Holocaust

Alexander Rosenberg was a smart and curious teenager who spoke many languages, collected stamps, played the violin, and lived a pampered life with his affluent parents in a tranquil Czechoslovakian town. The rise of fascism and Nazi Germany causes his protected existence to collapse, alongside the illusion of secular Jewish assimilation in 1930s Europe.<BR>Using their last reserves of wealth and influence to escape extermination, the Rosenbergs go underground to avoid the Gestapo. Eventually exposed, captured, and taken to Buchenwald, the largest concentration camp in Germany, Alexander and his father collaborate to survive one day at a time. A chaotic chain of events puts young Alexander at the heart of a massive armament sabotage scheme. When his father is gravely injured and disappears after an air bombing, it is up to industrious Alexander to create leverage and use wartime machinations and raw talent to save his father's life.<BR>This universal, true story of inner strength, resourcefulness and optimism was documented and written by Alexander's grandson, Oren Schneider. It is dedicated to brave people everywhere who choose not to give up.

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERWinner of the Florida Book Awards Gold MedalNew York Times bestselling author and master of nonfiction spy thrillers Larry Loftis writes the first major biography of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker who saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during WWII—at the cost of losing her family and being sent to a concentration camp, only to survive, forgive her captors, and live the rest of her life as a Christian missionary.The Watchmaker’s Daughter is one of the greatest stories of World War II that readers haven’t heard: the remarkable and inspiring life story of Corrie ten Boom—a groundbreaking, female Dutch watchmaker, whose family unselfishly transformed their house into a hiding place straight out of a spy novel to shelter Jews and refugees from the Nazis during Gestapo raids. Even though the Nazis knew what the ten Booms were up to, they were never able to find those sheltered within the house when they raided it.Corrie stopped at nothing to face down the evils of her time and overcame unbelievable obstacles and odds. She persevered despite the loss of most of her family and relied on her faith to survive the horrors of a notorious concentration camp. But even more remarkable than her heroism and survival was Corrie’s attitude when she was released. Miraculously, she was able to eschew bitterness and embrace forgiveness as she ministered to people in need around the globe. Corrie’s ability to forgive is just one of the myriad lessons that her life story holds for readers today.Reminiscent of Schindler’s List and featuring a journey of faith and forgiveness not unlike Unbroken, The Watchmaker’s Daughter is destined to become a classic work of World War II nonfiction.

Roman Halter was a spirited, optimistic schoolboy in 1939 when he and his family gathered behind the curtains to watch the Volksdeutsche (German-Polish) neighbors of their small town in western Poland greet the arrival of Hitler's armies with kisses and swastika flags. <BR>Within days, the family home had been seized, 12-year-old Roman had become a slave of the local SS chief, and, returning from an errand, he silently witnessed his Jewish classmates being bayoneted to death by soldiers at the edge of town. So began his remarkable six-year journey through some of the darkest caverns of Nazi Europe that claimed the lives of his family and the 800-strong community of his boyhood. <BR>Incredibly, he survived the Lodz ghetto, Auschwitz, the Stutthof concentration camp, and a slave factory in Dresden, only to find this his native village, post-war, was nothing like the home he remembered.

Al Kitmacher and Pearl Harris were heroes. In WWII, Al led his Jewish family to temporary safety, and through miracles he survived the Warsaw Ghetto and Nazi death camps. Pearl, with her military service, helped fellow Jews who were suffering at the hands of the Nazis. The author's family, who were lost to the Holocaust, are given a voice by recreating their lives in Nazi Europe of the 1930s and 1940s. Few methods of examining the roots of antisemitism are more revealing than the study of folklore and stereotypes. This is critical to understanding why the Holocaust happened, and why we are witnessing a resurgence of antisemitism today. The author explores folktales using a cinematic construct of the Holocaust as one part horror story, and the other part hero and superhero story. Longstanding beliefs in monsters, angels, and the supernatural are discussed. By reexamining the Holocaust, and through our joint humanity and hope, we can try to prevent a similar nightmare from happening again.<BR>

'We felt an urge to document what we had witnessed. If we who had experienced it, I reasoned, did not reveal the bitter truth, people simply would not believe the extent of the Nazis' evil. I wanted to share our life, the events and our struggle to survive.'Thomas Geve was just 15 years old when he was liberated from Buchenwald concentration camp on 11 April 1945. It was the third concentration camp he had survived. Upon arrival at Auschwitz- Birkenau, Thomas was separated from his mother and left to fend for himself in the men's camp of Auschwitz I, at the age of 13. During the 22 months he was imprisoned, he was subjected to, and forced to observe first-hand, the inhumane world of Nazi concentration camps.On his eventual release Thomas felt compelled to capture daily life in the death camps in more than eighty profoundly moving drawings. Infamous scenarios synonymous with this dark period of history were portrayed in poignant but simplistic detail with extraordinary accuracy.Despite the unspeakable events he experienced, Thomas decided to become an active witness and tell the truth about life in the camps. He has spoken to audiences from around the world and continues to raise awareness about the Holocaust.The Boy Who Drew Auschwitz presents a rare living testimony through the eyes of a child who had the unique ability to observe and remember every detail around him and chose to document it all.

Belgium, 1941. Rosa and Charles Russ give their newborn son, Jean-Pierre, to their non-Jewish friends for safekeeping; they are not aware that the couple is involved in espionage for the British, putting their baby in grave risk. In the home where they've placed their son, soirees are held for high-level Nazis who believe that the baby they bounce on their knees is Christian. The alcohol flows along with German secrets.<BR>In April 1944, Rosa and Charles are arrested and sent to Auschwitz. Both endure barbaric treatment in multiple camps. One parent succumbs a mere month before the end of WWII. The other survives to reclaim Jean-Pierre. This stranger's appearance, he recalls, is the worst day of his life. Thoroughly and meticulously researched, The Journey of a Hidden Child traces the Holocaust trajectories of Charles and Rosa, as well as Jean-Pierre's years as a hidden child. It is a story of unimaginable sacrifice and courage, testifying to the strength of the human spirit and the ability to build a new life from scratch.

This is the story of Sabine Fröhlich and the harrowing experiences of her family during the Nazi regime - experiences she did not disclose to her children for decades. Sabine was raised as Catholic with her brother Andreas. As a result, she did not understand that the rapidly emerging antisemitic propaganda would be applied to her family, including her father, a decorated German WWI veteran. She first becomes aware of her Jewish heritage when her brother is not allowed to join the popular Hitler Youth. After Kristallnacht, her family flees Germany hoping for US visas, only to become trapped in the Netherlands when the Germans invade.<BR>In June 1941, the Nazis seize her brother as hostage for an act of sabotage, deporting him to Mauthausen where he perishes within months. As the mass deportation of Jews from Amsterdam accelerates, Andreas' friends help Sabine and her parents find hiding places in the North Holland countryside where they live under false names and must move multiple times for their safety.<BR>Sabine's Odyssey is a beautifully painful memoir written by Agnes Schipper in honor of her mother's life during World War II and of her father, a member of the Dutch Resistance. In it, Agnes retells the story of her mother's struggles during her hidden years. Yet this is not merely a story of struggle, but one of kindness, courage, and resistance. This memoir gives voice to those who stayed silent for years.

A story of struggle, heroism, and triumph during the rise of fascism and communismIn the Time of Madmen examines a journey of discovery through the eyes of one family against world events of the past 125 years. Hope, love and resilience sustained them.The story focuses primarily on the life of the author's mother, Katheryn (1921-2014). Her drive and perseverance led her to the brink of achieving her dream of competing in the Olympics and then studying medicine, only to have that dream derailed by WWII.At the age of 18, she was taken from her home near present day Zagreb (Croatia) and forced to serve as a slave laborer in Lübeck (Germany). She survived near starvation, grievous injuries during a bombing, and tuberculosis. All the time, she had to hide her Jewish ancestry to protect herself and her sisters. The author's father, Jure (1913-1988), also cheated death many times. The Nazis wanted to send him to a death camp because they believed he was a Gypsy, but quick thinking saved his life. One can only describe their chance meeting in 1942, amidst the chaos in Europe, as fate and a tribute to the power of love.Identity is a product of time and place. Who we are is inextricably linked to the forces of history. Context matters. The present rise of strongmen of all stripes provides a cautionary lesson for us.

Stutthofin keskitysleirillä natsi-Saksassa oli erityisen huono maine - vain harva selvisi paikasta elossa pois. Puolan alueella sijainneelle leirille päätyi myös suomalaisia. Veijo Johansson oli suomalainen merimies, joka joutui leirille suomalaisten ja saksalaisten yhteistyön loputtua jatkosodan aikana. Juutalainen Lily Millner puolestaan oli alun perin liettualainen, mutta päätyi sukulaissuhteiden takia asumaan Suomeen sodan jälkeen.<BR><BR>"Kaasukammion varjossa: suomalaiskohtaloita Stutthofin kuolemanleirillä" perustuu sekä Johanssonin ja Millnerin kauhistuttaviin kokemuksiin natsi-Saksan julmuuksista - ja kertoo myös Millnerin kokemuksen siitä, kuinka naispuolinen vartija pelasti hänet kaasukammiolta. <BR><BR><BR>-

"I spent the first three years of my life unaware of the disaster that had befallen my family." Annette Libeskind Berkovits writes: "I was shaped by the aftermath of the Holocaust...I adapted...grew a protective shield for self-preservation, then put on a smile and moved forward to meet the world on my own terms." She was born in exile among the red poppy-strewn foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and raised in Soviet Kyrgyzstan. Annette and her parents returned via cattle train to Poland only to discover that the Nazis had murdered almost their entire extended family and reduced their homes to rubble. After her parents obtained exit visas from the Soviet authorities, she became a teenage immigrant to two different countries in the space of two years. Israel, a country barely ten years old - rough, sweet, vibrant, with its brilliant sky and azure sea - was like stepping into Technicolor after Poland's dreary grays. Annette fell in love with it. But just two years later Annette's life was upended again when the family was driven to emigrate to America. Leaving the blue of Israel behind Annette was greeted by the green patina of the Statue of Liberty as the ship reached New York harbor. Her father and an Auschwitz survivor aunt welcomed the family with excitement, but many obstacles lay ahead. The American immigrant experience is realized here from a perspective of a young girl. New languages, customs, and cultures, learned at lightning speed while mastering the normal angst of adolescence, make this a vivid and immersive memoir, rich with the detail of everyday life. Annette graduated from one of the most selective public high schools in America and later became an internationally respected wildlife conservation educator and a writer of memoir, poetry, and historical fiction. Her brother, Daniel Libeskind, the internationally renowned architect, is very much a part of her story.<BR>

Argentina, 1960. Sono passati quindici anni dalla caduta del nazismo e Adolf Eichmann, ex tenente delle SS scampato al processo di Norimberga, si è rifatto una vita sotto falso nome. Niente in lui conserva i segni dell¿ufficiale del Reich che ha contribuito a rendere possibile la soluzione finale. Adesso si chiama Ricardo Klement e vive in un sobborgo di Buenos Aires insieme alla moglie Vera e ai figli. Abita in una casupola senza acqua corrente né elettricità e lavora in una fabbrica della Mercedes. Ancora non sa, Eichmann, che i suoi giorni sono contati e incombe su di lui il momento in cui dovrà affrontare il passato. L¿agente del Mossad Zvi Aharoni è sulle sue tracce, pronto a tutto pur di consegnarlo alla giustizia israeliana. Quella che ci viene raccontata in queste pagine dalla viva voce dei suoi due protagonisti, di cui Riccardo Gazzaniga ha magistralmente interpretato pensieri, paure e turbamenti, è una delle vicende di spionaggio più incredibili del Ventesimo secolo: una storia potente e appassionante, che scandaglia gli abissi insondabili dell¿animo umano. In una narrazione che ha il ritmo della spy story e la profondità dei romanzi di realtà, Gazzaniga si spinge all¿origine del Male, componendo i ritratti sconvolgenti di due esistenze che hanno segnato in modo indelebile il Novecento.

Tote soll man ruhen lassen, hiess es im Familienkreis. Jahrzehntelang wurde die Wahrheit über meine Grosstante Friederike totgeschwiegen. Bis ich im Nachlass meines Urgrossvaters einzelne Kopien seiner Korrespondenz mit den Behörden fand. Kurz vor ihrem Tod erleichterte Friederikes Schwester ihr Gewissen und half das dunkle Kapitel unserer Familiengeschichte weiter aufzuklären. Die Geschichte vom staatlichem Massenmord unter dem Deckmantel der "Euthanasie" im dritten Reich in Deutschland. Dieses Büchlein enthält die Ergebnisse meiner Recherchen zum grausamen Tod von Friedericke.Ein Schicksal, dass Friederike mit tausenden anderen Opfern teilt.

The remarkable stories of Rachel Genuth, a poor Jewish teenager from the Hungarian provinces, and Hugh Llewelyn Glyn Hughes, a high-ranking military doctor in the British Second Army, who converge in Bergen-Belsen, where the girl fights for her life and the doctor struggles to save thousands on the brink of death.On April 15, 1945, Brigadier H. L. Glyn Hughes entered Bergen-Belsen for the first time. Waiting for him were 10,000 unburied, putrefying corpses and 60,000 living prisoners, starving and sick. One month earlier, 15-year-old Rachel Genuth arrived at Bergen-Belsen; deported with her family from Sighet, Transylvania, in May of 1944, Rachel had by then already endured Auschwitz, the Christianstadt labor camp, and a forced march through the Sudetenland. In All the Horrors of War, Bernice Lerner follows both Hughes and Genuth as they move across Europe toward Bergen-Belsen in the final, brutal year of World War II. The book begins at the end: with Hughes's searing testimony at the September 1945 trial of Josef Kramer, commandant of Bergen-Belsen, along with forty-four SS (Schutzstaffel) members and guards. "I have been a doctor for thirty years and seen all the horrors of war," Hughes said, "but I have never seen anything to touch it." The narrative then jumps back to the spring of 1944, following both Hughes and Rachel as they navigate their respective forms of wartime hell until confronting the worst: Christianstadt's prisoners, including Rachel, are deposited in Bergen-Belsen, and the British Second Army, having finally breached the fortress of Germany, assumes control of the ghastly camp after a negotiated surrender. Though they never met, it was Hughes's commitment to helping as many prisoners as possible that saved Rachel's life. Drawing on a wealth of sources, including Hughes's papers, war diaries, oral histories, and interviews, this gripping volume combines scholarly research with narrative storytelling in describing the suffering of Nazi victims, the overwhelming presence of death at Bergen-Belsen, and characters who exemplify the human capacity for fortitude. Lerner, Rachel's daughter, has special insight into the torment her mother suffered. The first book to pair the story of a Holocaust victim with that of a liberator, All the Horrors of War compels readers to consider the full, complex humanity of both.