More than 10 million copies of books authored and illustrated by Judith Kerr have circulated globally, establishing a legacy that spans whimsical picture stories and sobering autobiographical accounts of exile. Born in the Weimar Republic, her creative output reflects both the innocence of domestic life and the profound displacement caused by the rise of the Nazi party during the 1930s.
Flight from Berlin
Born on 14 June 1923 in Berlin to theatre critic Alfred Kerr and composer Julia Kerr, she spent her early years in Germany before political instability forced her family to flee. In March 1933, they escaped to Switzerland to evade arrest by the Nazi party, later moving through France before permanently settling in Britain in 1936. Her parents, both from German Jewish families, saw their German assets and home confiscated while the regime burned her father's literature.
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During the Second World War, she contributed to humanitarian efforts with the Red Cross while assisting wounded soldiers. She later gained admission to the Central School of Art and Design, where she honed the artistic skills that would define her career. She naturalised as a British citizen in 1947. Her professional life included a tenure at the British Broadcasting Corporation, where she met her husband, Nigel Kneale. She assisted with special effects for his production, The Quatermass Experiment, and eventually transitioned into television scriptwriting at his suggestion.
Literary Contributions
Though she harbored childhood ambitions of being a writer, her prolific career began once her own children required reading material. Her most recognizable works include the seventeen-book Mog series, inspired by her own tabby cat, and the popular picture book The Tiger Who Came to Tea. Beyond children's fiction, she penned the semi-autobiographical Out of the Hitler Time trilogy, consisting of When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Bombs on Aunt Dainty, and A Small Person Far Away. These novels provide a child's perspective on the Nazi era and the complexities of life as a refugee.
Honours and Legacy
In 2012, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature and Holocaust education. She was previously recognized with the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 1974. Following a short illness, she died at her home in Barnes, London, on 22 May 2019, aged 95. Her impact continues through the Judith Kerr Primary School in Herne Hill and the archive of her illustrations preserved at the Seven Stories centre in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Fast facts
- Born: 14 June 1923, Berlin
- Died: 22 May 2019, London
- Naturalised British: 21 June 1947
- Education: Central School of Art and Design
- Notable Award: Officer of the Order of the British Empire (2012)
- Literary Series: Mog, Out of the Hitler Time
- Major Children's Work: The Tiger Who Came to Tea
- Primary Residence: Barnes, London (1962–2019)
Questions readers ask
What inspired When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit?
The book was written to provide her son with a realistic understanding of her childhood experiences as a refugee, and was based on her regret regarding the toy she chose to bring when fleeing Germany.
Was she involved in television production?
Yes, she worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation, where she contributed special effects for The Quatermass Experiment and later worked as a scriptwriter.
Achievements
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire — 2012
- Notable work: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
- Notable work: Out of the Hitler Time
- Notable work: Mog
