Commemorative Boy Scout stamp owned by a Jewish Austrian émigré

John Honig (1923-2020) was born Gerhart Honig on October 30, 1923 in Vienna, Austria. He is the only son of Walter Honig (1896-1952) and Gertrude (Trude) Weiss Honig (1901-1953). Walter was the son of Michael Honig (d. 1927) and Ottilie Lorch (d. 1937), and had one brother, Fritz (1897-1977). Trude was the daughter of the physician Dr. Julius Weiss (1864-1943) and Cecilie Theumann (1871-1920), and had two siblings: Franz (1897-1975) and Liesl (1905-1980, later Liesl Lictenstein and Lester).

Walter owned a printing shop established by his grandfather. The firm, Jakob Honig and Sohn, was one of the largest printers in Vienna, and it was assumed that John would inherit the firm when he grew up. The family lived in a large apartment in a house owned by operetta composer, Franz Lehar, who lived above them. John attended the Real Gymnasium and was active in the Austrian Boy Scouts (Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund).

After the German annexation of Austria in March 1938, the Honigs immediately felt the effects of antisemitism. John had to attend separate classes from his Christian schoolmates. Walter could not conduct business with non-Jewish customers, and was later forced to shut down the business and turn it over to a non-Jewish competitor. The family began to make plans to emigrate. Trude’s sister, Liesl and her husband Josef (Pepi) had already immigrated to England and made arrangements for John to go to England. In September 1938 he flew to England and his aunt and uncle brought him to stay at the home of Reverend Arthur G. Parry, a Baptist minister, who was caring for several other Austrian and German boys. They were also able to bring over Trude’s father Julius Weiss to England.

Trude’s uncle, Samuel Theumann (or Thewman) previously immigrated to the United States and worked as the director of the Metropolitan Opera of New York. He approached all his friends and asked them to send affidavits for the Honigs. In early spring, Walter and Trude obtained an affidavit of support from one of Samuel’s contacts and finalized their plans to emigrate. They first flew to England where they visited John, Liesl and Pepi. From there they sailed in April 1939 to New York on board the RMS Aquitania. Walter found work in the printing business.

In April 1940 John (who by now went by John rather than Gerhart) sailed to the United States aboard the MV Britannic. He enrolled in Stuyvesant High School and graduated in 1941. He received a full scholarship to Drew University. He was drafted into the United States Army in January 1943 and was stationed in a Signal Base Maintenance Company in Hawaii. After he was discharged in 1946 he resumed his studies. He graduated from Drew University in 1947, and then earned his Masters’ degree from the University of Michigan. He later received his Ph.D from Georgetown University in 1956 and had a successful chemistry career.