Copenhagen, Sunday, Aug 10, 1947.

What a nice town! And splendid weather. There are actually things in the shops, people look healthy, well dressed, clean. The contrast is enormous & one does not feel so much out of places as in Germany (less in Austria!). There is a feeling of cheer as if ascending a fine mountain.

The air trip to Hamb. was OK but not nice; great delay with the BEA & you pay even for a little tea. In H. I stayed at the Hotel Atlantic. Room with bath 9/6. British military much more in evidence than in US zone; also more civilians. The British have 5 times as much personnell in their zone than we do! While observing this, one read about the great crisis in England, A H Lee’s demands for extraord. power etc. It just makes no sense the way the British handle their situation. Hamburg’s inner town is not too badly destroyed, but the harbor & outskirts are. Altona is a heap of rubble. Destruction looks so different in diff. towns, depending app. on bomb, fire or artillery & on the technique of construction.

I took a milit. train to Neumünster & was transported on a 3t truck with 3 soldiers to Kiel. It rained heavily in spells. Much confusion at the Conti-Hansa; subordinate people a badly smashed town with few inhabitants in sight (different from other towns). I got put up at Ely House, far out, but -/6 only. Then I drove to the W Inst. where I only saw Dr. Losch. & some women. Badly damaged building, the library still in Ratzeburg, no WA, no director yet etc. A very sad story. Schneider in the South. But I was urged to see Predöhl. First I saw Col. Wilcox, chief educ. officer & his assistants, all very nice & helpful. They were kindly disposed tow. Predöhl, whose denazification is practically concluded.

Later, same day – just returned from a very pleasant stay with Min. Wessel & wife, Winnies parents. –

But to continue first with Kiel etc. – I got a milit. taxi to drive me to Predöhl who lives far out. He opened the door, was very surprised; looks quite older & still more like a bird. He still has the same amusing gestures. His wife has aged much; he is 53. They have 2 rooms in a larger apartment but had to sublet, because of the housing shortage. Have lost much furniture, but he saved most of his books, some carpets. There was present a Dr. Geyser, formerly of the Institute, a brother of the former, hanged, Gauleiter of Poland. He had never been a Nazi or Pg, but said that his brother had never done anything wrong, but Predöhl said, after he had left, that the hanged brother was one of the worst, which I knew, of course. We were little alone, because a young man named Bartel (?) appeared, rather interesting. He had been several times in prison as a socialist, even when only 24 before the war; then served in the army, again in prison etc. He served on Predöhl’s denazification board. P. had discovered that he once belonged to the SPD & he has found his way back; in 1937 he had joined the Nazi party. He has been tactically very clever & the result is that he is cleared, that his case lies only with the last british authority & he will be back soon as Prof. & if he should be reappointed he will resign from the directorship. Now he receives no salary & had difficulty avoiding being drafted for shoveling rubbish. I believe him to be decent, as he always was, & I think he ever was bad man & did anybody any direct harm, but the whole thing leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. Yet, worse has occurred. In those cases I always think of Johnny’s remark that so much has been destroyed in Europe, that one should not be too critical.

At any rate we had a lively & friendly talk. He told me all about the Institute, the intrigues, Dr. Gülich, the plans for an international Kuratorium, etc. Also about the details of his denazification, composition of the tribunal, the delays of the British etc. There is no point writing this all down.