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Bernhard Reichenbach (12 December 1888, Berlin – 19 February 1975, London) was a member of the Executive Committee of theCommunist International. He was a member of theCommunist Workers' Party of Germany and acted as their delegate to theThird Congress of the Third International.
He was born in Berlin in 1888, the son of Bruno Reichenbach. His younger brother,Hans Reichenbach would go on to become a leadingphilosopher of science. He became an actor inBochum andHamburg between 1912 and 1914.[1] Bernhard's acting led to him making his first trip toRussia.[2]
Bernhard was aconscientious objector but felt it was his duty to serve his country. He therefore volunteered for the medical corps and served in the German army during theFirst World War between 1915 and 1917. His time in the medical corps saw him serve at theBattle of Verdun. Bernhard was awarded theIron Cross during his years of service, ultimately throwing his medal into theRiver Spree following the rise of theNazis. Bernhard joined theGerman Foreign Office following discharge from the medical corps, where he served until 1919.
Bernhard joined the Communist Workers' Party of Germany and in 1921, two years after the birth of his son, Hanno, travelled to theSoviet Union as one of the party's representatives. At the3rd World Congress of the Comintern, Bernhard held discussions withVladimir Lenin.[3] He also made contacts in theMoscow State Jewish Theatre, meetingSolomon Mikhoels andAlexis Granowsky. He worked with Granowsky on a production ofMayakovsky'sMystery-Bouffe. This was being produced byMeyerhold.[3]Reichenbach was a trained economist and subsequently worked as a purchasing agent for a chemical company.[4]
With the coming to power ofAdolf Hitler and hisNazi party, Reichenbach (a German ofJewish descent with communist political beliefs) came under threat and fled to theUnited Kingdom via theNetherlands. At the outbreak of theSecond World War, Reichenbach was interned as an enemy alien in aninternment camp onThe Isle of Man along with his son, Hanno. Both were able to convince the British authorities of their desire to contribute to the war-effort and both were released after a short internment. Bernhard would go on to work for theBritish Foreign Office on various anti-Nazi publications which were distributed around Germany and would later be awarded theVerdienstkreuz 1, Klasse, the German equivalent of anO.B.E., for this work.
Reichenbach married Ilse Rosendorn, with whom he had two children, Hanno and Tania.[5] Hanno escaped Germany in 1935 shortly after his father and attendedGreat Ayton Friends' School, with several other German or Austrian refugees.[6] Ilse and Tania would stay in Germany longer and ultimately escaped Germany in 1936.[7]
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