Felix Jud

Felix Jud (1899–1985) was a political activist and German bookseller. He was born in Wilhelmstal and was educated as an ironmonger.

He then worked as a bookseller in the "Frommansche Buchhandlung" in Jena but was fired due to a lack of punctuality. He eventually found another job in a bookstore in Hamburg, where he moved to and worked from 1919.

In 1923 he opened (with his colleague Erna Kracht, who stayed there until 1932) his own store, the "Hamburger Bücherstube", in the Collonaden 104. Although the inflation and WWI had impoverished a majority of the population, he hoped for a better future and trusted in the Hamburgs, who, he hoped, would help him establish his business.

In 1938, he married Elisabeth Thode. They were parents three times, having one son and two daughters – Karen (born 1939), Barbara (born 1941) and Michael (born 1943).

The bookstore established itself as an important piece of history for the city; during WWII, Felix Jud, although he wasn't Jewish, was ordered to change his last name because it led to many thinking that he was Jewish. He decorated multiple provocative store windows as well, where he, with humour and knowledge, made fun of Adolf Hitler. He, for example, decorated a store window for an anniversary of the store, in which he put a cartoon of a jew with a photo of him as a baby, one of him as a confirmand and another current one. The slogan "Jud stays Jud" one could see under that and in addition to it a laundry board with letters that said "Persil stays Persil." He also sold forbidden literature in his store and had connections to the "Weiße Rose" in Hamburg. The business became a meeting point for opponents of the Nazi regime.

On December 18, 1943, he was arrested, made to go the "Polizeigefängnis Fuhlsbüttel" jail for his actions and later, in 1944, transported to the KZ Neuengamme. His trial was with Albert Suhr, Hannelore Willbrandt, Ursula de Boor und Wilhelm Stoldt, who were accused of actions against the Nazi regime as well.

After Germany was defeated, he built his bookstore again, first in "Neuer Wall 39", where he was kicked out because the landlord wanted to use the space otherwise. Following this, he was kicked out of his own apartment, because the landlord didn't want to have a business in his apartment. Then, he continued rebuilding in the house of the journal "Hamburger Abendblatt" which was offered by one of his friends, Axel Springer. Lastly, he rebuilt in "Neuer Wall 13", where the store is currently.

From 1972 Wilfried Weber led the bookstore with Felix Jud and established it further as an art business. .

On August 25, 1985, he died at the age of 86. His last words were "Tomorrow is Goethes Birthday, I would have liked to die then." He called his co-workers on that day and told them that his funeral should be big, since it was his last reclaim. In Hamburg-Neuallermöhe, there is a street, the "Felix-Jud Ring", which has been named after him.