Walter Benjamin's life ended tragically:  while trying to flee through Spain, he and his group were detained by the Spanish authorities.  Fearing they would, in the end, be forced to turn back, he committed suicide.  The rest of his group was allowed to resume travel a few days later.

Georg Benjamin (1895-1942) was well-known in Berlin for his work on behalf of the poor of the city.  He was murdered in the Holocaust.  His wife survived, and became known for her harsh sentencing as Vice-President of the Supreme Court of the German Democratic Republic (the former East Germany).  She was also Minister of Justice from 1953 to 1967.