Gershon Canaan: Fostered Germany-Texas Relations, 85

[DGH]

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Gershon Canaan, who helped build positive relations between Germany
and Texas after World War II, died Friday, June 28, 2002, from
complications of a stroke at Golden Acres, the Dallas, Texas, Home for
the Jewish Aged, at the age of 85.

The Dallas architect's achievements included serving as honorary
consul of the Federal Republic of Germany and founding president of
the Dallas Goethe Center. He also was instrumental in creating German
Day in Texas and a national German-American Day.

Tillmann Hein, president of the Dallas Goethe Center, said Mr. Canaan
brought many international dignitaries to Dallas.

"He was one of the people who made Dallas an international city," Mr.
Hein said.

Born Jan. 19, 1917, in Berlin, Germany, he fled Germany with his
family to escape Adolf Hitler. They settled in Palestine when he was
16.

He graduated from a university in Haifa with a degree in architecture
in 1938. During World War II, he fought in the British Army's Jewish
Brigade and helped Jews liberated from concentration camps, Mr. Hein
said.

"He understood that his cultural upbringing as a German is not
contradicted by his religion," Mr. Hein said.

In 1947, Mr. Canaan became an apprentice with the Frank Lloyd Wright
Foundation before returning to the Middle East to fight for Israel.

He returned to the United States and earned a master's degree and a
bachelor's degree from the University of Texas in Austin.

He started an architecture business in Dallas in 1958 and worked as a
consultant to the U.S. government on housing for the elderly and
American Indians. He was awarded a presidential citation for his work
in 1964, his wife said.

He served as honorary consul for the Federal Republic of Germany from
1962 to 1987. His duties included traveling to West Germany on behalf
of the mayor of Dallas and governor of Texas, and distributing
retribution payments to Holocaust survivors.

When asked in 1979 about his work representing the German government,
despite being a Jew who was forced to leave Germany, Mr. Canaan said:
"Times change. People change. I find satisfaction in the modest part I
play in increasing peace, friendship and increasing understanding
between our two countries. The time has come to move ahead."

Mr. Canaan lobbied for a celebration of German culture in Texas and
the day was officially sanctioned in 1963. In 1987, President Ronald
Reagan declared the celebration a national one.

He became founding president of the Dallas Goethe Center in 1965 and
served in that role until 1971. He then served as chairman emeritus.

In 1982, former Dallas Mayor Jack Evans proclaimed Sept. 14 as Gershon
Canaan Day. That same year, the Federal Republic of Germany presented
Mr. Canaan with the Commander's Cross of the Merit, one of its highest
awards given to civilians.

Mr. Canaan belonged to organizations such as the American Institute of
Architects, Texas Society of Architects and Temple Emanu-El.