Biography
Joseph Ganghofer was a Bavarian hotel owner who came to the United States on a visitor’s visa in March 1935 after criticizing Nazi officials. A contemporary account describes him as a former Nazi Party member who sought political asylum after immigration authorities detained him at Ellis Island for overstaying his visa. A January 27, 1936 roster reports his release on $500 bail on January 21. His exact arrest and admission dates and final asylum outcome remain unverified.
Page 4’s asylum appeal describes him as formerly of the German National Socialist Party, which he resigned, and threatened by a Hitlerite warrant. It advocates asylum without establishing a new US intake, physical release or executed deportation. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1936/v13-n138-NY-jun-09-1936-DW-Q.pdf
The June 12, 1936 deportation-defense portrait group captions this individual by name: Benno Martini in the center row, first position, and Jos. Ganghofer in the center row, second position. The caption supports the added portrait, but does not establish a new detention, completed deportation or release. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1936/v13-n141-NY-jun-12-1936-DW-Q.pdf#page=3
Sources and evidence limits
Daily Worker, January 27, 1936, original PDF page 4 and 8(original printed 7).
The caption and full narrative repeatedly name Joseph Ganghofer. Page4 prints Joseph Ganghaufer but repeats the same March 1935 visitor arrival, former-party membership, hotel/property wealth, Hitler criticism and Ellis Island case, bridging the two source passages; no formal legalAKA is asserted. Enlarged page 4 original clearly reads January 21, not OCR January 4. The narrative’s “few weeks ago” does not establish exact admission. Predicted deportation/death was a warning, not an actual outcome.
Contemporary assertions are attributed. Unknown birth/death dates, other custody and final outcomes are not guessed. No race, ethnicity, ideology taxonomy or affiliation is inferred.
Daily Worker, June 9, 1936; relevant page stated in the accompanying profile note.
The report confirms actual release from Ellis Island on bail during the campaign to prevent his deportation to Nazi Germany. It describes his flight from Germany in March 1935 after a party-discipline arrest warrant and his January 1936 US immigration arrest. The headline says $500 bail but the body prints $600; that internal inconsistency is retained rather than overriding the separately sourced $500 bond and January 21 release date.
