QUESTION: Maria von Maltzan is recognised as Righteous Among the Nations. What was her story?
‘Righteous Among the Nations’ is a special title granted to certain gentiles who had risked their lives to save Jews from Nazi persecution.
One of their number is German countess Maria von Maltzan (1909-1997). She was born in Silesia, now southwestern Poland, and studied sciences, gaining a doctorate which was an unusual achievement for a woman at the time.
In 1933 she immediately joined the resistance movement in Berlin when the Nazis came to power. There she provided a haven for Jews, providing false identity papers, hiding places, and leading people to safety.
One of the Jews she helped was the author Hans Hirschel who had previously edited the avant-garde German literary journal, Das Dreieck. From 1942 to the end of the war, she sheltered Hirschel in a cavity in the base of her couch in her living room. The two fell in love and she had a baby, although the newborn baby tragically died during a bombing raid.
She also played a key role in helping Jews escape to Sweden, with the aid of a Swedish church in Berlin.
In 1987, Yad Vashem – Israel’s official Holocaust remembrance centre – recognised Countess Maria von Maltzan as Righteous Among the Nations. And there is a plaque in Berlin marking her achievements.
A colourful and forceful character, Maria – who was a qualified vet – was once photographed walking a tiger she was looking after.
Q: The UK is said to have more than 200 ‘forgotten airfields’. What became of them?
Mr K. P. Fraser, Perth
Q: Did clergymen fight in the Crusades?
Ed Bonnington, Norwich, Norfolk
Q: How many gears does a Tour de France bike have? How has this changed over the years?
Paul Kinsella, Lancing, West Sussex
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Shortly before her death in November 1997, she was asked why she resisted the Nazis ‘when so few others did’. She was unequivocal in her reply: ‘It’s because I’m a Prussian. Don’t ever confuse us with the Germans. We Prussians, we follow our own path…’
Paula Denton, Cambridge
QUESTION: Was there a Manchester Beat to rival the Merseybeat?
The Beatles and other Merseybeat groups were the first to find commercial success, but the Manchester-based beat groups were hot on their heels. The Manchester Beat scene produced several notable bands. Top of the pile were The Hollies, known for hits such as Bus Stop, The Air That I Breathe and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. Co-founder Graham Nash later moved to California and formed Crosby, Stills and Nash in 1968, with Americans Stephen Stills and David Crosby.
Close behind The Hollies were Herman’s Hermits who achieved international fame with I’m Into Something Good and Mrs Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter.
Freddie and the Dreamers were known for their legendary stage performances, enlivened by the frenetic antics of singer Freddie Garrity and hits like I’m Telling You Now and You Were Made For Me. Other Manchester beat favourites were Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders and The Dakotas.
The Manchester Beat shared similarities with the Merseybeat, with a focus on guitar-based rock ’n’ roll, catchy melodies and harmonies.
However, it had its own distinct flavour and was a vital part of the broader British Invasion that impacted music globally — particularly in the U.S. — during the 1960s.
Brian Timms, Nantwich, Cheshire
QUESTION: Who was the inventor of Blu Tack?
Bizarrely, no one knows, not even the manufacturer, Bostik, which is based in Leicester. The Leicester Mercury has spent years trying to find the individual. On the occasion of the product’s 40th anniversary, they launched a ‘Blu-dunnit’ campaign, with no success.
According to Bostik, Blu Tack was invented by accident in 1969 during an attempt to develop a new sealant from chalk powder, rubber and oil.
The substance was rejected as a sealant, but it was discovered that the material had properties suitable for a reusable adhesive. Since it was discovered, the recipe for making Blu Tack has been kept a closely guarded secret.
The substance was originally white but there were concerns that children would believe it was chewing gum so it was dyed powder blue and marketed as Blu Tack, which became popular for its ability to stick posters, paper and other lightweight items to walls without causing damage.
The Bostik factory in Leicester’s Ulverscroft Road still produces up to 100 tons of Blu Tack every week.
Blu Tack has had some strange uses. For example, university researchers have used it to hold insects’ legs down during experiments. And one of Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Creed’s most famous creations is Work No 79: ‘Some Blu Tack kneaded, rolled into a ball and depressed against a wall’.
J. L. Cohen, Melton Mowbray, Leics