Henry B. Ollendorff

Henry Bernard Ollendorff (March 14, 1907 - February 10, 1979) was a German-Jewish social worker.

Biography

He was born on March 14, 1907 as Heinz Bernard Ollendorff to an oculist in the town of Esslingen am Neckar, Germany. He grew up in the city of Darmstadt. He received his doctor's degree in law from the University of Heidelberg. The discrimination laws of Nazi Germany severely hindered him in his work and he even had to spend 13 month in prison before he emigrated together with his wife to the United States of America in 1938.

In Cleveland, Ohio he studied Social Work. In 1954 the US Department of State asked him to participate in the re-education programme for Germans and he conducted courses for Youth leaders and social workers in Hesse. He also had the idea to start an exchange program.

Now the Council of International Fellowship is a world wide organisation for professionals working in the field of social work.

Ollendorff died in Cleveland, Ohio on February 10, 1979.

Legacy

In 2007 the German city of Darmstadt gave his name to a square.