Tom Seidmann-Freud facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Seidmann-Freud
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| Born |
Martha Gertrud Freud
November 17, 1892 |
| Died | February 7, 1930 |
| Nationality | Austria |
| Other names | Freud, Tom Seidmann-; Seidmann-Freud; Zaidman Froid, Tom; Seidmann-Freud, Martha Gertrud |
| Spouse(s) | Jakob Seidmann |
| Partner(s) | Maurice (Moritz) Freud Marie "Mitzi" Freud |
| Children | Angela (Aviva) Seidmann |
Tom Seidmann-Freud (born Martha Gertrud Freud; November 17, 1892 – February 7, 1930) was an Austrian artist. She was famous for painting, writing, and illustrating children's books.
Contents
Life as an Artist
Tom Seidmann-Freud was born in Vienna, Austria, on November 17, 1892. Her birth name was Martha Gertrud Freud. Her mother, Marie 'Mitzi' Freud, was the sister of the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Her father was Maurice (Moritz) Freud, her mother's cousin.
In 1898, when Tom was six years old, her family moved to Berlin, Germany. Her father ran an import business there. Tom had an older sister named Lily and a younger brother named Theodor. Sadly, Theodor drowned in 1922.
Becoming Tom
From the age of 15, Martha started using the name Tom. This was the name she became known by for her artistic work.
In 1911, after finishing school, Tom moved to London to study art. She focused on creating picture books in the Art Nouveau style. This art style uses flowing lines and natural shapes. Her first successful books came out in 1914.
After her studies, Tom returned to Berlin. She continued to learn at the School of Applied Arts. She worked with different materials like wood, stone, and copper. She also experimented with graphic design, drawing, and decorative painting. She stayed in Berlin during the entire First World War.
Family and Publishing
Between 1918 and 1920, Tom lived in Munich. There, she met a writer named Jakob 'Yankel' Seidmann. They got married and had a daughter named Angela in 1922.
Tom and Jakob started a publishing house together called Peregrin. This company focused on publishing books for Jewish immigrants. In 1923, they published Tom's picture book called "Die Fischreise" (The Fish Journey).
Tom also created special "play and transformation" books for children. These books were designed to make reading and writing fun. All her books were printed in Sütterlin script. This old German handwriting style became less common after 1949. This limited how widely her books could be read later on.
New Ventures and Challenges
In July 1922, Tom and Jakob started another publishing house called Ophir. They worked closely with the famous poet Hayim Nahman Bialik. However, their partnership did not last. Bialik did not complete his part of the agreement and moved to Tel Aviv in 1924.
The publishing company faced big problems when the Great Depression hit Germany in 1929. The company went bankrupt. Soon after, Tom's husband, Jakob, passed away. Tom became very sad and struggled with her feelings. She died on February 7, 1930. She is buried with her husband in the Berlin-Weissensee Jewish cemetery.
After Her Death
As the situation in Germany became dangerous for Jewish people, Tom Seidmann-Freud's daughter, Angela, was sent to Palestine in 1938. She was adopted by Tom's sister, Lily, and her husband, Arnold Marlé. In Palestine, Angela took the Hebrew name Aviva. She grew up, had her own children, and passed away in May 2011.
Sadly, Tom's mother, Mitzi Freud, lost her life during the Holocaust in 1942. Many of Tom Seidmann-Freud's beautiful books were destroyed during that terrible time.
