Son and grandson of Herbert Marcuse : His advice was always: keep it up!

it was a good 15 years, they have buried the Remains of their father and grandfather, the philosopher and representative of the Frankfurt school, Herbert Marcuse, in Berlin. His ashes had previously lost. What you lose is an urn?

PETER: Herbert suffered in 1979 from a stroke during a visit with Jürgen Habermas Starnberg, and died a short time afterwards. His wife, Ricky Sherover wanted to, that he is cremated in Germany.

Because he was a Jew?

HAROLD: Exactly. With the result that he then be – perverse, I must say – in Austria, was cremated, which is basically the Same. Thereafter, the urn was flown to the States, but could be for legal reasons, not to a private address supplied, but had to do a funeral. A Secretary from the law firm that my father worked at that time, was organized. And as the wife of Herbert died ten years later, the urn as well-still, without one of us thought more of it.

PETER: in the beginning of the zero years of requests, where Herbert's was grave. Because we said to ourselves: We should actually know. I then have something to make a couple of calls until we made the urn in New Haven.

The final resting place of Germany, was site. This has not led to big discussions in the family in the United States?

HAROLD: But. There were very different opinions. My father Peter found, there is no great effort needed to be made, and the ashes could land on the compost heap in his garden in Connecticut. My sister recalled that Herbert Hippo figures collected and the hippos at the San Diego Zoo like to looked at, because they were so "absurd". She was to scatter the ashes in the enclosure. I mean, he was a public figure, and was sure that his Remains come to Berlin.

Peter and Harold Marcuse

Peter, 90, and Harold, 61, and Marcuse are the son and the grandson of the German-American philosopher Herbert Marcuse, the part of the "Frankfurt school", Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno.
Peter Marcuse was born in Berlin and emigrated in 1933 with the father in the United States, where he completed a law degree and from 1975 to 2003 as a Professor of urban planning at Columbia University in New York taught.
Harold Marcuse studied in the United States and Germany. Since 1992, he is Professor of history at UC Santa Barbara in California. His research focus is German history.
life Today, both in Santa Barbara and work for the international Herbert Marcuse society, which hosts every two years a conference. We reached via Skype in a retirement home, where Peter has recently lives. There, he directs every Monday evening, a debating club, where the texts of his father to be discussed.

On the dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof, a cemetery in Berlin in 2003, was the urn of Herbert Marcuse beige, almost 25 years after his death.Photo: Miguel Villa Gran dpa/lbn

How the decision was made then?

HAROLD: I had built a web page about Herbert, and used them to interrogate the Public. Several people wrote that they would visit his grave. We then decided that if Germany wanted to have his ashes, would we let him in Berlin to be buried. The Germany of 2003 was a different Germany than that of the 1970s. At the time, I would not have wanted that. The broadcast of the "Holocaust"TV series, which changed history competitions of the Federal President with Nazi themes, the Film "The nasty girl", these things have the discourse in Germany. The Berlin Senate agreed to erect a memorial grave. Initially limited to ten years, then they wanted to see more. But we have heard nothing.

PETER: Maybe that will change now, if it's in the newspaper.

The urn you brought in the hand Luggage?

PETER: In the backpack. However, I had to stair at the plane before I entered German soil, a funeral passed. Provision! Was taken away in the hearse, which have already killed Benno Ohnesorg, and Marlene Dietrich to the cemetery.

Are you happy today with the decision?

HAROLD: I'm satisfied. From time to time I get an E-Mail with photos of people who were with him at the grave, and according to Jewish custom stones on it. I find this suitable.

More about

Frankfurt school Of Critical theory to populism

Hannes Schwenger

PETER: for Me, these rituals and symbols are not so important. I would prefer that people would read it, instead of visiting his grave.

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