Down Memory Lane: Peter Ellinger s Memoirs

Having reached an advanced age and living in full retirement, Peter Ellinger has written his Memoirs. His odyssey commences with his birth in Vienna in 1933, the very year in which Adolf Hitler was democratically voted into power in Germany. Part I of the tome covers Peter's escape from Austria, his years as a refugee in Italy and in France and his primary, secondary and tertiary education in Israel. He describes the pull of the Austrian idols of his home and of the Zionist outlook of the Jewish Yishuv in Palestine. He also talks about his growing up and about his attaining religious insights. Notably, when he arrived in Palestine, the country was still governed by Britain under a mandate. He witnessed the foundation of Israel and the struggle of the newly born country during its early years. For a short period, he practiced law in Tel Aviv. He discusses some of the cases handled by him and, turning to the political scene, gives a detailed account of Nasser's rise to power and the Suez Crisis. He also discusses his embarkation on Bible Critique, which has remained one of his hobbies. Part II covers Peter's years as a postgraduate student in Oxford, his move into academia and his first spell in Singapore. It deals with Singapore's development from a Crown colony into a sovereign city-state and describes its initial incorporation into the Federation of Malaysia. During this period, Peter wedded Patricia Goh, a Chinese-educated girl. Their marriage lasted for 43 years, until Patricia's death in Singapore from leukemia. Part III deals with Peter's life as a mendicant professor and with his position as teacher of law in Wellington (New Zealand), Monash (Melbourne) and his return to Singapore. During a period spent in Hamburg, he envisaged the fall of the Brandenburg Wall and the unification of the DDR with Western Germany. On the personal side, it covers his antiques collection hobby. Part IV covers Peter's second spell in Singapore, including his employment by the National University of Singapore and his experience in legal practice. Shortly after Patricia's demise, he went into full retirement. His years as retiree are discussed in the last part of the book. Having covered the past, his eyes focus on the future. Peter realises that his odyssey is not exclusive. Other of his contemporaries — with a Holocaust background — experienced their own winding journey through life. He resolved to recount his experience because in one sense it was unique: he witnessed the foundation of two states: the unification of the two German states and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Further, he adapted to environments initially alien to him. The reader will assess whether these Memoirs are worth telling.

About the Author

Peter Ellinger graduated from the Hebrew University, Israel with an MJur in 1959 and was called to the Israeli Bar. Following practice in Tel Aviv, he went to Oxford University, UK, obtaining his DPhil in 1964. He started his academic career at the University of Singapore (1961–1966). In 1963, he married Patricia Goh Peh Choo. He subsequently held Chairs of Law at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (1967–1976) and at Monash University, Australia (1977–1986). In 1986, he accepted the post of Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore. After his retirement from this position, he was appointed as a consultant at Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP and obtained a practice certificate. He also continued to teach as a Professorial Fellow at the National University of Singapore.

On 14 September 1998, Professor Ellinger was constituted an Emeritus Professor. During his academic career, he has published books, chapters in leading commercial law texts and numerous articles in regional law reviews as well as in the United Kingdom, Australasia, Canada, the United States and in Europe. Modern Banking Law (published by Oxford University Press) is a standard text on banking law and went into five editions.

Professor Ellinger has specialised in commercial law with particular emphasis on banking law. Over the years, he has acquired an experience in opinion work and drafting of documents. He has also appeared as an expert witness in local and foreign courts. In 2008, Professor Ellinger retired from his position as a consultant of Rajah and Tann but continued to teach as a Professorial Fellow at the University. His wife passed away in 2011 after a lengthy battle with cancer. He retired from teaching in July 2013 and has remained in Singapore since.

About the Cover Illustrator

Marcus Lim is Asia's first and only historian painter, devoted to preserving various aspects of Singapore history through his paintings. Whether it is a portrait or a painting, every artwork he creates is a story behind the legacy worth preserving for posterity. One such story is the portrait painting of Venerable Ho Yuen Hoe, founder of Man Fut Tong Nursing Home, and unveiled under the grace of President S R Nathan in 2007.

Among many other accolades, Marcus' life and work was made into a full-feature TV documentary titled "City Footprints" (城市生命线) in 2008. His painting of a samsui woman, titled "One Bowl of Water", made the cover of the Asian Geographic magazine, with the cover subsequently named as 'Cover Art of the Decade' in 2009. In the years that followed, Marcus' work continued to be of interest, receiving interviews from various radio and TV media.

He also became the first Singaporean artist to represent his country at the International Portrait Artists' Conference in Washington DC, and was also named the Heritage Ambassador of the Asian Geographic Society, both in 2010. The Society is the non-profit organization society of the Asian Geographic Magazine.

In May 2013, Marcus Lim became the first appointed court artist for the controversial "Shane Todd Coroner's Inquiry" judicial proceedings. In October the same year, his series of court paintings was featured in CBS News' documentary titled "48 Hours: Spies, Lies and Secrets".

In 2020, Marcus was commissioned by the Singapore Puxian (Hinghwa) Network (新加坡莆仙同乡联合会) to create a 1.5m-long triptych painting, honoring the contributions of HingHwa people in Singapore. This artwork was published in the book titled Notable Hinghwa People in Singapore: Connecting Hinghwa People (《南洋莆仙人物志 新加坡卷 心系兴化人》) the following year.