Picard, Jacob, 1883-1967

Jacob Picard was born November 1, 1883 in Wangen, Germany and died January 10, 1967 in Konstanz, Germany.

Picard grew up in the area near the Bodensee (Lake Constance) and studied law in Berlin, Munich, and Heidelberg. He started writing poetry while studying law and his first articles were published before 1914. He served in World War I, during which two of his brothers, Wilhelm and Erwin, died.

After an interruption of four years, 1914-1918, he practiced law in Konstanz and Köln until 1933. During this time, he published his poetry under the pseudonyms of J.P. Wangen or Jakob Badner so the writing would not affect his legal career. From 1922-1939 he was on the staff of the Central Verein Zeitung . In 1936 Picard's work Der Gezeichnete ( The Marked One ) was published, which described the lives of Jews in rural Germany.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, he escaped from Germany and travelled to the United States via Russia and Japan. He made his home in the U.S. for 18 years, and in 1958 returned to Europe, where he remained until his death. His writings and poems frequently reflect his great love of the place of his birth.

From the guide to the Jacob Picard Collection, 1882-1992, (Leo Baeck Institute)