Gross , Fritz , 1897-1946 , writer

Fritz Gross was born in Vienna in 1897, the son of a Jewish dealer in precious stones, Herman Gross; fought in World War One, where he lost some of his closest friends, after which he moved to Germany where he worked at a variety of jobs in different places; joined the German Communist Party (KPD)in 1919 and was also an activist in various other left wing groups such as the 'Internationale Arbeiter-Hilfe', of which he was the general secretary in 1923.

He married Babette Thüring, also an activist, in 1920 and they had a son in 1923; in 1929, after their separation he moved to Hamburg, and stayed in the house of Magda Hoppstock-Huth; after Adolf Hitler came to power he moved to England, eventually setting up home in Regent Square, London, where he built up a lending library for other refugees and the house became a meeting place. He spent much of his time working in the British Library where he produced most of his writing, without being able to publish much; died 1946.