Podcast Summary: New Books Network Episode Title: Anna Nyburg and Charmian Brinson eds., "Refugees from Nazism to Britain in Trade, Industry, and Engineering"
Aired: December 2, 2025
Host: Mariam Olubodi
Guest: Dr. Anna Nyburg

Episode Overview

This episode features Dr. Anna Nyburg, co-editor of the yearbook Refugees from Nazism to Britain in Trade, Industry, and Engineering (Brill, 2025), which explores the remarkable but often overlooked contributions of refugees fleeing Nazi Europe (1930s-40s) to Britain’s industrial, trade, and engineering sectors. Dr. Nyburg discusses the genesis of the book, shares stories of inventive entrepreneurship, and reflects on the broader historical and contemporary implications of refugee experiences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Genesis and Purpose of the Book

[03:06]

• The book is the 24th yearbook of the Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile Studies, traditionally focused on humanities but this time redirected toward trade, industry, and engineering.
• Dr. Nyburg notes the realization, during prior research, that refugees contributed much more than previously acknowledged, especially in innovation and business practice:
  • “The large majority of the refugees, in fact, were businessmen, were entrepreneurs, inventors, and they had brought... new technology, new business practices.” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [04:00])
• The book originated from a 2023 conference after overcoming initial committee reluctance.

2. Contributors & Scope

[06:12]

• The collection arises from a call for papers, with many contributors offering personal stories, sometimes as descendants of refugees:
  • “We had very many individual stories. Quite a few of the contributors were children or grandchildren of the original refugees...for the first time, were taking a look at what their grandparents or parents had actually done at work.” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [06:18])
• The book is predominantly composed of detailed case studies, complemented by a few broader contextual essays.

3. Impact on British Social Life

[07:47]

• Early chapters detail the broad influence on British lifestyle—examples include toys, tourism, television, and the invention of the now-iconic Dualit toaster.
  • “This very happily transferred to Britain. And I think it was more successful in Britain than it had been in Germany.” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [08:45])
• Refugees introduced advanced skills in display and advertising, reshaping British retail and TV set design.

4. Industrial Contributions

[11:47]

• While there was not a sweeping transformation, individual refugees made significant advances:
  • “It's more a story of individual contributions rather than there being a big overall industrial development.” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [11:50])
• German engineers (engineer = university-educated professional in Germany, unlike Britain’s broad usage) brought advanced training and technical innovations—for example, efficient heating using industry waste.

5. Notable Innovators & Companies

[14:03]–[15:42]

• Londex: Company founded by three German engineers; made substantial advancements in electromechanical engineering and telecommunications, developing lighting systems and accruing multiple patents.
• Emphasis on individual and small-group enterprise, not widescale sectoral change.

6. The Refugee Experience: Who Were They?

[16:07]

• About 80,000 refugees came from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia—primarily Jewish, but also political exiles.
• Distinct from earlier, poorer immigrations; this group was often highly educated and professionally accomplished.
  • “They came from, unlike earlier influxes...quite sophisticated...many of them might have been to university, and as I said, their training schools, arts and crafts and technical colleges were ahead of Britain in many ways.” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [18:00])

7. Wartime Challenges & Internment

[21:53]–[27:35]

• Refugees faced the same material shortages as the British population, but also the trauma of internment as “enemy aliens” in 1940.
• Churchill ordered the rounding-up of thousands, many confined to the Isle of Man; this sometimes destroyed fledgling companies or left families stranded.
  • “By 1940...there was a fear of something called fifth columnists...Churchill...rounded up and arrested thousands and thousands of these refugees...” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [24:37])
• Some were released if their technical expertise was deemed crucial to the war effort.

8. Specific Sectoral Impacts

[28:11]–[29:41]

• In addition to Londex, the Loewy brothers (engineering) advanced the metalworking and aviation industries, including improving aircraft for Rolls Royce and, postwar, contributing to NASA.
  • “...the Loewy brothers...one of them was instrumental in improving British aviation and with creating engines for Rolls Royce aircraft, for example. The other brother...after the war went to America and worked for NASA...” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [29:13])

9. Economic and Social Contexts

[29:48]–[33:55]

• The book lacks a dedicated economic context chapter, which Dr. Nyburg regrets.
• Important contextual stories include the “Special Areas” and the “Great Trading Estates” in unemployment-stricken regions, where British authorities actively recruited and relocated refugee entrepreneurs to set up factories:
  • “Local government and national government...invited these Jewish...entrepreneurs to come to Britain and set up their companies here...by 1947, they were employing more than a quarter of a million local people.” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [32:26])
• A notable survivor is Kangol, the famous beret manufacturer, originally expanding in wartime via refugee initiative.

10. Contemporary Relevance and Message

[34:11]

• The book launch at Imperial College sparked discussion of Britain’s present-day refugee policies.
• Nyburg and colleagues stress the moral imperative to treat refugees with dignity, quoting from Prof. Miriam David’s letter in The Guardian:
  • “The lesson of this, surely, is that we should try as best we can to make sure that refugees lives are made as good as they can be and not blighted by the scars of war and crimes against humanity, let alone racism and discrimination of any kind.” (Prof. Miriam David quoting Prof. Brinson, [35:40])

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “The large majority of the refugees...were businessmen, were entrepreneurs, inventors, and they had brought certainly in the fashion industry, new technology, new business practices...” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [04:00])
• “Things that they think of as iconically British are in fact not. And that's true not just of the refugees from Nazism, but refugees or immigrants from very many cultures to Britain.” (Dr. Anna Nyburg, [10:21])
• “The lesson of this, surely, is that we should try as best we can to make sure that refugees lives are made as good as they can be and not blighted by the scars of war...” (Prof. Miriam David, quoting Prof. Brinson, [35:40])

Key Timestamps

• [03:06] Genesis and goals of the book
• [06:12] Contributors' backgrounds and diversity of stories
• [07:47] Social impacts: examples from toys, television, and food culture
• [11:47] Nature of refugees’ industrial contributions
• [14:03] Londex: electromechanical innovations
• [16:07] Who the refugees were and how they differed from previous groups
• [21:53] Wartime shortages, challenges, and the internment crisis
• [28:11] Case studies: Loewy brothers, aviation, and engineering
• [32:11] “Great Trading Estates” as a government-local solution
• [34:11] Launch event, contemporary lessons, and calls for humane refugee policy

Episode Takeaways

• Refugees from Nazi Europe provided Britain with a wave of entrepreneurial and technical talent, dramatically shaping sectors ranging from engineering to fashion.
• Their stories demonstrate the value of open societies and the repeated refrain that Britain’s iconic culture and industries are products of migration and diversity.
• The book serves both as historical scholarship and a timely intervention in current debates about refugees.

For Listeners

For those interested in the intersection of migration, innovation, and economic regeneration, Refugees from Nazism to Britain in Trade, Industry, and Engineering offers both personal stories and broader context. The episode provides a detailed look at the book’s formation, highlights pivotal case studies, and draws instructive parallels from past to present.