Lola Landau – a successful author, poet and dramatist – suffered under arbitrary despotism of the Nazis. Her publications were banned, thereby prohibiting her from working, which caused financial problems for her and her husband Armin T. Wegner – who was also subject to repressive measures as a pacifist. Added to this were the everyday humiliations and restrictions. Exile was an unavoidable necessity. She sent her three children to various schools across Europe and went out to find a country in which she could live in exile with her family. During this time she began to live more consciously according to the traditions of her Jewish origins for which she was being persecuted by the Nazis. Inevitably the only country where she felt she could settle in exile was Palestine. In January 1936, she emigrated without her husband, followed by two of her children, while one son flew to Australia.

During her search for a new homeland, Lola Landau was not active as a writer as she was largely working on behalf of Zionist organisations during this time. After arriving in Palestine, she continued to work towards the establishment of the new Jewish state. She took up writing again in the 1950s, however, with little success as the language of her poetry remained German. Even though volumes of her poetry were published in Germany, she could not make an impact on German post-war literature.

Selected works:
Der unversiegbare Brunnen (Gedichte, 1922)
Wasif und Akif oder die Frau mit den zwei Ehemännern (türkisches Schattenspiel, 1925)
Noch liebt mich die Erde (Gedichte, 1969)
Hörst du mich, kleine Schwester?(Erzählungen, 1971)
Die zärtliche Buche (Prosa und Gedichte, 1980)
Vor dem Vergessen, meine drei Leben (Autobiografie, 1987)

Further reading:
Landau, Lola / Wegner, Armin T.: Welt vorbei. Abschied von den sieben Wäldern. Der KZ-Briefwechsel 1933/1934. Berlin: Das Arsenal – Verlag für Kultur und Politik 1999