What whispers does this plaque hold? It is the Wilhelm Schuster Plaque. The Wilhelm Schuster Plaque commemorates a life dedicated to German studies and library science. It also marks a complex legacy.
Wilhelm Schuster was born in Grabow on June 10 1888. He died in Berlin on March 15 1971. The plaque honors his work as a Germanist, librarian, and association official.
Schuster’s academic journey began at the Friedrichs-Gymnasium in Frankfurt an der Oder. He graduated in 1907. He then studied German language, classical philology, and philosophy. He attended universities in Göttingen, Berlin, and Kiel. In 1907 he became a member of the Burschenschaft Alemannia Göttingen.
In 1913 Schuster earned his doctorate from Kiel University. He passed his state examination in early 1914. In April he joined the German Seminar at the University of Hamburg. He worked as a volunteer assistant under Conrad Borchling. Despite Borchling’s promise of a paid assistant position Schuster volunteered for military service in August 1914. He left the army as a lieutenant in the reserve on January 1 1919. Before that he served briefly in a Freikorps.
Schuster’s career took him to various libraries. He worked as a volunteer at the University Library Halle. Later he moved to Göttingen. There he joined the student battalion in the Ruhr uprising as a temporary volunteer. From 1919 to 1920 he was a member of the DNVP. In July 1920 he became a research assistant. He worked for three months at the Schwerin City Library. Its director Erwin Ackerknecht greatly influenced him. On October 1 1920 Schuster took a position. He worked for the Association of Upper Silesian Public Libraries in Gleiwitz. He participated in battles between Freischärler groups for the region. For this he received the Silesian Eagle II.
In Gleiwitz Schuster married Elfriede Luise Auras on July 1 1922. She was a librarian. They had a son. In the same year he became head of the Association of German Public Libraries for Polish Silesia and Galicia in Kattowitz. In this position he showed great commitment to German culture. He edited the newspaper Schaffen und Schauen. He also expanded the public library system. An arrest and indictment for alleged high treason in 1924 ended in acquittal.
In 1926 Schuster moved to the Berlin City Library. Gottlieb Fritz led the library. In 1928 he took over from Fritz. He became chairman of the Association of German Public Librarians. On April 1 1929 he was appointed Fritz’s deputy in the Berlin Library. He actively participated in discussions. He helped shape the association’s magazine Bücherei und Bildungspflege. From 1927 he co-edited the magazine. He wrote many articles. These covered general public librarianship. They especially addressed the problem of “borderland libraries”. He reviewed books. He compiled lists of possible new library acquisitions.
After Otto Plate’s sudden death in November 1930 Schuster became director of the Hamburg Bücherhallen on April 1 1931. The Bücherhallen faced several problems. These included rising unemployment and inflation. Operating hours had to be reduced. Contributions were increased. Staff were laid off. Existing staff had to work longer hours. The administration of the Bücherhallen was outdated. There were no reading rooms for children and young people. Schuster restricted access. He sought to limit service to the unemployed. He also organized the purchase of works by the “New Right”.
Immediately after the Nazi seizure of power Schuster offered himself to the Nazis. During the 18th meeting of the Bücherhallen on March 18 1933 he ordered the removal of works disliked by the regime. In May 1933 he joined the NSDAP.
In 1934 Schuster returned to Berlin. On May 1 1934 he took over the management of the City Library and the Library School from Gottlieb Fritz. One of his first actions was the dismissal of Hermann Stresau. Stresau refused to join the SS or SA.
In August 1939 Schuster volunteered for military service. From September to December 1939 he participated in the invasion of Poland. From May to September 1940 he fought in the Western campaign in France. During the occupation he tried to confiscate literature for the Berlin library. In January 1945 he was assigned to the Volkssturm. He suffered severe injuries in late April 1945. In August 1946 he returned to Berlin from Soviet captivity. He had major health problems.
In 1945 Schuster lost his director’s position. He was deemed “fascistically tainted”. In mid-1948 he applied for denazification. It was approved in 1949. His work in preserving and expanding public libraries was praised. Especially his saving of secreted books from the Berlin City Libraries. From 1950 until his retirement in 1953 he taught again at the Library School.
This Wilhelm Schuster Plaque stands as a reminder. It marks a life of professional dedication. It also recalls a time of immense moral complexity. It prompts reflection on the choices individuals make.