Stephen Litchfield

WITH HIS twin brother Paul, Siegfried Lichtigfeld (later Stephen Litchfield) was sent from his native Dusseldorf to an uncle in London in April, 1939, writes Professor Mark A Gillman. Their mother Matilda (née Landau) remained in Dusseldorf, protected by a Gentile employee of her husband Simon, who had been awarded the Iron Cross in the Great War. He had visited England the previous year to arrange the family’s emigration, but returned to find the family home vandalised.

Both parents rejoined the boys in London in August, 1939 but Simon was interned on the Isle of Man as an enemy alien. Later he started a successful food business, assisted by the Quakers in Welwyn Garden City. The boys had been state-educated in Germany until this was banned for Jews, and in Britain they attended Rabbi Schonfeld’s schools in Bedfordshire, and Welwyn Garden City Grammar School. Paul read law and Siegfried, chemistry at University College, but later changed to law.

The twins worked in the family food business at all hours during their studies. They were permitted by the Ministry of Food to assist with the wartime shortage of food in this country. The twins never worked in the same law firm together but regularly discussed cases and cricket scores.

In 1960 Simon sold the food business and moved to Hampstead, NW London. Stephen refused to apply for his German pension but helped others to do so through his legal work. In many tributes he is described as a true gentleman, and a very private person. He married Betty Rose in 1972, who survives him. They had no children. Paul pre-deceased him in 1991.