Survival in the Shadows

Seven Jews Hidden in Hitler’s Berlin

By Barbara Lovenheim

Cloth - 9780971068629
Price: $29.95s

Paper - 9780971068636
Price: $16.95s

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Published 2003
Pages: 232

Subjects: Jewish Studies: Holocaust Studies

Publisher: Center for Holocaust Awareness and Information


Description

When Red Army soldiers discovered the Arndt, Lewinsky, and Gumpel families in April 1945, there were seven survivors—the largest known group of German Jews to survive in hiding in the heart of the Third Reich. In January 1943 the four Arndts went into hiding to avoid deportation and were soon joined by Ellen and Charlotte Lewinsky and Bruno Gumpel. For two and a half years the group survived in the shadowy underworld of Berlin—without food ration cards, identity cards, or secure accommodations—less than two miles from Hitler's bunker. During their perilous saga they were protected by more than fifty non-Jewish Germans.

This is not only a story of tremendous courage, resourcefulness, and stamina during the darkest days of Hitler’s rule, but it also shows that anti-Semitism was not as ubiquitous among ordinary Germans as is commonly thought. Ellen and Erich Arndt and Ruth Arndt Gumpel, who live in the United States, here reveal their story in detail.

Published by Center for Holocaust Awareness and Information

Author(s)

Barbara Lovenheim has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, and many other publications.

Reviews

“An astonishing tale of lives lived in the lion's den.”

— The Jewish Chronicle, London


“An important book that does not try to seek excuses for those who did nothing to help.”

— Klaus Schuetz, Former Mayor of Berlin


"It skillfully blends the voices of the survivors with historical information and moral reflection. Furthermore, Lovenheim is successful in integrating the survivor’s accounts of living in the nucleus of Hitler’s rapacious empire with their present-day reflections on the continuing significance of that experience."

— Jewish Book World


"An extraordinary book, skillfully written, about seven ordinary Jews trapped in the belly of the Nazi beast."

— Alan B. Berger, Chair of Holocaust Studies, Florida Atlantic University


"The courage of the protectors, who refused to put personal safety first, renews one’s faith in the survival of altruism and integrity."

— The Sunday Times, London


"Once again it is an American author who shows, with brutal clarity, how much would have been possible if more citizens had found the courage to take on dangers or even only inconveniences on behalf of their Jewish neighbors."

— Klaus Harpprecht, (former speechwriter for Willy Brandt), Süddeutsche Zeitung


"At times deeply moving, the book shows in a compelling way the variety of attitudes among Germans toward the Jews and presents dramatic counter testimony to those who would paint a one-dimensional picture."

— Michael Berenbaum, Former Director of Research, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum