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Inge: A Girl's Journey Through Nazi Europe
In early 1939, after Kristallnacht, young Inge Joseph's family in Germany is broken apart, and her desperate mother sends her alone to Brussels to live with wealthy relatives. But she soon finds herself one of a hundred Jewish children fleeing for their lives following Hitler's invasions of Belgium and France. For a time, in 1941 and 1942, it seems as if Inge and the others have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, as they find shelter through the Swiss Red Cross in an idyllic fifteenth-century French chateau. Inge even finds love there. But the rumors and horrors of the Holocaust are never far away, and eventually French gendarmes surprise the children, taking them from their protectors to a nearby transit camp. In their desperate attempts to escape, Inge and her boyfriend face unexpected life-and-death decisions - wrenching decisions that will haunt Inge for the rest of her life. manuscript, found after her death; David Gumpert has also drawn from Inge's personal letters, from the recollections of friends, relatives, and people who were with her in Europe, and from his own close relationship with his aunt. One of the most dramatic stories of Christian rescue of Jewish children during the Holocaust, Inge is at the same time a totally frank account of the life and feelings of a teenage girl struggling to survive the Holocaust on her own - and of how the effects of that experience reverberated through her life and on into the lives of her descendants. No matter how or why one reads it, Inge is a story of survival not soon to be forgotten.
291 pages, Hardcover
First published February 29, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 13, 2018
A unique story of a Holocaust child survivor
'Poignant Holocaust survival story compiled and published after his aunt died. Her nephew's devotion to her during her life and afterward by completing research to publish her memoir is deeply heartfelt. I have an interest in researching children of Chateau de la Hille and books related to Kristallnacht after reading this tribute to Inge Joseph Bleier.
'Poignant Holocaust survival story compiled and published after his aunt died. Her nephew's devotion to her during her life and afterward by completing research to publish her memoir is deeply heartfelt. I have an interest in researching children of Chateau de la Hille and books related to Kristallnacht after reading this tribute to Inge Joseph Bleier.
July 13, 2021
This is one of those books that stayed with me for a long time. One of my all time favorites.
Excellent Compilation by a Nephew of his aunt’s journey hiding, escaping, and aftermath as a Jewish child hidden in Europe during the Holocaust.
Manuscript by Inge Joseph, one of the German Jewish Children hidden in Europe. It was found by and then added to by research and interviews of her nephew of others who Inge had lived with. Inge’s feelings of rejection and trauma’s from hiding and escape attempts color the remainder of her life. Her nephew, David Gumpert masterfully weaves this all into her story and associated stories of children who escaped and those who didn’t. This book was painful to read, but demonstrates once again how hate of a people group effected our entire world. But it also includes the sacrificial and courageous efforts of many who stood up against such incredible evil.
Spoiler Do not read further!
In the end, Hitler kills her. She is never able to fully escape and slowly dies through self medication and survivors guilt.
Excellent Compilation by a Nephew of his aunt’s journey hiding, escaping, and aftermath as a Jewish child hidden in Europe during the Holocaust.
Manuscript by Inge Joseph, one of the German Jewish Children hidden in Europe. It was found by and then added to by research and interviews of her nephew of others who Inge had lived with. Inge’s feelings of rejection and trauma’s from hiding and escape attempts color the remainder of her life. Her nephew, David Gumpert masterfully weaves this all into her story and associated stories of children who escaped and those who didn’t. This book was painful to read, but demonstrates once again how hate of a people group effected our entire world. But it also includes the sacrificial and courageous efforts of many who stood up against such incredible evil.
Spoiler Do not read further!
In the end, Hitler kills her. She is never able to fully escape and slowly dies through self medication and survivors guilt.
November 14, 2019
I loved this book. It is the experience of Inge Joseph during World War II. His Jewish family had the opportunity to emigrate to Uruguay in 1934 but for fear of running out of money, his father decided that it was better to stay in Germany and attend his soap factory. Then on November 10, 1936, his father is reported to the police by Heinrich Gunther.
The police rushed to imprison him. Therefore, the mother had to take care of Inge and her sister Lilo. They immediately contacted Robert Joseph, cousin of the dad who lives in NYC to support them with visas. Only Lilo could leave, so they said goodbye in 1938, hoping that at least Inge would be next. It was not so, the situation became even more complicated and the mother sent Inge to Belgium where her husband's cousin, Gustav Wurzweiler lives. That is the last time she saw her mother at the train station in Cologne. Her father is released and also escapes to Belgium but naturally, the war continued. Belgium was no longer a safe place to stay, so her dad arranges visas to England. He leaves by himself leaving his daughter at the mercy of her luck. Inge is later helped by the Swiss Red Cross, who cared for her among other children in the Chateau La Hille in southern France.
The book made a huge impression on me because I felt very angry against Inge's father, they didn't go to Uruguay when they had the chance. But I understand he had no idea what was going to happen. The worst was the event when he gets a visa for him and not for his daughter or his wife. But, Inge is strong and, worthy of admiration. This is what keeps her alive during the war.
The police rushed to imprison him. Therefore, the mother had to take care of Inge and her sister Lilo. They immediately contacted Robert Joseph, cousin of the dad who lives in NYC to support them with visas. Only Lilo could leave, so they said goodbye in 1938, hoping that at least Inge would be next. It was not so, the situation became even more complicated and the mother sent Inge to Belgium where her husband's cousin, Gustav Wurzweiler lives. That is the last time she saw her mother at the train station in Cologne. Her father is released and also escapes to Belgium but naturally, the war continued. Belgium was no longer a safe place to stay, so her dad arranges visas to England. He leaves by himself leaving his daughter at the mercy of her luck. Inge is later helped by the Swiss Red Cross, who cared for her among other children in the Chateau La Hille in southern France.
The book made a huge impression on me because I felt very angry against Inge's father, they didn't go to Uruguay when they had the chance. But I understand he had no idea what was going to happen. The worst was the event when he gets a visa for him and not for his daughter or his wife. But, Inge is strong and, worthy of admiration. This is what keeps her alive during the war.
January 31, 2020
Inge Joseph Bleier and David E. Gumpert’s book “Inge” is a historical memoir that has a lot of emotion in it. The author Inge Joseph was a Jewish girl who wrote about her experience in the 1940s after Hitler started taking over. She had to experience the harsh things that Hitler made the Jews go through. This book clearly showed how hard it was for everyone back then and the sacrifices they had to make to survive. This book is similar to Anne Frank's book about Nazi Germany in that both girls experienced it. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in what happened when Hitler was in control of Germany.
August 8, 2019
This is a WWII book about a German girls journey of survival through Nazi Europe. It is not your typical WWII book and offers a different perspective of the horrors of war.
A good read.
A good read.
April 17, 2012
A poignant reminder that even those who outlive a war don’t always survive it, Inge’s story was for me at once gripping and bittersweet — impossible to put down while I was reading it, and impossible to put out of my mind when I was finished.
October 22, 2009
an interesting memoir of her experience during the war and a sad commentary on the rest of her life.
July 31, 2014
Ive read many holocaust survivor stories, and I really found this one to be very attention holding and in-depth.
November 14, 2015
Very good read. Engrossing.
July 18, 2018
So heartbreaking! This woman did everything possible to overcome and live with what happened to her and her family during the holocaust. Recommend to anyone interested in stories of survivors.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews