Lily Abegg

Elisabeth Hermine Abegg (7 December 1901 – 13 July 1974), known as Lily Abegg, was a Swiss journalist who reported on East Asian affairs for several European newspapers from the late 1930s through the mid-1960s and authored multiple books and journal articles from the 1940s through the early 1970s. Her work focused on the political climate of the Middle East and what was then described as the Far East region.[1][2][3][4][5]

Lily Abegg
BornElisabeth Hermine Abegg
(1901-12-07)December 7, 1901
Switzerland
DiedJuly 13, 1974(1974-07-13) (aged 72)
OccupationJournalist and author
Period1930s - 1970s
GenreNonfiction
SubjectEast Asia and the Middle East

Formative years

Abegg grew up in Yokohama, Japan, where her father Hans Abegg, traded in silk. Following her formative years, which were spent in Japan between 1902 and 1916, she studied political science in Geneva, Hamburg and Heidelberg, graduating with a doctorate.[6][7]

Career

Abegg undertook her first trip as a journalist in 1934, during which time she traveled to Japan, where she reported on the cultural and political climate there.[8]

From 1934 to 1940, she was the East Asia correspondent of the Frankfurter Zeitung in Tokyo. In 1939, she reported from China about the Second Sino-Japanese War.[9][10]

After returning to Switzerland, she wrote for the Weltwoche, reporting from the Middle East and South East Asia, but returned to her post as FAZ East Asia correspondent from 1954 to 1964. After she returned to Switzerland again in 1964, she served as Asia advisor to the FAZ.[11][12]

1945 arrest

Abegg, who had been placed on a list of suspected war criminals by United States Army General Douglas MacArthur, was arrested by American troops in September 1945 and imprisoned in Sugamo Prison, following the defeat of Japan and the end of World War II. Accused of making anti-American and anti-British propaganda broadcasts that were supportive of Germany and Japan, she was also accused of writing English language scripts for Tokyo Rose and was alleged to have published propaganda under the alias, Sybille Abe.[13][14][15][16] Abegg denied those allegations during subsequent interviews with news reporters.[17][18]

She was released from prison on January 24, 1946 due to "insufficient evidence," according to a new release that was issued by MacArthur's headquarters.[19][20][21][22] She subsequently returned home to Switzerland.[23]

Written works (abridged list)

Abegg researched and wrote multiple journal articles and books during her lifetime. An abridged list includes the following:[24]

  • Abegg, Lily. China's Erneuerung. Der Raum als Waffe. Frankfurt, Germany: Societäts-Verlag, 1940.
  • Abegg, Lily. Yamato; la mission du peuple japonais. Paris, France: Arthème Fayard, 1942.
  • Abegg, Lily. Neue Herren in Mittelost. Arabische Politik heute. Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt Stuttgart, 1954.
  • Abegg, Lily. "Japan Reconsiders," in Foreign Affairs, April 1, 1955.[25]
  • Abegg, Lily. Im Neuen China. Berlin, Germany: Atlantis Verlag, 1957.
  • Abegg, Lily. De L'Empire du Milieu a Mao Tse-Toung. Lucerne, Switzerland: Rencontre, 1966.
  • Abegg, Lily. Japan's Traum vom Musterland. Der neue Nipponismus. K. Desch, 1973.ISBN 9783420046759.

Death

Abegg died on July 13, 1974.[26]

Legacy

With her several books about the society and politics of China and Japan, as well as her articles, Abegg helped to broaden popular knowledge about these countries in the German-speaking world.[27]

References
  1. Myriam Girgis: Abegg, Lily in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 27 March 2001.
  2. Sansom, G. (1953). "The Mind of East Asia. By Lily Abegg. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1952. vii, 344," in The Journal of Asian Studies, 13(1), 63-65 (retrieved online from Cambridge University Press, July 10, 2023).
  3. Barbour, Neville. "Neue Herren in Mittelost: Arabische Politik Heute. By Lily Abegg. Stuttgart, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1954," in International Affairs, Vol. 31, No. 2, April 1955, p. 251 (retrieved online from Oxford Academic, July 10, 2023).
  4. "Trends in Japan's Thinking to Be Discussed by World Affairs Group." Sandusky, Ohio: The Sandusky Register-Star News, November 17, 1955, p. 10 (subscription required).
  5. Kramers, R.P. "Lily Abegg in memoriam: 7 Dezember 1901—13 July 1974," in Asiatische Studien: Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft (Asian Studies: Journal of the Swiss Asia Society). Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss Asia Society, 1974 (retrieved online via ePeriodica, July 10, 2023).
  6. Myriam Girgis: Abegg, Lily in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 27 March 2001.
  7. Kramers, "Lily Abegg in memoriam: 7 Dezember 1901—13 July 1974," in Asiatische Studien: Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft (Asian Studies: Journal of the Swiss Asia Society), 1974.
  8. Kramers, "Lily Abegg in memoriam: 7 Dezember 1901—13 July 1974," in Asiatische Studien: Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft (Asian Studies: Journal of the Swiss Asia Society), 1974.
  9. Myriam Girgis: Abegg, Lily in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 27 March 2001.
  10. Kramers, "Lily Abegg in memoriam: 7 Dezember 1901—13 July 1974," in Asiatische Studien: Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft (Asian Studies: Journal of the Swiss Asia Society; in German), 1974.
  11. Myriam Girgis: Abegg, Lily in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 27 March 2001.
  12. Kramers, "Lily Abegg in memoriam: 7 Dezember 1901—13 July 1974," in Asiatische Studien: Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft (Asian Studies: Journal of the Swiss Asia Society), 1974.
  13. "Lily Abegg Seized by U.S. Troops." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Harrisburg Telegraph, September 20, 1945, p. 23 (subscription required).
  14. "Arrest Lily Abegg as War Criminal." Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: Times Leader, September 20, 1945, p. 15 (subscription required).
  15. Hill, Max. "Swiss Newspaperwoman Identified as 'Tokyo Rose' by INS Reporter." Detroit, Michigan: Detroit Times, September 14, 1945, p. 18 (subscription required).
  16. "Lily Abegg Arrested on War Criminal Charge." Charlotte, North Carolina: The Charlotte Observer, September 21, 1945, p. 5 (subscription required).
  17. Lee, Clark. "Woman Held in Crimes Roundup." Honolulu, Hawaii: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, September 18, 1945, p. 2 (subscription required).
  18. Lee, Clark. "Swiss Writer Denies Helping Japs." Binghamton, New York: The Binghamton Press, September 18, 1945, p. 8 (subscription required).
  19. "Lily Abegg Is Released." Tulsa, Oklahoma: The Tulsa Tribune, January 24, 1946, p. 12 (subscription required).
  20. "Lily Abegg Released." Boise, Idaho: The Idaho Statesman, January 25, 1946, p. 11 (subscription required).
  21. "Army Frees Swiss Woman Who Broadcast for Axis." Buffalo, New York: The Buffalo News, January 24, 1946, Financial Section, p. 1 (subscription required).
  22. "Broadcaster Released." Spokane, Washington: Spokane Daily Chronicle, January 24, 1946, p. 10 (subscription required).
  23. Kramers, "Lily Abegg in memoriam: 7 Dezember 1901—13 July 1974," in Asiatische Studien: Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft (Asian Studies: Journal of the Swiss Asia Society), 1974.
  24. Kramers, "Lily Abegg in memoriam: 7 Dezember 1901—13 July 1974," in Asiatische Studien: Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft (Asian Studies: Journal of the Swiss Asia Society), 1974.
  25. Abegg, Lily. "Japan Reconsiders," in Foreign Affairs, April 1, 1955. New York, New York: Council on Foreign Relations, retrieved online July 10, 2023 (subscription required).
  26. Kramers, "Lily Abegg in memoriam: 7 Dezember 1901—13 July 1974," in Asiatische Studien: Zeitschrift der Schweizerischen Asiengesellschaft (Asian Studies: Journal of the Swiss Asia Society), 1974.
  27. Myriam Girgis: Abegg, Lily in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 27 March 2001.
  • Wirz, Claudia. "Lily Abegg (1901 – 1974)" (profile of Abegg, in French). Lausanne, Switzerland: Avenir Suisse, August 13, 2014 (retrieved online July 10, 2023).
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