Synopses & Reviews
From pre-Hitler Germany to Kristallnacht, a lastminute escape from the Holocaust, and on to a life on three continents, this book catalogs the experiences of one Jewish family as the events of the twentieth century overturned its settled existence and scattered the family across the globe. Enhanced by excerpts from several historical diaries, and lavishly illustrated with photographs and maps, this personal history of triumph despite persecution is a microcosm of the life of the Jewish people.
Synopsis
We Were Europeans vividly captures the experiences of a prominent Jewish family as the events of the twentieth century overturned their settled existence and scattered them across the globe.
From a fully emancipated, comfortable life in pre-Hitler Germany to the horror of Kristallnacht, the book describes a last-minute escape from the Holocaust by the children on the Kindertransport and by the parents via Siberia, followed by life on three continents. Included are excerpts from several historical diaries, including a personal diary written on the German front lines during World War I; a young girl's diary begun in Germany by the author's sister in the 1930s, continued in England and ending in colorful Ecuador where the family found temporary refuge; and extracts from a diary kept by the head of the Jewish community of Bamberg. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and maps, this personal history of triumph despite persecution is a microcosm of the fate of the Jewish people