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Maxim Hanfmann

Maxim Hanfmann

Maxim Hanfmann (4/16th of October 1873, Taurage, Kaunas Governorate, Russian Empire – 15th of November 1934, Riga, Republic of Latvia) – an editor of the Riga newspaper «Segodnya» from 1922 to 1934.

Maxim Hanfmann was born in a Jewish family, which resided in the village of Taurage, in the western part of Lithuania. He received elementary education in a cheder (a Jewish elementary school). Later, he graduated from a gymnazium in Šiauliai. Around that time young Hanfmann converted to Christianity. In 1891 he enrolled into the Law Faculty of the University of Saint-Petersburg. Later, he was arrested for a membership in a Marxist group and, consequently, was expelled from the university. In 1895 he resumed his studies at the University of Kazan, where became fond of journalism.   

After graduating from the University of Kazan, Hanfmann returned to Saint-Petersburg where he started his advocacy. However, soon he was again exiled to Kazan along with a group of progressive members of Russian intelligentsia. There he resumed his work as a journalist. Soon Hanfmann became one of the spokesmen of liberal Russian quarters.

After his return to Saint-Petersburg, Hanfmann was accepted to the editorial office of newspaper “Pravo”, where he not only had proven himself as a publicist, but also as an expert in law. Inter alia, he raised the matter regarding the existing ban of Lithuanian writing in the North-Western region. His arguments were so powerful, that the Senate was forced to accept them and lifted the ban. M. Hanfmann was not only a theorist, but was also able to masterfully implement theory in practice. His participation in the court process regarding the Gomel Pogrom was also quite successful.

During the prerevolutionary era Hanfmann worked in various prominent Russian periodicals.  

However, researchers mostly link his activities during the prerevolutionary period with newspaper “Retch”. This periodical was established in 1906 as an official newspaper of the Constitutional Democratic Party. Ideologically, Hanfmann was close to the Kadets, but had never been a member of the party. He was closely connected with the newspaper from the very moment of its establishing till it was closed by the Bolsheviks.

In 1918 Hanfmann left Petrograd (Saint-Petersburg) and went to Kiev, where P. Milyukov was planning to start publishing a newspaper. However, this project was not fulfilled, so Hanfmann moved to Odessa where he started working in newspaper “Juzhnoe slovo” (Ivan Bunin was among its editorial staff). In Odessa Hanfmann was caught by the Soviet authorities and only in 1921, after having to face many difficulties, he managed to return to his motherland – Lithuania, where he immediately received citizenship and was offered to start an advocacy. However, he chose the offer from Riga, from newspaper “Segodnya”.

Hanfmann arrived to Riga on the 31st of December 1921, and already in the first issue of “Segodnya” in 1922 his article in the memory of V. Korolenko – a litterateur and a publicist, defender of rights and justice, was published.

Starting from 1922 and till his death, Hanfmann had been an actual editor of “Segodnya”, even though all issues were signed by Alexander Kruminsky (1876-1954), who was a managing editor. Due to Hanfmann, “Segodnya” became one of the most popular newspaper in the Russian community outside Russia in 1920s-1930s.

“Employment of Hanfmann in Segodnya was a considerable luck of the publishers. It is difficult to imagine any other candidate, who would be able to influence the formation of the image of the newspaper so significantly.” (Lazar Fleishman, Yuri Abizov, Boris Ravdin. Russian Press in Riga: from the History of the Newspaper Segodnya in the 1930s. Volume I. On the Verge of Epochs. Stanford, 1997, p. 54).

M. Hanfmann’s range of interests was not limited only with journalism. He was a member of many Russian organizations, inter alia, was a member of the board of the Society of Russian Lawyers. He participated in the Days of Russian Culture, admired and supported the Russian Theatre, read lectures at the Russian Institute of University Knowledge.

Despite health problems, Hanfmann worked almost up to his final days. His last article was in the memory of archbishop Janis (Pommers).

Maxim Hanfmann died in Riga on 15th of November 1934.  His widely attended funeral took place on the Pokrovsky cemetery.

It is possible to imagine the scale of Hanfmann’s personality, the significance of which was much broader than the borders of Latvia, through multiple responses, which arrived after his death (in the supplement).   

By Tatiana Feigmane

Family:

Spouse in the first marriage: Jekaterina Hanfmann, born Anosova.

Spouse in the second marriage: Jelena Hanfmann.

Children from the first marriage:

Eugenia Hanfmann (1905, Saint-Petersburg – 1983, USA), a psychologist, a professor.

Alexander Hanfmann (1909, Saint-Petersburg – 1997, USA), an engineer.

George Hanfmann (1911, Saint-Petersburg – 1986, USA), an archaeologist, a professor.

Andrew Hanfman [with only one last “n”!]; 1912, Saint-Petersburg – not earlier than 1989, USA), a specialist in comparative literary studies; a long-time CIA operative where he, presumably, worked on sociological analysis of Soviet literary issues and samizdat; was a teacher at a college.

The article supplemented by Boris Ravdin.

Sources of information:

Русское юридическое общество. – Сегодня, № 98, 10-04-1928;

Русские университетские курсы приступают к работе. – Сегодня, № 262, 21-09-1929.

М.И. Ганфман – десять лет в «Сегодня». – Сегодня, № 1, 01-01-1932;

Каминка А.И. Публицистический путь М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 292, 22-10-1933;

Милюков П. Старший ученик младшему учителю. К 60-летию М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 292, 22-10-1933;

Оречкин Бор. М.И. Ганфман – редактор «Сегодня». – Сегодня, № 292, 22-10-1933.

Яблоновский Александр. С М.И. Ганфманом в самой оригинальной газете. – Сегодня, № 292, 22-10-1933.

Чествование М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 293, 23-10-1933;

Максим Ганфман. Латвийская православная церковь осиротела. – Сегодня, № 283, 13-10-1934;

Максим Ганфман. Пятнадцать лет «Сегодня». – Сегодня, № 283, 13-10-1934;

36 лет за редакторским столом;  Похороны главного редактора «Сегодня» М.И. Ганфмана; Выражения сочувствия по случаю кончины М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 317, 16-11-1934;

Синайский Василий. Светлой памяти М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 317, 16-11-1934;

И Эстония со смертью М.И. Ганфмана теряет поборника идеи Балтийского сближения; У гроба М.И. Ганфмана; Многочисленные выражения сочувствия по случаю кончины М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 318, 17-11-1934;

Прот. Н. Шалфеев. М.И. Ганфман и русская общественность. – Сегодня, № 318, 17-11-1934;

Пётр Пильский. Под стеклянным колпаком. Памяти М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 318, 17-11-1934;

Изгоев А.С. Какой светильник разума угас! Памяти М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 319, 18-11-1934;

Максим Лев. Жертва жестокого бога. – Сегодня, № 319, 18-11-1934;

Тело М.И. Ганфмана перевезено в Покровскую церковь. – Сегодня, № 319, 18-11-1934;

Погребение М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 319, 19-11-1934;

Отклики на кончину М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 321, 20-11-1934;

«Уходят старые, светоносные богатыри». Отклики на кончину М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 323, 22-11-1934;

Перов А. Тяжёлая утрата. Светлой памяти М.И. Ганфмана. – Для Вас, № 48, 24-11-1934;

Памяти М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 326, 25-11-1934;

Каминка А.И. М.И. Ганфман в «Речи и в «Сегодня». К сороковому дню кончины. – Сегодня, № 335, 24-12-1934;

Год без М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 316, 15-11-1935;

Гессен В.И. Памяти друга. – Сегодня, № 316, 15-11-1935;

Вторая годовщина смерти М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 316, 16-11-1936;

Открытие памятника на могиле М.И. Ганфмана. – Сегодня, № 148, 29-05-1938;

Лазарь Флейшман, Юрий Абызов, Борис Равдин. Русская печать в Риге: из истории газеты Сегодня 1930-х годов. Книга I. На грани эпох. – Stanford, 1997; Юрий Абызов, Борис Равдин, Лазарь Флейшман. Русская печать в Риге: из истории газеты Сегодня 1930-х годов. Книга II. Сквозь кризис. – Stanford, 1997; Борис Равдин, Лазарь Флейшман, Юрий Абызов. Русская печать в Риге: из истории газеты Сегодня 1930-х годов. Книга III. Конец демократии. – Stanford, 1997; Юрий Абызов, Лазарь Флейшман, Борис Равдин. Русская печать в Риге: из истории газеты Сегодня 1930-х годов. Книга IV. Между Гитлером и Сталиным. – Stanford, 1997; Борис Равдин, Лазарь Флейшман, Юрий Абызов. Русская печать в Риге: из истории газеты Сегодня 1930-х годов. Книга V. Близость катастрофы. Stanford, 1997;

Сергей Цоя. Русский институт университетских знаний: страницы истории. – Seminarium Hortus Humanitatis. Альманах. Выпуск XLIV. – Рига, 2016;

Максим Ипполитович Ганфман (1873-1934). – В сб. Покровское кладбище. Слава и забвение. - Рига, 2004

Maxim Hanfmann was born in a Jewish family, which resided in the village of Taurage, in the western part of Lithuania. He received elementary education in a cheder (a Jewish elementary school). Later, he graduated from a gymnasium in Šiauliai. Around that time young Hanfmann converted to Christianity. In 1891 he enrolled into the Law Faculty of the University of Saint-Petersburg. Later, he was arrested for his membership in a Marxist group and, consequently, was expelled from the university. In 1895 he resumed his studies at the University of Kazan, where, as a student, became fond of journalism.    

After graduating from the University of Kazan, Hanfmann returned to Saint-Petersburg where he started his advocacy. However, soon he was again exiled to Kazan along with a group of progressive members of Russian intelligentsia. There he resumed his work as a journalist. Soon Hanfmann became one of the spokesmen of liberal Russian quarters.

After his return to Saint-Petersburg, Hanfmann was accepted to the editorial office of newspaper “Pravo”, where he not only had proven himself as a publicist, but also as an expert in law. Inter alia, he raised the matter regarding the existing ban of Lithuanian writing in the North-Western region. His arguments were so powerful, that the Senate was forced to accept them and lifted the ban. M. Hanfmann was not only a theorist, but was also able to masterfully implement theory in practice. His participation in the court process regarding the Gomel Pogrom was also quite successful.

During the prerevolutionary era Hanfmann worked in various prominent Russian periodicals.  

However, researchers mostly link his activities during the prerevolutionary period with newspaper “Retch”. This periodical was established in 1906 as an official newspaper of the Constitutional Democratic Party. Ideologically, Hanfmann was close to the Kadets, but had never been a member of the party. He was closely connected with the newspaper from the very moment of its establishing till it was closed by the Bolsheviks.

In 1918 Hanfmann left Petrograd (Saint-Petersburg) and went to Kiev, where P. Milyukov was planning to start publishing a newspaper. However, this project was not fulfilled, so Hanfmann moved to Odessa where he started working in newspaper “Juzhnoe slovo” (Ivan Bunin was among its editorial staff). In Odessa Hanfmann was caught by the Soviet authorities and only in 1921, after having to face many difficulties, he managed to return to his motherland – Lithuania, where he immediately received citizenship and was offered to start an advocacy. However, he chose the offer from Riga, from newspaper “Segodnya”.

Hanfmann arrived to Riga on the 31st of December 1921, and already in the first issue of “Segodnya” in 1922 his article in the memory of V. Korolenko – a litterateur and a publicist, defender of rights and justice, was published.

Starting from 1922 and till his death, Hanfmann had been an actual editor of “Segodnya”, even though all issues were signed by Alexander Kruminsky (1876-1954), who was a managing editor. Due to Hanfmann, “Segodnya” became one of the most popular newspaper in the Russian community outside Russia in 1920s-1930s.

“Employment of Hanfmann in Segodnya was a considerable luck of the publishers. It is difficult to imagine any other candidate, who would be able to influence the formation of the image of the newspaper so significantly.” (Lazar Fleishman, Yuri Abizov, Boris Ravdin. Russian Press in Riga: from the History of the Newspaper Segodnya in the 1930s. Volume I. On the Verge of Epochs. Stanford, 1997, p. 54).

M. Hanfmann’s range of interests was not limited only with journalism. He was a member of many Russian organizations, inter alia, was a member of the board of the Society of Russian Lawyers. He participated in the Days of Russian Culture, admired and supported the Russian Theatre, read lectures at the Russian Institute of University Knowledge.

Despite health problems, Hanfmann worked almost up to his final days. His last article was in the memory of archbishop Janis (Pommers).

Maxim Hanfmann died in Riga on 15th of November 1934.  His widely attended funeral took place on the Pokrovsky cemetery.

It is possible to imagine the scale of Hanfmann’s personality, the significance of which was much broader than the borders of Latvia, through multiple responses, which arrived after his death (in the supplement).   

By Tatiana Feigmane

Family:

Spouse in the first marriage: Jekaterina Hanfmann, born Anosova.

Spouse in the second marriage: Jelena Hanfmann.

Children from the first marriage:

Eugenia Hanfmann (1905, Saint-Petersburg – 1983, USA), a psychologist, a professor.

Alexander Hanfmann (1909, Saint-Petersburg – 1997, USA), an engineer.

George Hanfmann (1911, Saint-Petersburg – 1986, USA), an archaeologist, a professor.

Andrew Hanfman [with only one last “n”!]; 1912, Saint-Petersburg – not earlier than 1989, USA), a specialist in comparative literary studies; a long-time CIA operative where he, presumably, worked on sociological analysis of Soviet literary issues and samizdat; was a teacher at a college.

The article supplemented by Boris Ravdin.

Sources of information:

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