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Summary: A Jew living and surviving inside Nazi Germany.
Review: Detailed journal of existence, larger than Ann Frank's diary. University professor Klemperer's belatedly found papers add a new dimension to the history of life inside the Third Reich. Because of his marriage to an Aryan, and by maintaining a very low profile and by being street smart, was he able to evade probable deportation to a concentration camp. It's like living inside enemy territory for 10 years; one incredible, unimaginable drama. But it's equally amazing how one intellectual could put up for so long with such Nazi low lifers. One can only ask: Why didn't this accomplished writer and university professor get out of Germany before life for jews became dangerous? And after the war, why did he elect to go back to Dresden to live under Soviet rule,...in what became East Germany?
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Summary: Unbelievable
Review: I have just started to read this book and it has already made a tremendous impact. Seeing what he and others have gone through in only the first 60 pages, I cannot help but wonder what the remaining pages will tell me and how he managed not only to survive the war but live for another 15 years. It is one man's account of the triumph of the human spirit against all odds, faithfully recorded in rich detail for future generations to see. Anyone who reads this cannot help but look at life in a different way.
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Summary: EXTRAORDINARY.
Review: Is 'extraordinary' a powerful enough word for this book? On reading it, I almost couldn't believe that it was genuine...but no writer of fiction could have created something as extraordinary,(I've used the word again,) as this. Klemperer was a Jew, who managed to survive the war living within Nazi Germany because he was married to a Christian woman & 'luckily' for us, he wrote EVERYTHING down. Every. Tiny. Detail. A superbly intelligent & witty man. Sometimes these kinds of books are just fascinating as eye-witness accounts, but what's unusual about this, is the fact that this man could actually write AND SO well. SO sad & frustrating that it wasn't published within his lifetime. I can't say any more. I'll never be able to say enough. Probably the most extraordinary eye-witness account about life in Nazi Germany available...NO!...that will EVER be available. Definetely the most extraordinary, (yes, it IS the right word,) book I've personally EVER read. I'm honoured in being able to recommend this to you.
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Summary: Essential Reading
Review: The extraordinary value of Klemperer's heroic diaries reside in their rich detail. Day after day, under the most unnerving circumstances imaginable, this decent, perceptive man took the time to observe and record the quotidien outrages of the Nazi horror. The result is a kind of huge pointillist canvas in which every dot of infamy, every speck of malevolence, has been precisely set down. The marvel--one might even say the miracle--is that, even in the face of Gestapo searches, any one of which might easily have resulted in his and his wife's deportation and certain murder, Klemperer had not only the self-possession but the courage to persevere. One observation he makes in this second installment of the Diaries will doubtless fuel the ongoing debate as to the culpability of ordinary non-Jewish Germans in the Holocaust, and that is that many Germans, even those in official posts, were apparently unaware not only of the death camps but even of the severe depradations under which Jews were forced to live. One German, for example, is cited as believing that one could see many more Jews in the streets in 1942 because they were heartened by America's entry into the war, whereas, as Klemperer points out, 'the Jews were more frequently to be seen on the streets because they were forbidden to take the tram', and 'the man was completely unaware of this.' Now, whether this was inadvertant or willful ignorance is a lively question, but this and other examples cited by Klemperer seem to indicate that many Germans did at least appear to be unaware of the full extent of the mad repressive decrees daily exacted against their Jewish neighbors. Some, however, clearly did know, and, as Klemperer shows, were not altogether comfortable with the passivity of their knowledge. One day he has an encounter in the street in Dresden and his description of it in his diary nicely exemplifies the dignified magnanimity with which this extraordinary man treated the guilt of his much more fortunate German compatriots. 'On Warplatz,' he says, 'two gray-haired ladies, teachers of about sixty years of age, such as often came to my lectures and talks. They stop, one comes toward me, holding out her hand. I think: a former auditor, and raise my hat. But I do not know her after all, nor does she introduce herself. She only smiles and shakes my hand, says: "You know why!" and goes before I can say a word. Such demonstrations (dangerous for both parties!) are said to happen frequently. The opposite of the recent: "Why are you still alive, you rogue! " And both of these in Germany and in the middle of the twentieth century.--' Essential as this and the first installment are for any understanding of the Holocaust, both would be much improved by much more thorough annotation. Still, that will take time, and English editor and translator Martin Chalmers has produced an admirable edition for the time being.
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Summary: The Continuation of a Most Poignant Account
Review: The second volume of Klemperer's Nazi-era diary is even more moving than the first, though the initial volume should be read before this installment. Here, the Klemperers are inside Nazi Germany for the final four years of the war. Now there are not simply rumors to generate fear, but the actual disappearance of friends, incredible hardships inflicted upon the civilian population (with particular vengeance upon those of Jewish origin, even those with a non-Jewish spouse as in Klemperer's case), the gradual dawning of recognition about the real purpose of "resettlement" to concentration camps, and the gradual but persistent physical and mental deterioration resulting from near starvation conditions. How the Klemperers survived, when so many others perished under these conditions, is simply more incredible than any fiction. Of particular interest was how completely the Klemperers were closed off from newspapers, radio broadcasts, and other sources of information we take for granted--and the resulting isolation and ignorance of what was going on outside their own community this entailed. The Klemperers final escape from Dresden after its near total incineration, on the eve of their own scheduled "resettlement," makes one realize how truly fortunate they were to come out of this experience alive. Now that the third volume (covering the postwar years) is available, Victor Klemperer has recounted his total story--one from which we can all learn.
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Summary: A very important book of a courageous man
Review: The second volume of the diaries of Victor Klemperer, a German Jew who lived through the war, starts in 1941. Victor Klemperer is married to an "Aryan" wife, Eva, which means that he is semi-privileged: he has to wear the star but he is not immediately transported to Theresienstad or Auschwitz. A lot of laws against the Jews are already in place (see the first volume), but the situation nevertheless gets worth all the time: Jews are not allowed to keep pets, so their long-time companion pet has to be put down, the rations get less and less, they have to move to smaller and smaller houses constantly and Klemperer is put to work shoveling snow, packing tea, making envelopes. Klemperer describes the everyday worries in everyday life and that is what makes the book so fascinating and important: nobody can say "they did not know", because Klemperer knew that being sent to Theresienstad or Auschwitz was essentially a death sentence. What is also impressive to follow is that constant fear, tiredness or lack of food slowly numbs a person: when the famine begins, he complains a lot about food shortages and the bad quality of the potatoes, but when this goes on longer, the notes on the subject disappear. In the beginning of February 1945 the last Jews get a notice to report for transport, but by a miracle they are saved: the same night Dresden is razed to the ground by the (in)famous bombardment, leading to a fascinating first-hand account of the experiences of a civilian in wartime. Klemperer removes his star and then the 4-month trek by foot, ox-cart, milk bus and train through war-torn Germany starts: from Dresden they travel to an old servant of theirs some 10 kilometers away, then to an old friend in Falkenburg, on to Munich, where they have to travel extensively in the surroundings before they find a place to live. After the capitulation they decide to travel back to Dresden. This whole chapter gives an impressive insight into the life of ordinary Germans in the first half of 1945. What is also impressive is the love for his wife Eva: he constantly worries about her, tries to protest her and does the little menial jobs in house. When they have to travel back to Dresden through after-war Germany, it is Eva, however, who leads the way and takes the decisions. All in all a very important diary by a very afraid, but still courageous man.
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Summary: Chilling and spell-binding
Review: This book was not as fascinating as the first volume but on reflection, when one realizes the tremendous risk he took in maintaining this diary, one must be chilled and grateful to Victor Klemperer. The book makes one realize how slow the war dragged on for people suffering under Hitler, and what seemed like fast-moving events to me as a boy living thru the war seemed an eternity to Klemperer. One can endure the awfulness of the life he led only because we know he survived. These volumes by Klemperer should be read by anyone who wants to know what daily life in Germany by a Jew was like.
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Summary: These are powerful books
Review: Victor Klemperer's diaries are essential reading for any serious student of the Third Reich. His achievement is extraordinay on every level. Even though he was victimized, he maintained a studious detachment and even after twelve years of persecution, could see the Nazi leaders in a clear and objective light. At no time did he underestimate their intelligence, or their effectiveness at controlling the German people. His voice holds the reader in thrall as he repeatedly describes the capability of Hitler and Goebbels, in particular, to manipulate and distort events to their own advantage. Nowhere is the Nazi regime's effective use of power more clearly described than it is in these pages. One of the most fascinating aspects of Klemperer's observations is that he held what we now call the Goldhagen debate within his own mind. Was antisemitism a deeply embedded and inseparable part of the German people, or not? He described acts of kindness and acts of discrimination and brutality in counterpoint over and over again. In the end, he did not form a final conclusion himself on this issue. There has been much ink spilled on the Gestapo. How effective and how pervasive was this force in institutionalized and systemic terror activities? Klemperer's detailed and careful observations over a period of years provides an insight that transcends any other. He describes not only his own mounting sense of terror at Gestapo tactics, but dispassionately describes the impact on his friends and neighbors, most of whom did not survive the experience. To the question: How much did ordinary Germans know or guess about the extermination activities in the concentration camps? Klemperer's diaries leave no doubt at all that everyone knew. Klemperer was a learned professor. He had both a strong work ethic and great courage. He attributes his survival to his wife Eva, an observation that is undoubtedly true. He wrote, she was the courier, a friend hid the pages at great risk. There is no way to overstate the importance of Klemperer's diaries. And there is no way to ever thank these people enough for their effort, courage, and sacrifice. These are powerful books.
Rating:
Summary: These are powerful books
Review: Victor Klemperer's diaries are essential reading for any serious student of the Third Reich. His achievement is extraordinay on every level. Even though he was victimized, he maintained a studious detachment and even after twelve years of persecution, could see the Nazi leaders in a clear and objective light. At no time did he underestimate their intelligence, or their effectiveness at controlling the German people. His voice holds the reader in thrall as he repeatedly describes the capability of Hitler and Goebbels, in particular, to manipulate and distort events to their own advantage. Nowhere is the Nazi regime's effective use of power more clearly described than it is in these pages. One of the most fascinating aspects of Klemperer's observations is that he held what we now call the Goldhagen debate within his own mind. Was antisemitism a deeply embedded and inseparable part of the German people, or not? He described acts of kindness and acts of discrimination and brutality in counterpoint over and over again. In the end, he did not form a final conclusion himself on this issue. There has been much ink spilled on the Gestapo. How effective and how pervasive was this force in institutionalized and systemic terror activities? Klemperer's detailed and careful observations over a period of years provides an insight that transcends any other. He describes not only his own mounting sense of terror at Gestapo tactics, but dispassionately describes the impact on his friends and neighbors, most of whom did not survive the experience. To the question: How much did ordinary Germans know or guess about the extermination activities in the concentration camps? Klemperer's diaries leave no doubt at all that everyone knew. Klemperer was a learned professor. He had both a strong work ethic and great courage. He attributes his survival to his wife Eva, an observation that is undoubtedly true. He wrote, she was the courier, a friend hid the pages at great risk. There is no way to overstate the importance of Klemperer's diaries. And there is no way to ever thank these people enough for their effort, courage, and sacrifice. These are powerful books.
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Summary: A Ten-Star Collection
Review: Volume I and this volume of Victor Klemperer's diaries as well as "The Language of the Third Reich" ("LTI") comprise the most extraordinary view of Hitler's Germany so far published. Not only are these books superbly written by an educated and perceptive man and expertly translated, they offer the most complete and engaging view ever presented of life in Nazi Germany. Born a Jew, Klemperer was a converted Christian, married to an Aryan, an anti-Zionist, and a German through and through. He also served with distinction in WWI. None of this made much difference to the Gestapo but nevertheless the Klemperers survived all 12 years of the Third Reich without being sent to a death camp, the humiliations (confiscation of car, home, pets, even Klemperer's WWI rifle bayonet!), the shortages of food and clothing, the forced manual labor. Through Klemperer's eyes we see clearly and with amazing detail and insight how the Nazis strangled initiative and freedom in Germany between 1933-1945, not only for Jews but Germans as well. We also see that anti-Semitism was not as widely spread in Germany as we might have previously believed, at least not in Dresden, where the Klemperers spent most of these horrible 12 years. It is also significant that neither Klemperer nor any of the other Jews in Dresden were aware during the war of the precise extent of the Holocaust, although they all knew that being sent to a concentration camp meant eventual death. My only criticism of these diaries is they could have used some maps of the local area and the notes should've been put at the bottom of the pages instead of at the end of the books, arranged by date. Thus it is sometimes very easy to miss the significance of certain entries. These books are required reading for anyone seriously interested in the history of Nazi Germany.
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