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Document Details : Title: Zwei deutsche Chajjam-Gesellschaften und ihre Gründer Subtitle: Eine Spurensuche Author(s): MEIJER, Wilfried W. Journal: Persica Volume: 28 Date: 2023-2024 Pages: 59-127 DOI: 10.2143/PERS.28.0.3293431 Abstract : Part of the Omar Khayyám story in the West is the history of the so called Omar Khayyám clubs. The first one was the Omar Khayyám Club of Londen, established in 1890 and still existing. A second club was the Omar Khayyám Club of America, founded in 1920. A century after the English club a Dutch club was founded in 1990, that too is still alive: the Nederlands Omar Khayyám Genootschap. However, there was also a club in Germany: die Deutsche Chajjam Gesellschaft (DCG) in Tübingen. Other than the mentioned clubs this Gesellschaft was rather a company or enterprise than a society. Its primary purpose was publishing and promoting the work of its founder, Chr. Rempis, who contributed significantly to the study and understanding of Khayyám’s rubáiyát. Unknown to this day however is the story of a second German Gesellschaft. It was founded in Osnabrück in 1949 by Th.F.K. Krohm. Whereas the Tübingen Gesellschaft became known through Rempis’ translations and studies, the Osnabrück club hardly evoked publicity despite its ambitious name: die Omar Khayyam-Gesellschaft zur Pflege iranischer Literatur (OKG). The good luck of having a large number of documents at my disposal originating from the research that Krohm had undertaken regarding Omar Khayyám’s rubáiyát, led to further inquiries into the backgrounds of both Gesellschaften. It appeared that the generally accepted story of the forced endings of Rempis’ Gesellschaft by the nazi’s, as it was told by Sol Gittleman in his thesis, needs revision. Contemporary evidence shows that the Gesellschaft lasted until 1940, and that in some nazi circles Omar Khayyám’s philosophy was thought to be useful to corroborate in their propaganda. The documents from Krohm’s archive, conveyed to me by August Buck, bibliophile, living in Osnabrück (1902-1977), not only revealed two hitherto unpublished German translations, of which one was done by a lady, they also provided insights in the ins and outs of his Gesellschaft. Unlike the DCG Krohm’s Gesellschaft was intended to be a societal club to congregate, discuss and study Khayyám’s work and impact. One of his motives was the need for a new world outlook after the devastating years of World War II. Personal circumstances, lack of academic status and changing interests contributed to the concealment of the OKG. Despite Krohm’s ambitions and ideas put down in writings and lectures, there is no evidence of publications in books or articles. Although the OKG suffered a silent death, leaving hardly any trace of its existence, its history is part of the never ending larger story about impact and reception of Khayyám’s rubáiyát. |
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