Welcome to my new blog posts: An exposition of the documents that aided me in presenting Clara’s story in my novel, Home So Far Away. The genesis of the book was my find, while searching the Internet for members of the Philipsborn family, of this article by Thomas Pusch. If you are familiar with the Thaelmann Battalion song, you will see the connection between the title of the article and the first words of the song. The following passage was my first notice of Clara’s existence, not to mention her participation in the Spanish Civil War! I will show in boldface what I term “hot spots” or items inviting research.
Die Zusammensetzung der Gruppe der Teilnehmer/Innen am Spanischen Bürgerkrieg aus Schleswig-Holstein schien zunächst keine von der KPD-Generallinie (männliches KPD-Mitglied, Arbeiter und Einsatz in den IB) abweichenden Fälle bereitzuhalten.
Derzeit befindet sich unter den 41 Personen eine Frau (Clara Philipsborn), die zumindest von deutscher Seite der Teilnahme an Kampfhandlungen beschuldigt wird. [18]
Clara Philipsborn war zudem als verfolgte Jüdin – […]- in einer Sonderrolle… Drei weitere Personen (Berger, Jacobsohn und Philipsborn) hielten sich bereits zu Beginn der Kämpfe im spanischen Exil auf.
Translation:
The composition of the group of participants in the Spanish Civil War from Schleswig-Holstein initially did not appear to have any cases that deviated from the KPD [German Communist Party) general line (male KPD member, worker and deployment in the IB [International Brigades]).
There is currently one woman (Clara Philipsborn) among the 41 people accused by the German side of taking part in hostilities. [18]
As a persecuted Jew, Clara Philipsborn also played a special role. Three other people (Berger, Jacobsohn and Philipsborn) were already in exile in Spain when the fighting began.
“Hot spots” in this passage let me know that there was material here for further investigation: Clara’s geographical origin, Party affiliation, association with the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, the only woman in this group of volunteers, Jewish, persecuted, in Spain before the Civil War breaks out (1936).
Footnote 18 names Pusch’s sources, adding even more “hot spots.” I will list only the first one for now:
18. PAAA, Inland II A/B, 83/76, R 99846, Ausbürgerung Clara Philipsborn.
Translation: Political Archive of the German Foreign Office… Expatriation [revocation of German citizenship] of Clara Philipsborn
