Podcast von Arcoplexus zum Buch “Deutsche Exilanten an der Cรดte d’Azur” von Klaus Kampe. Das Werk dokumentiert das bewegte Leben deutscher Exilanten an der Cรดte dโAzur wรคhrend der 1930er Jahre. Im Fokus stehen Zufluchtsorte wie Sanary-sur-Mer und Nizza, wo bedeutende Intellektuelle wie Thomas Mann, Lion Feuchtwanger und Hannah Arendt versuchten, ihre kulturelle Identitรคt gegen das NS-Regime zu verteidigen. Die Texte beleuchten zudem die mutigen Rettungsaktionen von Varian Fry in Marseille sowie die kรผnstlerische Arbeit des Fotografen Walter Bondy. Neben literarischen Analysen und historischen Fakten flieรen persรถnliche Anekdoten und fiktive Dialoge ein, die das Spannungsfeld zwischen mediterraner Idylle und existenzieller Bedrohung spรผrbar machen. Letztlich dient das Buch als Hommage an die schรถpferische Kraft einer Generation, die trotz Verfolgung und Internierung an Humanismus und Freiheit festhielt. Es verbindet dabei die historische Spurensuche mit dem kollektiven Gedรคchtnis einer verlorenen Welt. Zum Buch:
On the prestigious French Riviera, on the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, stands one of the most famous villa estates on the Cรดte d’Azur: the pink villa, now called La Fleur du Cap. This property is a fascinating example of late 19th-century luxury architecture, which over time has been home to a remarkable series of prominent residents and has become a setting for the social and cultural history of the Riviera.
Architecture and construction history
The villa was built in 1880 by Albert Bounin, the son of a Sardinian arms dealer and olive oil merchant from Nice. Bounin acquired several plots of land on the quiet headland of Cap Ferrat and had a picturesque estate built there, which he initially called L’Isoletta and which had a small private harbor. From the outset, the building captivated visitors with its location directly on the sea and its striking pink faรงade, which would later give it its name.
Later, his son Paul took over the estate, added an extra floor, and renamed the villa Lo Scoglietto (โthe little rockโ). During these early years, the house remained largely hidden from public view, but it soon became a notable destination for wealthy travelers on the Riviera.
Prominent residents in front of Niven
During the first decades of the 20th century, the villa changed owners and tenants several times:
In 1920, the Duchess of Marlborough, Consuelo Vanderbilt, one of the most prominent society figures of her time, lived there for a while.
In the 1950s, the villa was occupied by King Leopold III of Belgium shortly before his abdication.
The silent film and early sound film star Charlie Chaplin spent several weeks at the estate.
This series of famous guests shows how strongly the Riviera had become a refuge for aristocrats, movie stars, and wealthy travelers since the early 20th centuryโa trend that also had a strong influence on the image of the villa.
David Niven and the Riviera Era
Perhaps the most famous resident of the pink villa was British actor David Niven (1910โ1983). Niven bought the villa in the late 1950s/early 1960s and made it his long-term home.
David Niven was one of the most charming and versatile actors of his generation. A Hollywood star, author, and former officer, he was considered an elegant gentleman with British charm. Niven was closely connected to the international celebrity scene on the Riviera: he was friends with Princess Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco and was one of the well-known personalities who shaped the lifestyle of the Cรดte d’Azur in those years.
During this time, the pink villa was not only a private residence, but also a place for social gatherings. Niven also played a cinematic role as part of the estate: a scene from his film โTrail of the Pink Pantherโ (1982) was shot here โ an ironic reference to the villa with its striking color and celebrity connections.
After his death in 1983, the small square in front of the villa was named Place David Niven โ a lasting testament to the actor’s influence on local culture and the collective memory of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
NAfterlife and restoration
Over the following decades, the property changed hands several times; since 1999, it has belonged to the parents of New Zealand billionaires Christopher and Richard Chandler, who had it extensively restored. Today, the villa is called La Fleur du Cap and is larger and better maintained than ever before โ a monument to the glamorous era of the Riviera.
Conclusion
The pink villa in Cap Ferrat uniquely embodies the history of the Cรดte dโAzur: it is an expression of luxurious 19th-century architecture, a reflection of an aristocratic and cinematic society, and at the same time a place where the lives of prominent personalities such as David Niven have materialized. Its bright color and spectacular location above the sea make it a symbol of glamour, elegance, and the cultural appeal of the French Riviera to this day.
Kurt and Theodor Wolff, the Berliner Tageblatt, โTen Years of Nice,โ and Alfred NeumannโFacets of a Liberal Public Sphere.
These men were primarily active in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, with a focus on the period between the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. The history of the German press and intellectual world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is hardly conceivable without the Berliner Tageblatt. As one of the most important liberal mass-circulation newspapers of the German Empire and the Weimar Republic, it was not only a news medium but also a forum for political debate, literary innovation, and European self-understanding. This environment attracted personalities such as Kurt and Theodor Wolff and authors such as Alfred Neumann, whose contributions exemplify the connection between journalism, literature, and political thought.
Theodor Wolff, long-time editor-in-chief of the Berliner Tageblatt, had a decisive influence on the newspaper. He understood journalism as a moral and political task. Under his leadership, the newspaper developed into a voice for liberalism, the rule of law, and understanding between European nations. Wolff’s editorials combined analytical acuity with linguistic elegance and made the Berliner Tageblatt a leading medium for the educated public. His work showed that political journalism could be more than mere reporting: it became intellectual intervention.
Kurt Wolff, although not directly part of the editorial team, represented a similar intellectual attitude. As one of the most important publishers of the 20th century, he promoted authors of literary modernism such as Franz Kafka, Georg Trakl, and Else Lasker-Schรผler. The proximity between the press and literature, as evidenced in the environment of the Berliner Tageblatt, points to a common cultural project: the renewal of language, thought, and social sensitivity. Kurt Wolff’s publishing work thus complemented Theodor Wolff’s journalistic work on a different, literary level.
One example of the Berliner Tageblatt’s European perspective is its review โTen Years of Nice.โ Such articles were typical of the paper: they combined current politics with historical reflection. The reference to Niceโas a venue for international conferences and diplomatic negotiationsโsymbolizes the paper’s interest in European power relations, peace agreements, and Germany’s role in international politics. Reviews of this kind served not only to inform readers, but also to educate them politically.
Alfred Neumann, who contributed to the intellectual milieu of the time as a journalist and writer, can also be placed in this context. His texts often combined political analysis with literary ambition, thus fitting in with the profile of the Berliner Tageblatt. Authors such as Neumann embodied the type of writing intellectual who mediated between feature pages, political commentary, and literary form.
In summary, it can be said that Kurt and Theodor Wolff, the Berliner Tageblatt, articles such as โTen Years in Nice,โ and authors such as Alfred Neumann were part of a shared cultural context. They represent an era in which journalism, literature, and politics were closely intertwined and in which liberal public discourse was understood as a central prerequisite for democratic culture. Looking back, it becomes clear how fragileโand at the same time how significantโthis tradition was.
These men were primarily active in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, with a focus on the period between the German Empire and the Weimar Republic.
Theodor Wolff (1868โ1943)
Active approx. 1900โ1933
Editor-in-chief of the Berliner Tageblatt from 1906 to 1933
A defining figure of left-wing liberal journalism in the German Empire and the Weimar Republic
Had to go into exile from the Nazis in 1933
Kurt Wolff (1887โ1963)
Active from around 1910 until the 1950s
Most important publisher of literary modernism
Focus of his work: the 1910s and 1920s
Also emigrated after 1933 (USA)
Alfred Neumann (1895โ1952)
Active primarily in the 1920s and early 1930s
Journalist and writer of the Weimar Republic
Wrote political and literary texts
Emigration after 1933
Shared historical context
German Empire (1871โ1918)
First World War
Weimar Republic (1919โ1933)
End of their activities in Germany due to the National Socialists’ seizure of power
Overall, they belonged to Germany’s liberal intellectual public sphere between 1900 and 1933.
รze Village towers above the sparkling ribbon of the Mediterranean Sea like a silent witness to a complex past. Perched on a steep rocky outcrop on the French Riviera, the village uniquely combines traces of early Ligurian cultures, medieval power struggles, modern fortification policies, and the cultural trends of the Belle รpoque. Its development is a prime example of the transformation of Mediterranean settlements from strategic strongholds to symbolic cultural landscapes.
1. The beginnings: Ligurian settlements and Roman spheres of influence
The earliest traces of human presence in the รze area can be attributed to the Celto-Ligurian tribes who settled in the region around what is now Mont Bastide. The choice of location was motivated by both defensive and economic considerations: the extremely steep topography offered protection from attackers, while the proximity to the sea facilitated trade.
With Roman expansion in Provence, the entire coastal region was integrated into a systematic administrative and transportation system. Although รze itself was not at the center of Roman urbanity, continuous settlement established itself along the coast, particularly in รze-sur-Mer. The Roman presence also left behind agricultural techniques such as terraced farming and olive cultivation, which shaped the landscape until modern times.
รze Village – Cactus Garden
2. Medieval consolidation: between Provence and Savoy
From the High Middle Ages onwards, รze developed into a fortified village, which was ideal for military purposes due to its location at an altitude of 430 meters. From then on, its history was marked by territorial conflicts: รze initially belonged to the County of Provence.
From the 14th century onwards, it fell under the rule of the House of Savoy. The conflict between Savoy and France in the 17th century led to multiple changes in strategy and ultimately to its integration into the Kingdom of France.
The medieval streets โ now home to artists’ studios and boutiques โ were originally designed for defensive purposes. The village functioned as a stone labyrinth intended to confuse attackers. The central fortress, the citadel of รze, was repeatedly expanded, but fell victim to Louis XIV’s strategic order of destruction in 1706. Today’s platform with the โJardin Exotiqueโ is a relic of this military past.
3. Modern infrastructure: Fort Rรฉvรจre as part of national defense systems
In the 19th century, รze once again became the focus of French military planning due to its geographical location. Fort Rรฉvรจre, located in the hinterland above the village, was built after 1870 as part of the so-called Sรฉrรฉ de Riviรจres system โ a network of modern fortifications of European significance, created in response to the Franco-Prussian War.
Fort Rรฉvรจre is characterized by: a polygonal layout with casemates, embrasures in all directions, massive walls made of stone and concrete, devices for communication with neighboring coastal and mountain forts.
Although Fort Rรฉvรจre was never involved in combat, it played a role in monitoring the coast and securing the Italian-French border. Today, as a restored monument, it offers one of the most impressive panoramic views of the Riviera and symbolizes an era of European rearmament that changed fundamentally with the First World War.
4. Chรขteau Balsan โ Riviera romance and sophisticated
The advent of Riviera tourism in the 19th century marked the beginning of a new era for รze. Chรขteau Balsan played a special role in this development. Industrialist รmile Balsan, who came from an influential textile family, acquired the estate and transformed it into a sophisticated retreat.
The chรขteau is remarkable for cultural and historical reasons: It was a frequent meeting place for the Parisian and international elite. Coco Chanel, who was closely associated with รmile Balsan in her early life, spent long periods here. It was in รze that she made the transition from the world of aristocracy and bohemianism to her calling as a designer.
The subsequent conversion of the building into the exclusive Chรขteau de la Chรจvre d’Or hotel marked another turning point: the Riviera became a luxury destination, while the historic buildings of รze were integrated into tourist and cultural contexts.
5. Continuity and renewal: From an agricultural society to a cultural landscape
Until the early 20th century, รze was still heavily agricultural: olive groves, vineyards, terraced farming, and sheep breeding dominated life. It was only with the expansion of modern transport infrastructureโroads, railways along the coast, and later the Corniche Routesโthat the village underwent structural change.
The significant combination of historic buildings, an exceptional location, and romantic aesthetics led to รze becoming a fixture for: artists and writers, botanists (especially because of the exotic garden), historians, and tourists from all over the world.
Today, รze combines the preservation of its medieval identity with a mixture of arts and crafts, luxury hotels and natural landscape typical of the Cรดte d’Azur.
6. Concluding remarks
รze Village is a prime example of the transformative power of historical sites. Its history encompasses: Ligurian origins, medieval power struggles, French and Savoyard territorial politics, modern fortification systems, the sophisticated culture of the Belle รpoque and modern cultural tourism.
The Chรขteau Balsan and Fort Rรฉvรจre serve as striking anchor points: one embodies the aesthetic and social appeal of the Riviera, the other the strategic importance of the region in an era of geopolitical uncertainty.
รze is thus not only a picturesque mountain village, but also a living archive of European historyโa place where political, cultural, and landscape developments overlap in an extraordinary way.
Louis XIV organised the siege of Nice under the command of the Duke of La Feuillade. From 9 to 22 December 1705, the castle of Nice was bombarded relentlessly by 60 cannons and 24 mortars. More than 10,000 bombs and 120,000 cannonballs were fired at the castle during the siege, resulting in between 700 and 800 deaths and injuries. It was not until 4 January 1706 that the Marquis de Caraglio, commander of the citadel of Nice and governor of the county of Nice, surrendered.
When Varian Fry traveled to Europe aboard the transatlantic liner Bremen in 1935, he was still a young journalist, driven by curiosity, acumen, and an incorruptible eye for the political tensions of his time. Even during the crossing, among diplomats, businesspeople, and emigrants, he heard conversations about Hitler’s job creation programs, currency controls, and growing anti-Semitism. It was a premonition of what awaited him on the continent.
In Berlin, he took up residence at the Hotel-Pension Stern on Kurfรผrstendamm, a middle-class establishment in the heart of the capital. There, in the breakfast rooms, amid the rustling of newspapers, he conducted his first interviews: politicians who were still wavering between loyalty and inner resistance, business leaders who saw the regime as both a threat and an opportunity, and university lecturers who were torn between academic caution and open ideological loyalty. But Fry didn’t just listen to the voices of the elites. He spoke to shopkeepers who reported boycott actions, to waiters who whispered about guests who had disappeared, to churchgoers who described the pressure on their pastors, and to taxi drivers whose sober cynicism often contained more truth than the official slogans.
Kurfรผrstendamm became a burning mirror for Fry. Elegant strolling and intimidation by SA men existed side by side. One evening, he got caught up in a street battle: students were protesting against Gleichschaltung, and SA men were dispersing them with boots and batons. Fry, who only wanted to observe, was drawn into the melee. He escaped, but not without injuries โ and not without an image of the violence he later described so vividly. Berlin had shown him how deeply ideology, fear, and violence had already penetrated everyday life.
When Fry was sent to Marseille in 1940 on behalf of the Emergency Rescue Committee after the Wehrmacht invaded France, he was prepared. What he had only observed in Berlin now determined his actions: saving people who were on the Gestapo’s blacklists.
Marseille, the last major port in unoccupied France, was a place of both hope and despair. Refugees from all over Europe flocked thereโwriters, artists, scientists, political dissidents. Fry worked under the guise of a journalist, but his real mission was to organize a rescue operation that was both improvised and life-threatening.
His team was a diverse bunch: Miriam Davenport, the art historian; Mary Jayne Gold, a wealthy American who contributed money and courage; Daniel Bรฉnรฉdite, the French trade unionist who maintained contacts with officials and workers; and later also the young economist Albert Hirschman, who forged passports and organized escape routes. Together, they saved hundreds of people, including Marc Chagall, Heinrich Mann, Lion Feuchtwanger, Max Ernst, Hannah Arendt, and many others whose work shaped the cultural memory of the 20th century.
The cooperation of the US was ambivalent. The Emergency Rescue Committee had sent him, but Washington kept its distance: officially, it did not want to risk a confrontation with Vichy France or Berlin. Fry therefore operated in a gray area, tolerated but viewed with suspicion. France also showed two faces: individual officials helped quietly, but the Vichy administration cooperated closely with the Germans and handed over refugees. It was only through bribery, forgery, and secret networks that Fry was able to continue his work.
From Marseille, his contacts also extended to the Cรดte d’Azur: to Nice and Sanary-sur-Mer, where German exiles had been living since the early 1930sโHeinrich and Thomas Mann, Lion Feuchtwanger, Franz Werfel, Alma Mahler-Werfel, and many others. Fry built on these structures, helping with onward transport, organizing visas and ship passages to Spain and Portugal. In this way, he connected the escape routes along the coast with the rescue routes in Marseille.
But in 1941, Vichy put an end to his work. Fry was expelled, exhausted and plagued by guilt because he could not save everyone. Back in New York, he reported on his experiences and wrote his book Surrender on Demand in 1945, but it went unnoticed for a long time. In the early post-war years, America did not want to be reminded of that period of inaction, when individuals had shown more courage than states. Fry himself lived on the fringes of the intellectual scene, scarred by what he had experienced.
It was not until decades later that he received the recognition he deserved. In 1996, Yad Vashem honored him as the first American with the title โRighteous Among the Nations.โ Today, France and Germany also remember the โAmerican Schindler,โ who acted not out of political calculation but out of moral clarity.
Varian Fry was both an observer and an actor. In Berlin, he had learned to see behind the facades; in Marseille, he had taken action; in the US, he had fought for remembrance. His life journeyโfrom the salons of the ocean liner Bremen to the Pension Stern on Kurfรผrstendamm to the improvised rescue offices in Marseilleโis testimony to the fact that even a single individual can take responsibility in the face of violence.
in german:
Varian Fry – Von Berlin nach Marseille
Ein Leben zwischen Beobachtung und Verantwortung
Als Varian Fry 1935 an Bord des Transatlantikliners Bremen nach Europa reiste, war er noch ein junger Journalist, getrieben von Neugier, Scharfsinn und einem unbestechlichen Blick fรผr die politischen Spannungen seiner Zeit. Schon auf der รberfahrt, zwischen Diplomaten, Geschรคftsleuten und Emigranten, hรถrte er Gesprรคche รผber Hitlers Arbeitsbeschaffungsprogramme, รผber Devisenkontrollen und รผber den wachsenden Antisemitismus. Es war eine Vorahnung dessen, was ihn auf dem Kontinent erwartete.
In Berlin bezog er Quartier in der Hotel-Pension Stern am Kurfรผrstendamm, einem bรผrgerlichen Haus im Herzen der Hauptstadt. Dort, in den Frรผhstรผcksrรคumen, beim Rascheln der Zeitungen, fรผhrte er seine ersten Interviews: Politiker, die noch zwischen Loyalitรคt und innerem Widerstand schwankten, Wirtschaftsfรผhrer, die im Regime ebenso Bedrohung wie Chance sahen, und Universitรคtsdozenten, die zwischen akademischer Vorsicht und offener Ideologietreue lavierten. Doch Fry hรถrte nicht nur den Stimmen der Eliten zu. Er sprach mit Ladenbesitzern, die von Boykottaktionen berichteten, mit Kellnern, die im Flรผsterton von verschwundenen Gรคsten erzรคhlten, mit Kirchenbesuchern, die den Druck auf ihre Pfarrer schilderten, und mit Taxichauffeuren, deren nรผchterner Zynismus oft mehr Wahrheit enthielt als die offiziellen Parolen.
Der Kurfรผrstendamm wurde fรผr Fry zu einem Brennspiegel. Elegantes Flanieren und Einschรผchterung durch SA-Mรคnner existierten nebeneinander. Eines Abends geriet er in eine Straรenschlacht: Studenten protestierten gegen die Gleichschaltung, SA-Mรคnner trieben sie mit Stiefeln und Schlagstรถcken auseinander. Fry, der nur beobachten wollte, wurde in das Getรผmmel hineingezogen. Er entkam, aber nicht ohne Verletzungen โ und nicht ohne ein Bild jener Gewalt, die er spรคter so eindringlich beschrieb. Berlin hatte ihm gezeigt, wie tief Ideologie, Angst und Gewalt bereits in den Alltag eingedrungen waren.
Als Fry 1940, nach dem Einmarsch der Wehrmacht in Frankreich, im Auftrag des Emergency Rescue Committee nach Marseille entsandt wurde, war er vorbereitet. Was er in Berlin nur beobachtet hatte, bestimmte nun sein Handeln: Menschen retten, die auf den schwarzen Listen der Gestapo standen.
Marseille, der letzte groรe Hafen im unbesetzten Frankreich, war ein Ort der Hoffnung und Verzweiflung zugleich. Flรผchtlinge aus ganz Europa strรถmten dorthin โ Schriftsteller, Kรผnstler, Wissenschaftler, politische Dissidenten. Fry arbeitete unter dem Deckmantel eines Journalisten, doch sein eigentlicher Auftrag war die Organisation einer Rettungsmaschine, die zugleich improvisiert und lebensgefรคhrlich war.
Sein Team war bunt zusammengesetzt: Miriam Davenport, die Kunsthistorikerin; Mary Jayne Gold, eine wohlhabende Amerikanerin, die Geld und Mut beisteuerte; Daniel Bรฉnรฉdite, der franzรถsische Gewerkschafter, der Kontakte zu Beamten und Arbeitern hielt; spรคter auch der junge รkonom Albert Hirschman, der Pรคsse fรคlschte und Fluchtwege organisierte. Gemeinsam retteten sie Hunderte โ unter ihnen Marc Chagall, Heinrich Mann, Lion Feuchtwanger, Max Ernst, Hannah Arendt und viele andere, deren Werk das kulturelle Gedรคchtnis des 20. Jahrhunderts prรคgt.
Die Kooperation der USA war ambivalent. Das Emergency Rescue Committee hatte ihn entsandt, doch Washington hielt Distanz: Offiziell wollte man keine Konfrontation mit Vichy-Frankreich oder Berlin riskieren. Fry agierte daher im Graubereich, geduldet, aber misstrauisch beรคugt. Auch Frankreich zeigte zwei Gesichter: Einzelne Beamte halfen im Stillen, doch die Vichy-Administration kooperierte eng mit den Deutschen und lieferte Flรผchtlinge aus. Nur durch Bestechungen, Fรคlschungen und heimliche Netzwerke gelang es Fry, seine Arbeit fortzufรผhren.
Von Marseille aus reichten seine Kontakte auch an die Cรดte dโAzur: nach Nizza und nach Sanary-sur-Mer, wo bereits seit den frรผhen 1930er Jahren deutsche Exilanten lebten โ Heinrich und Thomas Mann, Lion Feuchtwanger, Franz Werfel, Alma Mahler-Werfel und viele andere. Fry knรผpfte an diese Strukturen an, half beim Weitertransport, organisierte Visa und Schiffspassagen nach Spanien und Portugal. So verband er die Fluchtwege an der Kรผste mit den Rettungsrouten in Marseille.
Doch 1941 setzte Vichy seiner Arbeit ein Ende. Fry wurde ausgewiesen, ausgelaugt und von Schuldgefรผhlen geplagt, weil er nicht alle retten konnte. Zurรผck in New York berichtete er, schrieb 1945 sein Buch Surrender on Demand, doch es blieb lange unbeachtet. Amerika wollte in den ersten Nachkriegsjahren nicht erinnert werden an jene Zeit der Untรคtigkeit, als Einzelne mehr Mut gezeigt hatten als Staaten. Fry selbst lebte am Rande der intellektuellen Szene, gezeichnet von dem, was er erlebt hatte.
Erst Jahrzehnte spรคter erhielt er die Anerkennung, die ihm gebรผhrte. 1996 ehrte ihn Yad Vashem als ersten Amerikaner mit dem Titel โGerechter unter den Vรถlkernโ. Auch in Frankreich und Deutschland erinnert man heute an den โamerikanischen Schindlerโ, der nicht aus politischem Kalkรผl, sondern aus moralischer Klarheit handelte.
Varian Fry war Beobachter und Akteur zugleich. In Berlin hatte er gelernt, hinter die Fassaden zu sehen, in Marseille hatte er gehandelt, in den USA hatte er fรผr Erinnerung gestritten. Sein Lebensweg โ von den Salons des Linienschiffs Bremen รผber die Pension Stern am Kurfรผrstendamm bis zu den improvisierten Rettungsbรผros in Marseille โ ist ein Zeugnis dafรผr, dass auch ein Einzelner im Angesicht der Gewalt Verantwortung รผbernehmen kann.
Photo:Varian Fry in Marseille. Frankreich, 1940โ1941 in Marseille. US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Annette Fry
