Emma Huber, German subject librarian at Oxford's Taylorian Library, speaks to Joseph Quinn about the life and career of Professor H.G. Fiedler.
In this short episode, Emma details the career of Professor Hermann Georg Fiedler, the first Taylor Professor of German Language and Literature at the University of Oxford, and his lifelong activities in support of peaceful relations between Germany and the United Kingdom. Taking a chronological guide through fascinating correspondence and documents held within the Fiedler Archive at the Taylor Institution Library, Emma shares with Joseph the details of his personal relationship with some of his former students, particularly Edward, Duke of Windsor, before and after his abdication in 1936. Emma and Joseph also explore Fiedler's connection with Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, and his support for Britain's appeasement policy in the late 1930s, along with his contact with members the German government, his failed attempts to cultivate peace between Nazi Germany and Britain through the sharing of culture, and also his humanitarian efforts in helping German Jewish refugees to find a home in the UK.
