Dr. H. Sonnabend, Autograph on his book: About Myself and Others, illustr., 1st and only ed., 1951, 

About Myself and Others: Autobiographical Essays Johannesburg, Eagle Press Limited, 1951., 228 pp., 

Illustr. by b/w photos Hard cover, size: 22 x16 cm. 

Condition: some light foxing to endpapers; some worm holes throughout the book. 

Weight: 495 gr. 

The book was privately printed in Johannesburg in a very small edition, surviving copies are extremely scarce today. 

Dr. Hans Sonnabend, a Jewish emigre intellectual, sociologist, and later public figure connected with both South Africa and Israel. Academic Career in South Africa Dr. Sonnabend was associated with the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he worked in sociology and social sciences during the 1930s–1940s. Contemporary academic references describe him as: Lecturer in Social Science Acting Head of the Department of Sociology He also published scholarly work on demography and social structure in South Africa. Probable European Origins The surname Sonnabend is of German-Jewish origin. Evidence suggests that he was educated in Central Europe — likely Germany or Austria — before emigrating during the rise of Nazism in the 1930s. The preface of the book is dated: Geneva, 1951 This strongly suggests continued connections with Europe after World War II. Wartime Experiences The first section of the book is titled: My Wartime Experiences Archival references to “Captain H. Sonnabend” from the 1940s indicate that he may have served in South African wartime administrative or military structures during World War II. Move to Israel After the war, Dr. Sonnabend appears to have become involved in Zionist and Israeli public life. Historical records identify: Dr. H. Sonnabend Managing Director of the Afridar Housing Corporation later Mayor of Ashkelon, Israel Reports from South African Jewish organizations note that he died in January 1956. Historical Significance of the Book The book therefore reflects a remarkable personal trajectory: Central Europe → South Africa → Israel It combines: wartime memoirs, reflections on society and politics, and the perspective of a Jewish intellectual displaced by 20th-century upheavals.