Tracking Down Shanghai’s Zeitgeist Bookshop
Posted: October 16th, 2015 | 29 Comments »What do we know about the old Zeitgeist Bookshop in Shanghai? And why would we want to know more? Well, the Zeitgeist Bookshop was operating from at least the late 1920s from premises near Soochow (Suzhou) Creek on 130 North Soochow Road (now Suzhou Road North).Or maybe it was somewhere else – the American Communist journal New Masses lists the store at 130 North Soochow, but The People’s Tribune, published by the China United Press in 1933 gives the address as Bubbling Well Road. Of course, what I don’t have but would like is a photograph which would settle the matter?
The Zeigeist was run by a German woman (though Rewi Alley in his autobiography says she was Dutch – but he was 90 when he wrote that!), Fraulein Irene E.I. Wiedemeyer (or Wedemeyer, or sometimes Weitemeyer) and her younger sister. At some point Frau Wiedemeyer married Wu Shao-kuo, a Chinese communist party member she had met in Germany some time around 1925, but always retained her German name. At some point it appears Frau Wiedemeyer studied at the Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow around 1926-27. She was, according to the Shanghai Municipal Police, a member of the Noulens Defense Committee (a notorious comunist spy case) and the Society of Friends of the U. S. S. R. in Shanghai. As to what else we know about Wiedemeyer? she was a German Jew with, according to Ruth Price, a biographer of Agnes Smedley, “freckled skin, milk-blue eyes and unmanageable red hair.” (though how she knows this is not entirely clear as the source isn’t footnoted).
Why should we be interested? The Zeitgeist was generally regarded throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s as a “clearing house” for communist information. Frau Wiedemeyer had links to the Chinese communist movement as well as to the NKVD (later KGB) operating in the city during the decade through her close friendship with Mrs VN Sotov, the wife of the Head of the Russian News Agency TASS in Shanghai. As well as TASS/Comintern agents and Chinese communists, Hotsumi Ozaki, the Japanese informant in the Soviet spy ring connected to Richard Sorge frequented the shop. It was at the Zeitgeist that Ozaki met Agnes Smedley, the American communist. Sorge himself also made contact with Smedley at the Zeitgeist while Roger Hollis (later Mi5 director and suspected Soviet spy), American communist Harold Isaacs, the South African Trostskyist Frank Glass (who of course fell out with the Stalinists running the bookshop) and George Hatem (Ma Haide), the American doctor turned communist, also visited.
The Zeitgeist was in fact the Shanghai branch of the Zeitgeist Buchhandlung group of Berlin, a chain of shops that distributed pro-Soviet books and materials. Funding for the chain came from the coffers of the International Union of Revolutionary Writers in Moscow, a communist front organisation, and was arranged by the Comintern’s Willi Muenzenberg. The shop seems to have remained in operation until about 1933 or slightly long after which the Nazis in Germany cut off her contacts with the German Communist Party who supplied her with materials and books.
What did the bookshop look like? we only really have one or two descriptions and these are that it was about twelve by eighteen feet in size and poorly lit. Despite this rather small location the Zeitgeist did sell books in at least three languages (German, Chinese, Russian) and have the occasional art exhibition – for instance, an exhibition of new German graphic art in 1932.
Frau Weidemeyer was not to be put off. She visited Europe in late 1933 and returned to Shanghai in September 1934 to open a new bookshop in a new location, 410 Szechuan Road, this time as the Shanghai representative of the International Publishers company, an affiliate of the American Communist Party.
The book shop was established by the German I. Weitemeyer in 1930. The man (who did not work at the shop) was called Wu Chao-gao, now Wu Zhaogao.
There was NO sister involved but a German friend who was a Communist Party member.
The description of I. is based on the German
„Sommersprossen auf weißer Haut, milchigblaue Augen und rotes widerspenstiges Haar“ and reliable.
The exhibition was of K.Kollwitz’s works.
I. died in Germany, Wu in China.
thank you Thomas, that is incredibly helpful
Paul
PS
Irene apparently only had one Christian name. The claim by R.Price (who got her surname wrong) that I. was a “German Jew”
does not appear in German sources.
Thanks for this information on the Zeitgeist Bookstore. I’m interested in trying to find out how Joseph Freeman’s 1930 book “Voices of October: Art and Literature in Soviet Russia” got into Zhou Yang’s hands. Zhou translated and published two chapters of the book in September and October 1932. With your hint above, I’ve found at least one issue of The New Masses that said it could be purchased in Shanghai (Nov. 1932). I assume it’s reasonable that if The New Masses, of which Freeman was an editor, could find its way to the Shanghai Zeitgeist Bookstore, then Freeman’s book could have also reached Zhou Yang the same way. Please let me know if you have any insights or sources I could turn to to know more about how Communist materials traveled between the US and China in the early 1930s.
Hey Paul…
Owen Matthews says the bookstore was, “on the banks of Foochow Creek.”
he means Soochow (Suzhou) I assume….
I just drafted a paper on the bookstore. So happy to find your essay here! Would you like to tell me your e-mail?
I just drafted a paper on the bookstore. So happy to find your essay here! Would you like to tell me your e-mail?Fan Shitao
Hi. The source for this : ‚“freckled skin, milk-blue eyes and unmanageable red hair.” is the German Book ‚Sonjas Rapport‘, page 74, the memoirs written by the Spy Ursula Hamburger, later Ruth Werner, who lived in Shanghai during this time and was a good friend of Irene/Isa. According to her, Isa came to Shanghai in 1931 (she was 23 years old at that time) and they were ‚like sisters‘.
Thank you Kathrin
I have studied Wu Zhaogao, Irene Weitemeyer’s husband, for ten years. I have read Wu zhaohao’s archives from 1925 to 1973 and am writing Wu Zhaogao’s biography. I think your research on the zeitgeist bookstore has neglected the role of Wu Zhaogao. This bookstore was funded by Wu Zhaogao, and he served as the bookstore manager. Because he was behind the scenes rather than in front of the stage, many people did not know this. The bookstore officially opened on November 10, 1930. It only has two addresses, first in North Soochow, and then moved to Bubbling Well Road. About Irene Weitemeyer’s description of appearance,you can tell by looking at her photo. I’ve seen their pictures. And don’t you need a photo of the bookstore? Why not contact me?
Irene weitemeyer has a Chinese name. Her Chinese name is Wu Yilian.
Does anyone have any further information on Isa/Weidermeyer?
Ben MacIntyre, in his excellent book or Ursula Kuczynski/Hamburger, believes that she was recalled to Moscow in the mid-1930’s and executed in the Stalinist purges – she was German, she was a spy, so she stood no chance. However Thomas Kampen, in his comment from 2017, believes she died in Germany. One assumes at the hands of the Nazi’s, though no date is given.
Isa/Weidermeyer left Shanghai in 1935, participated in the Spanish Anti-Fascist War, returned to the Soviet Union and was imprisoned, returned to West Germany in June 1955, and died in 1978.
The only correct spelling is WEITEMEYER.
She had no reason to return to Germany 1933-45, she went later.
Irene, Mr. Wu and Ruth had to leave Shanghai
for security reasons and because there was no useful work to do.
But both women were useful in other countries.
Re
Salters remark on Ben’s book:
One page covering 1936 is very misleading.
Author says: people vanished.
Around this time some people were arr.,
others were sent to Spain etc.
No one knew the details and no one was
supposed to ask questions.
PS
Isa was a bookseller and communist,
there is no evidence of being a SPY
According to the Chinese archives, Wu Zhaogao and his wife WEITEMEYER worked together with Zorge. With regard to WEITEMEYER’s participation in the Spanish Anti-Fascist War, Song Qingling remembered that the foreign pictorial newspaper at that time had relevant reports (photos) in his later years.
We should not forget
that I. W. was a German girl in Shanghai
(as Sonya wrote) with a German passport.
Acc. to German law she married in 1935
after leaving China.
Wu Zhaogao went to Germany to study in the winter of 1923. Soon he met I. W. and fell in love with her. Wu Zhaogao went to the Soviet Union to study in August 1925 and worked successively in the Intelligence Department of the Soviet Red Army Staff Headquarters and the Eastern Department of the Comintern. In January 1927, I. W. (Chinese name was Wu Yilian) went to the Soviet Union, lived with Wu Zhaogao, and attended Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow. In the autumn of 1930, Wu Zhaogao and I. W. went to Shanghai to set up the Zeitgeist Bookshop and work with Richard Sorge . The Zeitgeist Bookshop is the secret stronghold of the Comintern and the CPC Central Committee. Wu Zhaogao and I. W. agreed to divorce in Shanghai in October 1933, but they were still good friends and comrades in the party. In October 1934, Wu Zhaohao received the Committee ( or .he Intelligence Department of the Soviet Red Army Staff Headquarters) order from I. W. and withdrew from Shanghai to Peiping (Beijing).
In October 1934, Wu Zhaohao received the Committee ( or the Intelligence Department of the Soviet Red Army Staff Headquarters) ‘ order from I. W. and withdrew from Shanghai to Peiping (Beijing).
In Moscow, Wu Zhaogao and Richard Sorge were colleagues. In Shanghai, Wu Zhaohao assisted Richard Sorge in leading a group of Chinese and foreigners in the intelligence work of the Comintern or the Soviet Red Army Staff Headquarters.
In October 1934, Wu Zhaohao received the Comintern ( or the Intelligence Department of the Soviet Red Army Staff Headquarters) ‘ order from I. W. and withdrew from Shanghai to Peiping (Beijing).
In Moscow, Wu Zhaogao and Richard Sorge were colleagues. In Shanghai, Wu Zhaohao assisted Richard Sorge in leading a group of Chinese and foreigners in the intelligence work of the Comintern or the Soviet Red Army Staff Headquarters.
In October 1934, Wu Zhaogao received the Comintern ( or the Intelligence Department of the Soviet Red Army Staff Headquarters) ‘ order from I. W. and withdrew from Shanghai to Peiping (Beijing).
Zhang Xiaoping – that information you have on Isa Weitermayer is interesting – I’m reading ‘Sonyas Report’ (page 178) and I *think* Ruth/Ursula is saying that she met ISA in Moscow (could be Poland?) in 1938, and did not physically meet her again.
She then says that she received a letter from Isa in ‘the 1950’s’ via her brother Jürgen, replied to it, but did not get an answer. Another friend in Berlin, Frida Rubiner, had also heard from Isa, but did not know her address.
I’ll be straight up and say I don’t believe that ‘Sonyas Report’ can be taken at face value. There’s a lot of skirting around difficult subjects and avoiding details.
Do you know anything more about Isa Weitermayers’ life after China and Spain, how (why) she left the Soviet Union and went to West Germany, and her life after she got to the FDR – did she ever write about her life?
Thank you so much for the information you’ve been able to find so far, it’s been really illuminating…
Most of the biographical facts in the book are
reliable. they met in Moscow it seems.
Isa left SU for G. at the time of the release of
G. prisoners of war in SU.
She was then at least briefly in her home town but I don’t know wh. she stayed.
I’m writing on the reception of thr work of Käthe Kollwitz in China. Has someone infos on the exhibition of German grafic art at the Zeitgeist in June 1932? Who was responsible of the organisation of the exhibition? How was Lu Xun’s relationship with the Zeitgeist people? Are there photographs of the bookshop and/or of the exhibition?
Thanks for the beautiful information you all shared on this platform.
3 Articles
http://www.zo.uni-heidelberg.de/sinologie/shan/nl-archiv/2019_NL99_4.html
https://www.zo.uni-heidelberg.de/sinologie/shan/nl-archiv/2011_NL57.html#5
https://www.zo.uni-heidelberg.de/sinologie/shan/nl-archiv/2011_NL52.html#4
I’d be very interested the evidence/ source for your comment that Roger Hollis visited the zeitgeist bookshop.
I’m convinced Hollis was indeed a soviet agent on the basis of Chapman Pincher’s evidence-but it would be good to know if there was conclusive proof that He visited the bookshop or maybe is mentioned by communists in 1930s Shanghai.
Perhaps he is mentioned in Agnes Smedley’s biogrsohy?
Dick Salter—-Because I haven’t read this webpage for a long time, I just saw the message you wrote to me. I’m sorry for the late reply.
Regarding the information about Isa Weitermeyer, I can add that in 1967, Soong Chingling recalled that she first met Weitermeyer’s husband, Wu Zhaohao, at Agnes Smedley’s house in 1932. At that time, everyone called him Peter Wu, and they opened a progressive bookstore in Shanghai. Later, Weitermeyer went to the Soviet Union. Soong Ching ling once saw a photo of her holding a machine gun and participating in the Spanish Anti Fascist War in a foreign magazine, and later heard that she sacrificed herself (this is obviously a misconception).
We cannot fully believe the “Sonias Report” because there are some obvious historical errors, such as the claim that the reason for the divorce between Wu Zhaohao and Weitermeyer was due to Wu Zhaohao’s participation in a Trotskyist organization, which is clearly not true. The two divorced not because of this, and even after the divorce, they remained party comrades. Wu Zhaohao never participated in any Trotskyist organizations or had any Trotskyist ideology throughout his life. But I don’t know why the author wrote it that way, maybe it’s a memory error.
The convenient
Trotskyist story may have been invented
by Ruth, Isa or Peter
or by a Soviet or East German censor.
Peter Wu is also mentioned in other memoirs of Shanghai.
Yours
TK
PS
Last week was the 80th anniv. of the execution of Sorge and Ozaki.