began in August that year). At that time, he was writing a report in French for the military government to explain his situation. As we can read, writing this report in a foreign language would take him a while. Yet, the most important information to be gleaned from the text is that he was working on a work entitled Europäische Privatrechtswissenschaft und römisches Recht and the manuscript was basically finished. Even though the title was a little different, it can reasonably be assumed that Koschaker was completing his masterpiece Europa und das römische Recht in December 1945.^[512]

The letter then deals with some minor organisational aspects, mainly related to the lack of rooms at the Juristisches Seminar.

Da er 1937 in die Partei eintreten mußte, hat er zumindest vorläufig seine Stelle verloren und ist jetzt vollständig blank. Dafür, daß er gesinnungsmäßig kein Nationalsozialist ist, kann ich aufgrund langjähriger Bekanntschaft untertan. Er hat sich beim württ. Justizministerium schon im Oktober, bevor ich von seiner Anwesenheit in Bayern überhaupt wußte, um die Stellung eines juristischen Hilfsarbeiters zu bewerben.

Here one can appreciate Koschaker’s concern over the destiny of someone he knew and how sympathetic he was towards him, even though the conditions of life were in general very hard at the time.^[514] In another letter dated 20^th March 1946, Koschaker revealed the extent of his own suffering due to the shortage of food and how exhausted he felt. Given this, and the fact that he was now 67 years old, it was obvious to him that his teaching days were drawing to a close.^[515] Koschaker complained about being undernourished (he talked of “Unterernährung”) for six-and-a-half years and the miserable food rations - “Hungerrationen” - that people received in Tübingen (merely 1075 calories a day).^[516] He also still had trouble with his accommodation. Yet despite all this, it was still possible for him to hold a Roman law course:

Ich soll zufrieden sein, wenn ich meine romanistische Vorlesung durchhalte und möchte das gerne tun, weil es wahrscheinlich das letztemal sein wird, daß ich dieses Kolleg halte.

Koschaker knew, however, that he had reached the limits of his efficiency and that the course for the summer semester would probably be his last.

De facto, his role as full professor would have ceased at the end of September^[517] and he became professor emeritus on 1^st October 1946.^[518] The events that took place regarding this moment of his life are well known, since the exchange of letters with Guido Kisch was published in 1970. In a letter dated 27^th November 1947, Koschaker wrote about his Emeritierung:

Anfang 1946 bekam ich vom Dezernenten einen Brief, der mir in unverhüllter Weise meine Emeritierung nahelegte. Entlassen konnte man mich nicht, weil ich politisch unangreifbar war. Der Grund war in der Tat ein zwingender. Ich war zwei früheren Nazis im Weg, die versorgt werden sollten. Für den einen genügt der Hinweis, daß er unter den Nazis Professor in Straßurg war. Der zweite (Erbe) war zwar nicht mein Schüler, aber ich hatte ihn als Schüler in Berlin von Rabel übernommen, ihn durch Doktor und Habilitation gebracht und in jeder Weise gefördert. Daß er bei der Partei war, hatte er mir verschwiegen. Nach der Kapitulation tauchte er in Berlin auf - er hatte unter den Nazis gute Karriere gemacht - und wurde dort von den Russen wegen seiner Zugehörigkeit zur Partei entfernt. [...] So mußte ich als deklarierter Nazigegner, der schließlich auch einen gewissen Namen in der Wissenschaft hat, weichen zwei früheren Nazis, die weit weniger bekannt waren. So geschehen im Zeitalter der deutschen Demokratie und des deutschen Antifaschismus.

At the beginning of 1946 Koschaker received a letter from the head of department, in which his Emeritierung was openly recommended.^[519] Indeed, the Faculty could not dismiss him because he was politically blameless, while two other scholars who were seeking positions at Tübingen were associated with the Nazi party. One such person was Erbe, who had made a good career under the regime, according to Koschaker’s words.^[520] Erbe had been considered Koschaker’s pupil, but he had concealed the fact that he was a Nazi from Koschaker.^[521] The other, as Neumann pointed out - and Kisch had earlier suggested - was a professor at Strasbourg, Dölle.^[522]

It was a twist of fate for Koschaker that two former Nazis were appointed for a Chair at the University of Tübingen in 1946, precisely during a period when Germany was undergoing its denazification (Entnazifizierung). It was at this time that Koschaker, a self­proclaimed outspoken opponent of the Nazis, was recommended as a professor emeritus. As events transpired, Erbe would actually be the successor to Koschaker’s Chair. Heinrich Mitteis had been designated by the Faculty as the only candidate for the post during the Faculty meeting on 25^th/26^th July 1946, but he accepted the Chair in Berlin instead.^[523]

A new list of potential candidates was therefore prepared: in first place was Kunkel, in second place Genzmer, and third was Erbe.^[524] However, Kunkel, who had already been appointed to the Chair at Heidelberg in 1941/1942 preferred to go there,^[525] while Genzmer, who had been in Hamburg since 1940, became Dean of the Faculty there in 1946. This left only Erbe, who accepted the position as professor for Roman and Civil law. Erbe then was appointed Dean of the Faculty in the same year and later became Rektor of the University of Tübingen from 1948 to 1951.^[526]

As a consequence of what he had endured, Koschaker replied negatively to a proposal from his Faculty colleagues to give lectures at Tübingen. His letter dated 21^st November 1946, reads:^[527]

Sie werden aber verstehen, daß ich unter solchen Umständen in der Frage, ob ich eventuell noch einmal in Tübingen lesen soll und immerfort völlig zurückhalten muß. Aber nochmals Ihnen und den Kollegen herzlichen Dank für Ihr freundliches Gedenken.

Koschaker’s frustration with events lends a bitter tone to his aforecited letter to Kisch in 1947 (“So geschehen im Zeitalter der deutschen Demokratie und des deutschen

Antifaschismus”). But mention should be also made of the generally benevolent attitude of the members of the Faculty towards him.^[528]

In a letter to the new Rektor of the University, Steinbüchel, on 24^th October 1946, Koschaker confirmed that he had received all the documents regarding his Emeritierung and thanked Steinbüchel for his kind words.^[529] An interesting aspect of the document is that Koschaker explained to Steinbüchel what happened when he was in Berlin with words that are very similar to those he used in his letter to Kisch, dated 27^th November 1947.^[530]

In any case, Koschaker fondly reminisced about his students and the time spent teaching in Tübingen:

Seien Sie überzeugt, daß ich an meine Lehrsemester in Tübingen mit Dankbarkeit zurückdenke, insbesondere auch an die Studentenschaft, die es mir ermöglichte in 2/ Jahren die Besucherzahl der Vorlesungen mit Übungen meines im Parteiprogramm proskribierten Lehrfachs um 700% zu steigern.^[531]

Koschaker expressed his gratitude for having been given a shelter in Tübingen where he could teach and do research,^[532] and he went on to ask for a place to work at the Juristisches Seminar, having in mind to come to Tübingen two or three times a year and spend a couple of weeks there. Munich, close to Walchensee, where he had taken up residence since 25^th February 1947,^[533] was too much in ruins to work there.^[534]

But another problem troubled Koschaker less than a year after he had become emeritus. Since he lived in Walchensee, in Bavaria, which was under the American rule, whereas Tübingen was under the French government, his remuneration as professor emeritus would no longer be paid by the University of Tübingen from 31^st March 1947 onwards, according to a French regulation.^[535] Nor was it clear which institution would be responsible for paying Koschaker’s benefits. As Koschaker wrote in a letter sent to the State secretariat (Staatssekretariat) of Württemberg responsible for Education on 25^th March 1947, the reduction of almost three quarters of his salary as emeritus made the Emeritierung a farce:

Ich schliesse zur Wahrung meines Rechtsstandpunkts den Protest gegen die Kürzung meiner Bezüge als emeritierter Professor um fast 3/4 ihres Betrages an. Sie macht die Emeritierung zu einer Farce, weil sie die Mittel verweigert, meine wissenschaftliche Arbeit fortzusetzen, welchem Zwecke die Emeritierung dienen soll.

Koschaker, however, would partly solve the problem of the benefits thanks to an invitation to act as visiting professor in Munich during the summer of 1947.^[536]

Despite these events, he was able to hang on to some positive memories of his time in Tübingen from 1941 to 1944, as emerges from a letter written on 21^st November 1946:

Ich möchte Ihnen und meinen Fakultätskollegen für die so freundliche Erinnerung, die Sie mir bereitet haben, aus ganzem Herzen danken. Seien Sie überzeugt, daß mir Tübingen 1941-1944, obwohl sich allmählich auch hier der Krieg bemerkbar machte, eine wahre Oase war und ich es keinen Augenblick bedauert habe, von dem preußischen Zentrum an die Peripheria gezogen zu sein [...].

Koschaker referred to Tübingen between 1941-1944 as an oasis, even though all around war raged, and he never regretted leaving Berlin (das preußische Zentrum) to move to the province. This opinion, as well as the one contained in a previous letter dated 24^th October 1946, not only soften, but in part contradict the contrasting opinion expressed in the letter to Kisch dated 27^th November 1947:^[537]

Ich war zunächst sehr gerne in dieser schönen Stadt [Tübingen], und doch muß ich heute zurückblickend sagen, daß es ein Fehler war. Man soll nie von einer großen an eine Provinzuniversität gehen, an der man als »Bonze«, der ich gewiß nicht bin, von den kleinen Leuten scheel angesehen wird. Das merkte ich alsbald, obwohl ich niemandem etwas tat.

In that letter, Koschaker defined his decision to leave the University of Berlin and move to Tübingen as a mistake. It was only initially that he felt comfortable in this small city, whereas later he understood that there he was considered an important man of the regime (Bonze) by narrow-minded people who looked upon him with malevolence. Koschaker felt particularly annoyed by this, probably because he had continuously attempted to emphasise through his works and letters that he had been a fierce opponent of the regime from the end of WWII onwards. He insistently highlighted his stance as an anti-Nazi and expressed sorrow that he could have been somehow considered close to the regime. For reasons such as these, his time as professor emeritus wore him down. Yet despite the trouble that he had with his Emeritierung, the difficulties over his apartment and supplies - all problems that had litte to do with the University or the city of Tübingen - it is still true to say, though, judging from documentary evidence, that he did not find his situation in Tübingen too unpleasant until 1947. Over time, however, his judgment on this small provincial city and his experiences there seemed to become more uncompromising, to such an extent that he asserted in 1947, in his retrospective view, that moving to Tübingen had been a mistake (“ein Fehler”).

In general, Koschaker suffered from many of the post-war hardships as other Germans had also done, but it is difficult to say whether these conditions somehow influenced his opinion of his years in Tübingen.^[538] His bitterness is quite evident from another letter to Kisch dated 17^th July 1948.^[539] As Koschaker wrote to his pupil, he could not bear that persons who had previously been Nazis could now go ahead undisturbed as the new democrats, taking up important functions and posts, whereas he had been “thrown onto the rubbish heap” as if he was an old idiot.^[540] On another occasion, again in a letter to Kisch, he stated that his situation had not been particularly fortunate under the Nazis, but the neo-Nazis “wearing the clothes” of the antifascists were even worse than the Nazis.^[541] It appears likely that these negative remarks were mainly addressed to what happened in Germany subsequently, and did not affect his experiences during the years he spent in Tübingen. During that period Koschaker had found shelter for himself and his wife Helene,^[542] devoting his time to teaching and scientific reflection, and eventually obtaining some degree of personal satisfaction.