News archive
April 2026
Obituary Adelheid Klittich-Pfankuch
An obituary by Michael Negele
With the death of Adelheid Klittich-Pfankuch, the German antiquarian book trade loses a defining figure, who also became a dear friend and a caring hostess of over 25 years to CH&LS.
Adelheid Pfankuch grew up in a long-established bookselling family; her love of books was practically instilled in her from birth. She began her training at her parents' bookstore, Karl Pfankuch, in Braunschweig – a foundation that shaped her future. Early on, she developed not only a keen sense for literature and regional studies, but also a deep respect for the cultural value of books. Completing her training as an antiquarian bookseller at the Tenner auction house in Heidelberg broadened this perspective and laid the groundwork for comprehensive expertise and her later specialization. It was there that she met her future husband, Roger Klittich (June 3, 1936 – † May 1, 2015 Obituary of Roger Klittich) met and fell in love with her husband, and together they returned to Braunschweig and jointly ran the Karl Pfankuch bookstore and antiquarian bookshop from 1963 onwards.
Serendipity strikes again ...
Just in time for my friend Bob van de Velde's 89th birthday (March 26th) and the 25th anniversary of the Emanuel Lasker Society, "guided coincidence" bestowed upon me a wonderful birthday present. It all started with this email from Anthony Saidy (also born in 1937), a longtime Lasker enthusiast and member of the CH&LS. Highest Level with Modest Participation
Tony wrote on February 10, 2026, in his usual style:
Reminds of an exchange I had in 1978 with a Soviet colleague.
"I saw where a bridge club in L'Grad was shut down by the police. Why?"
"We are not to do such things without authorization."
In the mid-1930s the great German-Jewish world champion (holding the crown for 27 years until 1921) also a mathematician & philosopher, made a move eastward w. his wife. Incredibly, at age 66 he sailed through the Moscow 1935 intl. tournament w/o a single loss, just a half-point behind the winners.
But Lasker did not like USSR at the height of the purges (all foreigners being under suspicion) and skirted to the scene of his overwhelming 1924 tnt. victory well ahead of the man who had dethroned him, NY.
There he found living under FDR more copacetic than either Hitler or Stalin. After all, it was his friend Einstein's adopted country. He died there in 1941 at 72 - and my oblivious(to chess) parents had not taken me at 4 to meet him. (Yes, I also walked on earth with Capablanca and Alekhine.)
He was adept at more than one game and even created his own, "Laska." It didn't catch on anywhere more than the chicken farm that the chess colossus once tried to run near Berlin.
Lasker Bridge Methods and Art of Playing. Riga 1930s. Russian avant-garde book bridge
Pre-owned $99.99 + $10.00 delivery, located in Latvia
Dr. Thomas Thomsen (*23.07.1934 - †02.04.2026)
An obituary by Michael Negele
The grand seigneur of the collecting community has left us forever.
Dr. Thomas Thomsen (*23.07.1934 - †02.04.2026)
As recently as March 14, 2026, I spoke with Thomas Thomsen at length on the phone. He sounded confident that he would overcome the health issues that had arisen following gall bladder surgery, and he was even considering coming to Berlin on the last weekend of April. In his mind, he already seemed to be looking forward to the planned CCI meeting in Lisbon.
CH&LS will painfully miss a good friend, and the CCI members will miss a — if not the — driving force of their organization. His invaluable knowledge and organizational talent are now irretrievably lost. May Thomas rest in peace; he can certainly look back on a fulfilled life.
Our acquaintance likely dates back to the CCI meeting in Hamburg in 2005 ...
In memory of a good friend, here are some photos from my archive.