Long-lost original resurfaces

In 1974, Dr Karl Würzburger (1891–1978) wrote his autobiographical manuscript “Ein Jud – was ist das? Notizen eines Betroffenen” Würzburger had fled Bayreuth for Switzerland in 1936 and returned in 1947. In this volume, he recounts his experiences as a Jewish returnee to post-war Bayreuth. Already before 1933, Würzburger had made a name for himself as a radio pioneer (programme director of Deutsche Welle) and later became a prominent figure in Bayreuth as a writer, educator, and head of the city’s Department of Culture and Adult Education Centre.

His estate was handed over to the University Library in 1994 and transferred to the University Archive in March 2019. However, the manuscript “Ein Jud – was ist das?” existed only as a photocopy—until recently.

In May 2025, Dr Rainer-Maria Kiel, former academic librarian at the University of Bayreuth and considered the foremost expert on Karl Würzburger, published an annotated edition of the text. Remarkably, Kiel had never worked with the original manuscript. It was unexpectedly discovered by one of Würzburger’s granddaughters, who generously entrusted it to the University Archive via Kiel to complete the estate.

“It’s incredibly exciting that we now hold the original handwritten copy in our collection,” says Dr Lisa Witowski, head of the University Archive in Bayreuth. “It starts with the cover page, which looks entirely different in the original. For instance, it notes that several versions of the text existed.” The original also features underlinings and handwritten additions by the author, offering insight into the writing process. “You can truly sense the effort behind the revisions and feel a closeness to the author,” Witowski explains.

The manuscript, which explores the origins and history of Würzburger’s Jewish ancestors and their exclusion and persecution, as well as his memories of childhood and youth in Bayreuth, is now available for consultation as a “hand copy” at the University Archive by prior appointment. Dr Kiel’s edition can be obtained from the Historical Association for Upper Franconia and the bookshop at Kircheneck.