10.13.2026 – they were forced to leave

they were forced to leave
last year account of Hitler’s
feelings about things

Stay with me while I connect the dots for today’s Haiku.

Starting with the Thurber Cartoon, it was first published in the New Yorker Magazine on October 13, 1934, 92 years ago today.

If you look at the two page spread of the magazine that you would have seen back in 1934, you will find a short profile, titled The Big Man.

It is a short piece about Director Otto Klemperer.

According to Wikipedia, Otto Nossan Klemperer (14 May 1885 – 6 July 1973) was a German composer and conductor, originally based in Germany, and then the United States, Hungary and finally, Great Britain. He began his career as an opera conductor, but he was later better known as a conductor of symphonic music.

A protégé of the composer and conductor Gustav Mahler, from 1907 Klemperer was appointed to a succession of increasingly senior conductorships in opera houses in and around Germany. Between 1927 and 1931 he was director of the Kroll Opera in Berlin, where he presented new works and avant-garde productions of classics. He was from a Jewish family, and the rise of the Nazis caused him to leave Germany in 1933. Shortly afterwards he was appointed chief conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and guest-conducted other American orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and later the Pittsburgh Symphony, which he reorganised as a permanent ensemble.

What struck me in reading through that short profile was the short, common place sentence, “They were forced to leave Germany last year, Mr. Klemperer giving up the directorship of the Berlin State Opera on account of Hitler’s feelings about things.”

This was 1934.

Hitler had come to power in 1932.

Within 2 years, folks felt forced to leave on account of … Hitler’s feelings about things.

I would think that it would be hard to grasp that things took place and decisions were made and lives disrupted … on account of one man’s feelings about things.

I would think that had I not lived in the United States of America and experienced that last 10 years first hand.

In commenting on the self proclaimed ‘Energy Ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, that man in office said, “They agreed. You know why? Because I said, ‘You agree’ – that’s why. They agreed because I said they agreed, and that thing has to get settled.”

I guess Russia and Ukraine “agreed” on account of the feelings of that man currently in office.

The home of a member was Congress was ransacked yesterday.

Why?

That man currently in office said, “I’ve always found her to be totally crooked, personally, but that has nothing to do with me. I think she’s a terrible person.”

I guess on account of his feelings.

Come to think of it, I have a constant ringing in my ears as well.

PS: Available classic music recordings abound with the name Otto Klemperer, Directing on the label. But the family maybe more remembered for Mr. Klemperer’s son, Werner. In the profile, Mr. Klemperer refers to his 14 year old son as being interested only “in football and the cinema, particularly Mickey Mouse.” Werner would go into acting and played the part of Colonel Klink in the TV show, Hogan’s Hero’s. Somewhat goody considering the family left Germany “on account of Hitler’s feelings.”