John Weitz
| John Weitz | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Hans Werner Weitz May 23, 1923 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | October 3, 2002 (aged 79) Bridgehampton, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Occupation | Menswear designer Novelist and Historian |
| Spouse(s) | Sally Blauner Gould (1944‑1953; divorce) Eve Orton (divorce) Susan Kohner (1964‑2002; his death) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Bobby Weitz Hedy Weitz |
| Relatives |
Lupita Tovar (mother-in-law) Paul Kohner (father-in-law) |
Hans Werner "John" Weitz (May 25, 1923 – October 3, 2002) was a successful menswear designer who innovated the use of licensing products and selling affordable but stylish clothing that featured his image in the advertising. He had a second career as a writer and historian. Weitz was also well known for being the husband of actress Susan Kohner and father of directors Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz.
Weitz was born in Berlin, Germany, to father, Robert Salomon "Bobby" Weitz, a successful textile manufacturer, and mother, Hedwig "Hedy" Weitz (née Jacob). His parents were part of an active social scene during the Weimar Republic that was glamorous and filled with celebrities like Christopher Isherwood and Marlene Dietrich. The household was Jewish, but not religious.
When he was 10 years old, Weitz was sent to boarding school in England. He attended The Hall School from 1933 to 1936 and St. Paul's School from 1936 to 1939. After graduation, he was named Vice-President of the Old Pauline Club of London. Weitz eventually attended Oxford University for one year. With the recommendation of St. Paul's classmate John Cavanagh, in 1939, Weitz worked in Paris as an apprentice to fashion designer Edward Molyneux. Weitz went to Shanghai, China, in order to wait for a visa to America; while there he played on the Shanghai Rugby Football Union team for a short time.
In 1938, Weitz' parents left Nazi Germany to live in Paris, then London, eventually relocating to New York City. The Weitz family came to the United States via Yokohama, Japan, and Shanghai, China, from their last permanent residence in London, arriving in Seattle, Washington, in April 1941. They were joining Hedy's brother-in-law, Hermann Gross, in New York City. Weitz became a naturalized American in 1943.
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