Helmut Friedlaender
Encyclopedia
Helmut Nathan Friedlaender (1913–November 25, 2008) was an American lawyer
and financial adviser
who collected rare books.
Friedlaender was born in 1913 in Berlin
, Germany
. In 1933 he fled to Lausanne
, Switzerland
afraid that Hitler was about to seal Germany's borders. It was at Lausanne that he received a doctorate in administrative law
with a thesis on hydroelectric enterprises. After working at a London-based brokerage for some time where he had been an apprentice and learned international arbitrage
.
After arriving in the United States on November 12, 1936, Friedlaender made arrangements for an interview at the investment banking
firm of Abraham & Company. The 6-foot, 3-inch tall, 120-pound Friedlaender showed up for the interview wearing traditional attire for the London Stock Exchange
, consisting of "striped pants, black jacket, gray tie, black bowler hat, dull black shoes and an umbrella that had never been unfurled". Hundreds of people passed through the reception room to gawk at "what was to all of them a very funny sight", but he got the job.
Friedlaender was an announcer for the Voice of America
during World War II
for its broadcasts to Europe.
He became an adviser to philanthropist William Rosenwald
in 1944, helping arrange the financing for the construction of 1407 Broadway and the purchase of the Empire State Building
by the Rosenwald Group.
in 1970, with a focus on rare books, including medieval illuminated manuscripts and incunabula (books printed before 1501), with his first purchase being a 15th-century manuscript of the Book of hours
. Other items of interest were rare editions of works by Goethe
, Heinrich Heine
, Franz Kafka
and Alexander Pushkin, authors who were among his favorites.
In an auction held by Christie's
in April 2001, most of the collection Friedlaender had built up over the previous 30 years was put up for sale, totaling 559 lots. Among the items sold were Cicero
's De Officiis, printed in 1465 and one of the first classical works ever printed, sold for $666,000. A illuminated manuscript
from Bohemia
of St. Gregory's Moralia in Job from the 14th century that retained its original doeskin binding, sold for $248,000.
After the auction was held, Friedlaender would repurchase some of the items on the open market. The managing director of the London bookshop Bernard Quaritch
said that Friedlaender would look at these items as lost children and say "I’m going to take them back and give them a proper home" before repurchasing them.
In addition to his membership in the Grolier Club
, Friedlaender helped fund libraries and book projects, including his efforts to finance a 3,000-page catalog of the incunabula at the University of Oxford
's Bodleian Library
, for which he was awarded its Bodley Medal in 2005.
He died at age 95 on November 25, 2008 in Yarmouth, Maine
. He was survived by two daughters. and a granddaughter
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and financial adviser
Financial adviser
A financial adviser, is a professional who renders financial services to individuals, businesses and governments. This can involve investment advice, which may include pension planning, and/or advice on life insurance and other insurances such as income protection insurance, critical illness...
who collected rare books.
Friedlaender was born in 1913 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1933 he fled to Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
afraid that Hitler was about to seal Germany's borders. It was at Lausanne that he received a doctorate in administrative law
Administrative law
Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...
with a thesis on hydroelectric enterprises. After working at a London-based brokerage for some time where he had been an apprentice and learned international arbitrage
Arbitrage
In economics and finance, arbitrage is the practice of taking advantage of a price difference between two or more markets: striking a combination of matching deals that capitalize upon the imbalance, the profit being the difference between the market prices...
.
After arriving in the United States on November 12, 1936, Friedlaender made arrangements for an interview at the investment banking
Investment banking
An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations and governments in raising capital by underwriting and/or acting as the client's agent in the issuance of securities...
firm of Abraham & Company. The 6-foot, 3-inch tall, 120-pound Friedlaender showed up for the interview wearing traditional attire for the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
, consisting of "striped pants, black jacket, gray tie, black bowler hat, dull black shoes and an umbrella that had never been unfurled". Hundreds of people passed through the reception room to gawk at "what was to all of them a very funny sight", but he got the job.
Friedlaender was an announcer for the Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for its broadcasts to Europe.
He became an adviser to philanthropist William Rosenwald
William Rosenwald
William Rosenwald was an American business executive whose American Securities Corporation invested in other business including AMETEK and Western Union International. He was a philanthropist who helped establish the nationwide United Jewish Appeal in 1939 and made other charitable grants through...
in 1944, helping arrange the financing for the construction of 1407 Broadway and the purchase of the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
by the Rosenwald Group.
Book collector
Friedlaender took up book collectingBook collecting
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect...
in 1970, with a focus on rare books, including medieval illuminated manuscripts and incunabula (books printed before 1501), with his first purchase being a 15th-century manuscript of the Book of hours
Book of Hours
The book of hours was a devotional book popular in the later Middle Ages. It is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Like every manuscript, each manuscript book of hours is unique in one way or another, but most contain a similar collection of texts, prayers and...
. Other items of interest were rare editions of works by Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
, Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
, Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
and Alexander Pushkin, authors who were among his favorites.
In an auction held by Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
in April 2001, most of the collection Friedlaender had built up over the previous 30 years was put up for sale, totaling 559 lots. Among the items sold were Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
's De Officiis, printed in 1465 and one of the first classical works ever printed, sold for $666,000. A illuminated manuscript
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
from Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
of St. Gregory's Moralia in Job from the 14th century that retained its original doeskin binding, sold for $248,000.
After the auction was held, Friedlaender would repurchase some of the items on the open market. The managing director of the London bookshop Bernard Quaritch
Bernard Quaritch
Bernard Quaritch, full name Bernard Alexander Christian Quaritch, was a German-born British bookseller and collector....
said that Friedlaender would look at these items as lost children and say "I’m going to take them back and give them a proper home" before repurchasing them.
In addition to his membership in the Grolier Club
Grolier Club
The Grolier Club is a private club and society of bibliophiles in New York City. Founded in January 1884, it is the oldest existing bibliophilic club in North America. The club is named after Jean Grolier de Servières, Viscount d'Aguisy, Treasurer General of France, whose library was famous; his...
, Friedlaender helped fund libraries and book projects, including his efforts to finance a 3,000-page catalog of the incunabula at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
's Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, for which he was awarded its Bodley Medal in 2005.
Personal
He married Ernestine Fried in 1944. His wife was president of the Women's City Club of New York from 1975 to 1981 and served on numerous mayoral housing committees.He died at age 95 on November 25, 2008 in Yarmouth, Maine
Yarmouth, Maine
Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, located approximately ten to fifteen miles north of Portland. Its population was 8,349 at the 2010 census....
. He was survived by two daughters. and a granddaughter