Over 40,000 pages of Gabelsberger stenography manuscripts and an entire research library were extracted from Nazi Germany in a daring diplomatic operation. These papers, belonging to the philosopher Edmund Husserl, were secured in Belgium by Herman Van Breda, a Franciscan friar who recognized the imminent threat posed to this intellectual legacy during the late nineteen-thirties.
Ordination and Academic Training
Born Leo Marie Karel in Lier, Belgium, in 1911, Van Breda entered the priesthood in 1934. He subsequently pursued philosophical studies at the Catholic University of Leuven beginning in 1936. By 1941, he had completed his PhD, focusing his dissertation research on the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl, a topic that would define his professional trajectory for the remainder of his life.
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While conducting research in Freiburg, Germany, in 1938, Van Breda identified the vulnerability of Husserl’s personal papers. He successfully lobbied the Belgian government and his university administration to facilitate the removal of these documents. With the cooperation of Prime Minister Paul-Henri Spaak, the collection was moved to the Belgian embassy in Berlin and transported to Leuven via diplomatic channels.
Preservation During World War II
The archive faced immediate danger during the conflict. Following the destruction of the university library in Leuven on 17 May 1940, Van Breda’s decision to relocate the papers to the Higher Institute of Philosophy one week prior proved decisive. By 1943, he further mitigated risk by distributing the manuscripts among multiple secure locations, including the Abbey of Postel and the Institute's cellar.
Legacy and Scholarly Contributions
Following the war, the salvaged documents formed the foundation of the Husserliana, the definitive edition of Edmund Husserl's works. Van Breda ensured the academic utility of this archive by recruiting former Husserl assistants Eugen Fink and Ludwig Landgrebe to assist in editing. His efforts were recognized by the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, which granted him an honorary doctorate.
Fast facts
- Born: 28 February 1911, Lier
- Died: 3 March 1974, Leuven
- Ordained: 19 August 1934
- PhD awarded: 1941, Catholic University of Leuven
- Award: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Affiliation: Franciscan friar
Questions readers ask
How did Van Breda get the manuscripts out of Germany?
He coordinated with the Belgian Prime Minister Paul-Henri Spaak to move the papers to the Belgian embassy in Berlin, from where diplomatic couriers transported them to Leuven.
What is the Husserliana?
It is the collection of the complete works of Edmund Husserl, based on the archives saved and organized by Van Breda at the Catholic University of Leuven.
Achievements
- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
