Hermann Grab

Hermann Grab (May 6, 1903 – August 2, 1949) was a Bohemian German-language writer and musician.

Hermann was born into a wealthy aristocratic family of Jewish origin in Prague, Bohemian Kingdom (an old name of today's Czech Republic).

Although his parents were formally Jewish, Hermann and his brother were educated as Catholics.

Hermann studied at the German Gymnasium Na Prikopech (Prague) and then entered German Charles-Ferdinand University.

Later he studied at universities in Berlin, Heidelberg and Vienna.

In 1927, he received a PhD in philosophy in Heidelberg and in 1928 a PhD in law in his home-town Prague.

After short juridical praxis, Grab became a music teacher and music-critic of Prager Montagsblatt.

In 1934, he published the first of his short stories in Prague magazines and in 1935 his first book, Der Stadtpark, a Prague novel, for he was said to be 'Prague Proust' (Joseph Strelka).

After the occupation of his country by Hitler between 1938 and 1939, Grab escaped to Paris.

When Hitler's armies defeated France, he escaped (and lost all his manuscripts) through France, Spain, Portugal, and finally to the USA.

Hermann settled in New York City and established a small music school, married a Belgian exile and wrote his second book, Hochzeit in Brooklyn.

Serious illness prevented him from returning to Prague after World War II.

He died fully invalid in 1949 in New York and was buried at Flushing Cemetery in Flushing, Queens, New York City.