Litzi Friedmann
Encyclopedia
Litzi Friedmann, born Alice Kohlmann (1910 – 1991), was an Austrian
Communist of Jewish origins who was the first wife of Kim Philby
.
Born in Vienna
, Kohlmann married at the age of 18 but divorced a year later. She joined the Communist Party and was imprisoned by Austria in 1932 for a few weeks. Philby arrived in Vienna in 1933. In February 1934, the Dolfuss government
began a further crackdown on known leftists. Philby and Kohlman believed that she would be a target, so they married in Vienna on 24 February. In her book "The Private Life of Kim Philby: The Moscow Years" , Philby's last wife, Rufina
, quotes another author, who she calls Brown (this is probably Anthony Cave Brown
), as saying that Teddy Kollek
was at the wedding – in any event, more than twenty years later, Kollek recognized Philby at CIA headquarters.
After the Socialist movement collapsed in April 1934, they left Vienna for London, and arrived in May. Friedmann had a friend in London who was working for Soviet intelligence, the Vienna-born photographer Edith Tudor-Hart
. One biographer of Philby, Genrikh Borovik
, who had access to the Soviet archives, says that Tudor-Hart recommended Friedmann and Philby as suitable candidates for NKVD recruitment .
Friedmann and Philby split up in the 1930s – some sources claim that Philby had to distance himself from known communists to penetrate the British establishment. However, they remained in contact for years afterwards and divorced only in 1946. After the war, Friedmann and the German-Jewish refugee Georg Honigmann went to live in East Berlin
in 1947, where Honigmann became editor of the Berliner Zeitung
. Friedmann and Honigmann had a daughter, Barbara Honigmann
, in 1949 and split up shortly after.
Barbara Honigmann has written a biography of her mother.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
Communist of Jewish origins who was the first wife of Kim Philby
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
.
Born in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Kohlmann married at the age of 18 but divorced a year later. She joined the Communist Party and was imprisoned by Austria in 1932 for a few weeks. Philby arrived in Vienna in 1933. In February 1934, the Dolfuss government
Engelbert Dollfuss
Engelbert Dollfuss was an Austrian Christian Social and Patriotic Front statesman. Serving previously as Minister for Forest and Agriculture, he ascended to Federal Chancellor in 1932 in the midst of a crisis for the conservative government...
began a further crackdown on known leftists. Philby and Kohlman believed that she would be a target, so they married in Vienna on 24 February. In her book "The Private Life of Kim Philby: The Moscow Years" , Philby's last wife, Rufina
Rufina Ivanova Pukhova
Rufina Ivanovna Pukhova is a Russian writer. She was the last wife of Kim Philby, whom she met through George Blake and whom she married in 1971. She is the author of The Private Life of Kim Philby: The Moscow Years . Pukhova was born in Moscow to a Russian father and a Polish mother.-References:...
, quotes another author, who she calls Brown (this is probably Anthony Cave Brown
Anthony Cave Brown
Anthony Cave Brown was an English-American journalist, espionage non-fiction writer and historian.-Early years:...
), as saying that Teddy Kollek
Teddy Kollek
Theodor "Teddy" Kollek was mayor of Jerusalem from 1965 to 1993, and founder of the Jerusalem Foundation. Kollek was re-elected five times, in 1969, 1973, 1978, 1983 and 1989...
was at the wedding – in any event, more than twenty years later, Kollek recognized Philby at CIA headquarters.
After the Socialist movement collapsed in April 1934, they left Vienna for London, and arrived in May. Friedmann had a friend in London who was working for Soviet intelligence, the Vienna-born photographer Edith Tudor-Hart
Edith Tudor-Hart
Edith Tudor Hart , an Austrian-British photographer, communist-sympathiser and spy for the Soviet Union. Some of her work is in the National Gallery in London.-Early life and education:...
. One biographer of Philby, Genrikh Borovik
Genrikh Borovik
Genrikh Averyanovich Borovik is a Soviet and Russian publicist, writer, playwright and filmmaker, the father of journalist Artyom Borovik.According to Vasili Mitrokhin, Borovik was a KGB agent in the United States, one of whose successful projects was promotion of false John F. Kennedy...
, who had access to the Soviet archives, says that Tudor-Hart recommended Friedmann and Philby as suitable candidates for NKVD recruitment .
Friedmann and Philby split up in the 1930s – some sources claim that Philby had to distance himself from known communists to penetrate the British establishment. However, they remained in contact for years afterwards and divorced only in 1946. After the war, Friedmann and the German-Jewish refugee Georg Honigmann went to live in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
in 1947, where Honigmann became editor of the Berliner Zeitung
Berliner Zeitung
The Berliner Zeitung, founded in 1945, is a German center-left daily newspaper based in Berlin, published by Berliner Verlag. It is the only East German paper to achieve national prominence since unification. In 2003, the Berliner was Berlin's largest subscription newspaper—the weekend...
. Friedmann and Honigmann had a daughter, Barbara Honigmann
Barbara Honigmann
Barbara Honigmann is a German author and artist.Barbara Honigmann is the daughter of German-Jewish emigrants, who returned to East Berlin in 1947 after a period of exile in Great Britain. Her mother, Litzi Friedman, was the first wife of Kim Philby and her father, Georg Honigmann, was the chief...
, in 1949 and split up shortly after.
Barbara Honigmann has written a biography of her mother.