The Hitler Years; Through the Eyes of a Child
Henderson, NC: The Cheerful Word LLC, 2016. First Printing [Stated]. Trade paperback. [2], xii, 227, [3] pages. The cover has some wear and soiling, and a curved edge. Inscription by the author on the title page has an address sticker pasted over the recipient. The rest of the inscription reads So glad you are enjoying this. Charlotte. Charlotte Self (1920-2019) was born in Munster, S. Germany; daughter of physician parents; her father was Dr. Otto Marienfeld, and her mother was Frau Doctor Annamarie Hugues. In 1945 she moved to England, where she received her degree in Micro Biology and married Eric Dugdale. In 1946 they moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In 1955 she moved to the United States where she became a micro biologist and, among other activities, she specialized in the Neo-Natal program for CAMLT in Los Angeles where she worked until her retirement in 2001. She published a book – "The Hitler Years through the Eyes of a Child"; in which she described her life in Germany during the Hitler years. Charlotte grew up in Northern Germany with her grandmother and mother during the years that the Nazi Party took over the civil government of Germany. Her book is an homage, a memoir, and a warning. As an homage it honors her mother, a dedicated medical doctor and a devoted single parent. Dr. Hugues kept their lives on an even keel as the Nazi horrors mounted, even as she worked with underground organizations opposed to Hitler. Her efforts, which included sending Charlotte as a courier to Austria, saved the lives of people on the Nazi hit list. As a memoir, this childhood account of pre-war and wartime Nazi Germany is unique in expressing the emotion and knowledge of those years, taking us through unexpected moments of humor and levity to the chilling account of growing up as a child in the Hitler era. Later in the war, displaced souls-some from concentration camps-began flooding their city seeking help at their door. Before the Hitler years, Germany was a world leader in all things civilized. Music, poetry, science and religion. This book reflects what can happen when a highly civilized nation falls prey to demagoguery and populism. This is not only a story of Hitler and WWII, it is the love story of a three generations of women who helped change the course of German history, one life at a time. Charlotte Self's memoir provides a masterful and fascinating account of how life unfolded for average German citizens during the long nightmare of Hitler's rule, his tyranny over the entire country, and his aggressions in World War II. More important, it provides deeply probing insights into the hearts and souls of the many honorable Germans who hated Hitler and tried to avoid serving him. As Charlotte acknowledges, the entire period was a disaster for Germany, but even Hitler was unable to extinguish the decency of many Germans. This is precisely why West Germany, after the war, quickly emerged as a stable democracy and a good ally of the United States and its NATO partners. Charlotte's inspiring memoir deserves to be read as a seminal contribution to the vast literature on Nazi Germany and World War II in Europe. Condition: Good.
Keywords: Mecklenburg, Gypsies, Olympic Games, Anschluss, Concentration Camps, Kristallnacht, Refugees, Strudel, Battle of the Bulge, Bombing, Schwerin, British Military Occupation, Survival, Resistance
[Book #87661]
Price: $125.00