On the Other Side -- To My Children: From Germany 1940-1945

Synopsis

In October 1940 Mathilde Wolff-Mönckeberg wrote the first of a series of letters to her children. It was never sent. She was in Hamburg and they were far away, 'on the other side', in Wales, the USA and Denmark. Nevertheless she continued to write throughout the war, and these 'diary-letters' grew into a remarkable journal describing daily life under almost constant bombing, the author's hopes and fears, the progress of the war she hated. Not expecting to survive, this journal was her testament to her children and grandchildren. She did survive, however, and the manuscript was put aside; it was discovered nearly thirty years later by her daughter, Ruth Evans. On the Other Side is a human document of great historical interest: an account by a cultured, liberal, anti-Nazi woman of the day-to-day destruction of a city and its people. Firmly rooted in Hamburg--her father had been Lord Mayor, her husband, Emil Wolff, was a distinguished professor at the University--and yet cosmopolitan in outlook, with strong cultural and family ties with 'the enemy', Mathilde Wolff-Mönckeberg offers a unique perspective. Her letters give a harrowing description of civilian life under the incessant bombardment of total war. We also experience the propagandist reporting of the war from the German press and public announcements, and the civilian reaction to the ebb and flow of the tide leading up to the final invasion of Germany's frontiers. We share her anxieties for her children, her sorrow as those close to her die, and most poignantly, her bewilderment as the city she loves is annihilated by a people--the English--she has always respected and admired. However, what remains in the reader's mind are the inspired human qualities of the author--her courage as she is forced continually to re-examine her ideals and convictions. her unshakeable belief in justice and man's humanity, and her wisdom and compassion which illuminate every page of these letters to her 'beloved, far-away children'.

Copyright:

1979

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

174 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780831766795

Publisher:

Mayflower Books Ltd

Date of Addition:

01/17/12

Copyrighted By:

Ruth Evans

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Military, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs

Submitted By:

Jamie Yates

Proofread By:

Kari G

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.