David Baddiel
Standing in a windswept, industrial Russian wasteland, writer and
comedian David Baddiel surveys the insignificant remnants of his heritage
- one blackened fragment of a factory wall.
"My mother's family were wealthy industrialists until 1933. But they
were German Jews and the Nazis stripped them of everything," he reveals.
"They were amongst the last Jews to leave Germany - just three weeks
before war was declared.
"This was their brick factory, in Kaliningrad, now in Russia. It's
about as bleak as it could possibly be. I just wish there was a bit
more of it - it makes me feel as if my past was blown out of existence."
Baddiel had already begun this poignant and emotional voyage of discovery
by writing a novel about his grandparents' experiences during the war.
"My head was choc full of family history, and I'd also just turned
40," he explains. "When you're younger you think you're this self-enclosed
short story, then you realise you're a chapter in a book and that you
want to read the rest of the book.
"My history on both sides of my family involves persecution and
people fleeing in horror.
"This creates mystery - and the human response to that is you want
to crack the mystery."
Baddiel's mission was to try and uncover the truth about his mother's
parentage - she had always believed herself to be adopted, possibly
the daughter of her uncle.
But he also discovers huge amounts about his past, not least the fact
that he is far from being the only David Baddiel in London!
"Let's face it, I've been famous for quite a long time, but they've
not got in touch with me," he says wryly.
"They're very, very religious and don't watch television. Also, you
have to consider that, if you contact your relatives - what do you do
if you don't like them?
"It's a slightly dangerous thing to do…"
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