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Hannah Arendt’s reflections on being a refugee

Season 39 Episode 5 | 1m 15s

Upon fleeing Germany to France in 1933 without her official papers, Hannah Arendt became a stateless person. After Germany invaded France in 1940 and Arendt was sent to Gurs camp, Arendt, her husband Heinrich Blücher and her mother were able to secure exit papers to New York City. They arrived in the city in 1941, where Arendt reflected on being a stateless person: “We lost our home.”

Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo and Patricia Yuen, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, Seton J. Melvin, Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Anita and Jay Kaufman, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, The Charina Endowment Fund, The Marc Haas Foundation and public television viewers.
Extras
Discover Hannah Arendt, one of the most fearless political writers of modern times.
Hannah Arendt came up with ideas for “The Origins of Totalitarianism” while observing Hitler.
Hannah Arendt was teaching at Berkeley when McCarthyism took hold of the United States.
Hannah Arendt came up with the concept of “the banality of evil” during the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
Trace the life and music of “Society’s Child” folk icon and LGBTQ+ advocate Janis Ian.
Musician Tunde Adebimpe on his creative process behind his solo album debut.
Photographer Gioncarlo Valentine documents intimacy as a radical act of self-exploration.
Janis Ian was inspired to write “Society’s Child” after observing an interracial couple on her bus.
Janis Ian wrote “Some People’s Lives” with songwriter Kye Fleming.
Janis Ian’s song “At Seventeen” spoke to audiences of all kinds and had a universal relevance.