Hermann was born in an wealthy and newly-nobilited aristocratic family of jewish origin in Prague, Bohemian Kingdom (an old name of today's Czech Republic). Altrough his parents were formally jewish, Hermann as his brother were educated as catholics. Hermann studied at German GymnasiumNa Prikopech (Prague) and than entered Prague University. Later he studied at universities in Berlin, Heidelberg and Vienna. In 1927, he got his PhD in philosophy in Heidelberg and 1928 PhD in law in his home-town Prague. After short juridical praxis, Grab became music teacher and music-critic of Prager Montagsblatt. In 1934, he published first of his short stories in Prague magazines and in 1935 first book Der Stadtpark, an Prague novel, for its he was said to be 'Prague Proust'. After occupation of his country by Hitler between 1938 and 1939, Grab escaped to Paris. When Hitler's armies defeated France, he escaped (and lost all his manuscripts) through France and Spain to Portugal, and after all to USA. Hermann settled in New York and established small music school here, married an Belgian exulant and wrote his second book Hochzeit in Brooklyn. Serious illness not allowed him to return to Prague after WWII. Died fully invalid in 1949 in New York, buried at Flushing Cemetery, Queens,New York.
Grab's books
Der Stadtpark (Town Park), novel published in Prague 1935.
Hochzeit in Brooklyn (Marriage in Brooklyn), book of short ststories, written in 1940s, published posthumously in Vienna 1957.
Hermann has no qualms about unleashing even first-year students on unanswered questions in cell biology, trusting them to help him identify the genes responsible for producing a critical organelle in the worm's gut.
Hermann has mentored several students now working in prestigious worm-research labs, including the one run by 2002 Nobel Prize winner H. Robert Horvitz of MIT (see related article).
Hermann was investigating another facet of cell development when he happened upon animals with missing gut lysosomes.
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