Maurice Edelman (1911-1975)

Israel Moses Edelman was born was born on 2 March 1911 at Cardiff, the third of five children of Esther (née Solomon) and (Shia) Joshua Edelman who had emigrated from Germany in 1904. After university Maurice, as he now called himself, met and, in 1933, married Matilda, ‘Tilli’ Yager. 

Following World War II Maurice entered politics and in 1945 was elected MP for Coventry - a role which he passionately pursued until his death 30 years later.

In a 1950s broadcast Maurice Edelman said he went into politics because; “like many other men in their 30s at the time, I wanted to take an active part in building a society which would be civilized and just”.

As MP for Coventry, Maurice defended the local motor and aircraft industries against job losses. He was a keen supporter of the arts and served as president of the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club. He was strongly opposed to nuclear weapons and was at the forefront of the campaign for the polio vaccination. 

Maurice Edelman was vice-chairman of the British Council and a supporter of the European Union. His fluency in French made him a well-known figure in European politics. He was chairman of the Franco-British Parliamentary Relations Committee and a founder member of the Council of Europe. In 1960 he was appointed Officier de la Légion d’Honneur.

Maurice had a transformational experience when visiting the Struthof Nazi Concentration Camp with a group of European politicians in 1950. He says 'It was at Struthof that I achieved a rededication of my faith, my enthusiasm, and my belief, giving sense and meaning to the worn-out language of politics; for Struthof is a warning of what happens when man denies the brotherhood of man. And so it was fitting that there I renewed my faith that human progress depends on our belief in the brotherhood of man, the fatherhood of God, and in the human rights which all of us, of whatever colour, race, or creed, derive from his paternity.'

Hear Maurice speaking of this life changing moment at this link.

See these Links for further information:  (Note: These are external links for which we have no responsibility for the content)

• 'What happens when man denies the brotherhood of man' - The words and voice of Maurice Edelman, speaking of the transformational impact of his visit to the Struthof Nazi concentration camp in France. Essay on thisibelieve.org.

• Maurice Edelman, President of Coventry Arts Umbrella Club

• Maurice Edelman Wikipedia entry

• The life of Maurice & Tilli Edelman and their family at Amersham Museum

• Papers of Maurice Edelman MP 1930-1997 at the University of Warwick, Modern Records Library