frequently resulted in guests unexpectedly appearing in her home. Dietrich
Stolzenberg
47 describes her despair; ‘because of her very intelligence, love of
truth and perfectionism, she broke herself on the practical aspects of life at the side
of a man who lived for his profession and subordinated all else to it.’ Clara’s
frustration also induced a tendency towards depression which some saw as a
family trait,
47 and Fritz’s frequent times away precipitated a gradual marital
estrangement, amplified grotesquely as the war progressed. Haber it seemed
was everywhere, his wife and family had no restraining influence on his
enthusiasm for war-related work, and gas warfare in particular which ‘appeared to keep him happy’.
48 But Clara saw Fritz’ role in gas warfare as a
perversion of science, and whether this came up in conversation on the night
of 01 May we do not know, but it has been claimed that at some time she
‘gave him an ultimatum to break off this activity or she would commit
suicide’.
49 In this respect the most compelling evidence for Clara’s opposition
to her husband’s role which suggests it may have played a part in her decision
that night comes from Paul Krassa, a friend of the Habers and a distant
relative of Clara, who wrote in 1957
50 that ‘a few days before her death she
visited my wife … she was in despair over the horrible consequences of gas warfare
for which she’d seen the preparations along with the tests on animals …’. But
there was also the suspicion of an affair, between Fritz and one of his guests
that night, viz, Charlotte Nathan, a secretary or business manager at his club
—the German 1914 Society—in Berlin. According to one account,
51 Clara
came across Fritz and Charlotte in an ‘embarrassing situation’ which if true,
must have pushed Clara’s tolerance across all reasonable bounds leaving her
feeling deeply betrayed after all her sacrifices. Clara it seems, could see no
rainbows in her life, just rain. But amongst all the conjecture what we know
for certain is this. On the night of 01–2 May 1915, thirteen-year-old
Hermann Haber was awoken by gunshots in the garden of the villa. He
rushed outside and found his mother covered in blood and dying. He called
for his father and during the time it took for Clara’s life to pass away so
unnecessarily, father and son were together with her. Unable to secure permission to stay,
52 Fritz Haber left for the front the next day leaving Clara’s
funeral arrangements to others. She was buried quietly in the cemetery at
Dahlem, without the kind of public display of emotion that attended Otto
Sakur’s passing, and in an instant, young Hermann was left without a father
or a mother. Later, on 25 October 1917, Fritz Haber married Charlotte
Nathan and they had two more children, Eva Charlotte (b. 21.07.1918,
Berlin) and Ludwig Fritz, ‘Lutz’ (b. 12.07.1920, Berlin). According to some
accounts,
53 before her death Clara wrote several farewell letters—none of
which survive—but if so her actions on that night seem to have been planned
262
D. Sheppard
Stolzenberg
47 describes her despair; ‘because of her very intelligence, love of
truth and perfectionism, she broke herself on the practical aspects of life at the side
of a man who lived for his profession and subordinated all else to it.’ Clara’s
frustration also induced a tendency towards depression which some saw as a
family trait,
47 and Fritz’s frequent times away precipitated a gradual marital
estrangement, amplified grotesquely as the war progressed. Haber it seemed
was everywhere, his wife and family had no restraining influence on his
enthusiasm for war-related work, and gas warfare in particular which ‘appeared to keep him happy’.
48 But Clara saw Fritz’ role in gas warfare as a
perversion of science, and whether this came up in conversation on the night
of 01 May we do not know, but it has been claimed that at some time she
‘gave him an ultimatum to break off this activity or she would commit
suicide’.
49 In this respect the most compelling evidence for Clara’s opposition
to her husband’s role which suggests it may have played a part in her decision
that night comes from Paul Krassa, a friend of the Habers and a distant
relative of Clara, who wrote in 1957
50 that ‘a few days before her death she
visited my wife … she was in despair over the horrible consequences of gas warfare
for which she’d seen the preparations along with the tests on animals …’. But
there was also the suspicion of an affair, between Fritz and one of his guests
that night, viz, Charlotte Nathan, a secretary or business manager at his club
—the German 1914 Society—in Berlin. According to one account,
51 Clara
came across Fritz and Charlotte in an ‘embarrassing situation’ which if true,
must have pushed Clara’s tolerance across all reasonable bounds leaving her
feeling deeply betrayed after all her sacrifices. Clara it seems, could see no
rainbows in her life, just rain. But amongst all the conjecture what we know
for certain is this. On the night of 01–2 May 1915, thirteen-year-old
Hermann Haber was awoken by gunshots in the garden of the villa. He
rushed outside and found his mother covered in blood and dying. He called
for his father and during the time it took for Clara’s life to pass away so
unnecessarily, father and son were together with her. Unable to secure permission to stay,
52 Fritz Haber left for the front the next day leaving Clara’s
funeral arrangements to others. She was buried quietly in the cemetery at
Dahlem, without the kind of public display of emotion that attended Otto
Sakur’s passing, and in an instant, young Hermann was left without a father
or a mother. Later, on 25 October 1917, Fritz Haber married Charlotte
Nathan and they had two more children, Eva Charlotte (b. 21.07.1918,
Berlin) and Ludwig Fritz, ‘Lutz’ (b. 12.07.1920, Berlin). According to some
accounts,
53 before her death Clara wrote several farewell letters—none of
which survive—but if so her actions on that night seem to have been planned
262
D. Sheppard