We are pleased to share a new blog post by Chen Shapira, exploring a remarkable historical source preserved at the Archive for German-speaking Jewry in Israel (the Yekkes Archive).

The article examines a wartime diary kept by Hermann Struck, one of the most prominent German-Jewish artists of his time. Through Struck’s account of his encounter with General Erich Ludendorff, the diary offers a unique perspective on the intersections of personal relationships, artistic exchange, and the tensions surrounding identity, belonging, and ideology in the history of German Jewry.

Drawing on this extraordinary archival document, the post sheds light on the complexities of German-Jewish experience during a period of profound political and social transformation.

The article was written under the guidance of Dr. Irit Chen as part of the M.A. course “The Historian and the Archive” at the Haifa Center for German and European Studies, University of Haifa.

Read the full article here