What do you think?
Rate this book
Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew's Defiance in a Time of Terror
An intimate history of the Holocaust, drawn from the final days of a Jewish family in Munich Postcards to Hitler tells the story of a Jewish family in Munich living as close neighbors to the demagogue who becomes the Nazi Führer—Adolf Hitler. In a story passionately told by one of their descendants, the narrative begins as Benno Neuburger, a modest German land investor from Munich, and Anna Einstein, daughter of a cattle dealer, meet at a seder in Laupheim and soon marry. The year is 1907, a relatively prosperous, optimistic time for German Jews, and there is little hint that this good fortune might soon unravel. Of all the Jews in Europe, Germans like the Neuburgers feel most secure.When, on a warm July day in 1914, an assassination strikes an “obscure” Balkan corner of the continent, the news passes through Munich’s beer-gardens like a cold wind. Far from a fleeting chill, what follows is the time of prolonged bloodshed known as World War I, followed by a period of German humiliation, resurgent revolution, and a brief left-led democratic interlude in Munich. What might have been a site of socialist experimentation instead becomes the epicenter of German fascism, and as Benno and Anna and their extended families cling with vain hope to a peaceful resolution, their beloved haven degenerates into a state of racialized madness. A bloody pogrom is chased by a second world war, followed by evictions, “resettlements” and far worse, sounding an inescapable knell despite desperate and defiant acts of resistance.Postcards to Hitler is a deeply researched history drawn from personal interviews and archival documents including Benno’s and Anna’s final letters—written amid a slow-moving parade of horror until the frail boundaries between themselves and the Holocaust ultimately vanish.
456 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 9, 2024
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 12, 2025
This audiobook was well presented and recorded. The subject matter as heavy a read as you would expect.
That being said, I felt that the title was confusing and ill-fitting, as I imagined how it applied as the story was told. Eventually, the reasoning behind the title was clear; but didn’t matter to me any more. While an important part of one biography, this book was so much more.
This book was created after the compilation of correspondence between members of an extended family- four in fact. Woven with known family histories and official records from the Third Reich, this story will tie together all the 1917-1943 events you learned in European History class; making them memorable as you meet the Neuburger and Einstein families.
It was not an easy or fast read, but I do recommend it for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how our world allowed The Holocaust.
That being said, I felt that the title was confusing and ill-fitting, as I imagined how it applied as the story was told. Eventually, the reasoning behind the title was clear; but didn’t matter to me any more. While an important part of one biography, this book was so much more.
This book was created after the compilation of correspondence between members of an extended family- four in fact. Woven with known family histories and official records from the Third Reich, this story will tie together all the 1917-1943 events you learned in European History class; making them memorable as you meet the Neuburger and Einstein families.
It was not an easy or fast read, but I do recommend it for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how our world allowed The Holocaust.
April 28, 2024
Review of Postcards To Hitler (written by Dr. Rodger K. Scott, a personal friend of the author)
Bruce Neuburger has written a 408-page book that is remarkable in many ways about his grandfather, Benno Neuburger. The story of Benno’s life could be told in a few paragraphs, but grandson Bruce Neuburger has created a thoroughly researched book that includes the major events of Benno's life, scores of major historical documents of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, and transcripts recorded by Gestapo bureaucrats who interrogated Benno after he was arrested for sending 14 postcards to Hitler, calling him a “beast, idiot, tyrant and mass murderer.” Benno also condemned Hitler for his plan to kill 5 million Jews. Author Neuburger also invokes the poetic license of introducing fictitious characters to shape the inspiring narrative of his history-making grandfather. For me, some of the most compelling parts of the book are the notes on the interrogations by the Gestapo bureaucrat, who asked Benno why he had called Hitler an idiot and a thief. Benno’s response was that Hitler thought the Jews had no minds of their own and he was a thief because he stole everything they owned. During the last interrogation, another Gestapo agent burst into the room to announce gleefully the false news that Moscow had fallen and Nazi tanks were approaching the Kremlin.
A few days later, Benno was brought into the interrogation room for one last time to sign his confession. A photographer was there to take the photo of Benno for the formal documents. As the photographer was operating his camera, the inspector who had witnessed part of the interrogation told the photographer to wait: “Our Israel Neuburger is a formal dresser, so we need to make sure he's dressed properly for this portrait photo.” The inspector left the room and returned with a bow tie in his hand and stood in front of Benno, whose hands were cuffed behind his back. As the gestapo inspector placed the bow tie on the collar of Benno's white shirt, he left the tie at an angle below his neck. A bureaucrat sitting at a desk in the room looked over at Benno's face, which was drawn and covered in bruises, and said: “Hey, why don't we make a postcard from this photo and put it in the mail? Now that would promote some terror.”
Benno was transported to the People's Court in Berlin and at the end of the short trial the presiding judge read the following statement: In the name of the German people the People's Court hereby finds defendant Benno Israel Neuberger guilty of conspiring to commit the high crime of treason. It sentences the defendant to be put to death and the convicted is hereby directed to pay for the cost of the trial and the execution. And the funds were taken from Benno’s bank account after his death. Benno was executed by guillotine in Berlin on September 18, 1942. Anna was murdered at the concentration camp in Treblinka, Poland on September 19, 1942.
Benno Israel Neuburger was an ordinary man who sent 14 postcards insulting Adolf Hitler, the most powerful leader in Germany and one of the most prolific mass murderers in history. Benno fought with courage and the moral conviction of his rage, using postcards, the only weapon he had. Bruce Neuburger takes great pride in his grandfather Benno’s courageous and imaginative act of insulting one of the most evil, genocidal maniacs the world has known by sending ordinary postcards to identify Hitler as an “idiot, thief, and mass murderer.” Writer and activist Bruce Neuburger also exemplifies Benno’s courage and humanity by pointing out in current book promotions, speeches and rallies the parallels between the Nazi Genocide and other crimes against humanity of the Third Reich and the current Genocide in Gaza. He comments on Benno’s role in history: If there's any broader importance it is that the desire, means, and courage to resist oppression exist even in the most repressive societies and such resistance is never futile
Bruce Neuburger has written a 408-page book that is remarkable in many ways about his grandfather, Benno Neuburger. The story of Benno’s life could be told in a few paragraphs, but grandson Bruce Neuburger has created a thoroughly researched book that includes the major events of Benno's life, scores of major historical documents of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, and transcripts recorded by Gestapo bureaucrats who interrogated Benno after he was arrested for sending 14 postcards to Hitler, calling him a “beast, idiot, tyrant and mass murderer.” Benno also condemned Hitler for his plan to kill 5 million Jews. Author Neuburger also invokes the poetic license of introducing fictitious characters to shape the inspiring narrative of his history-making grandfather. For me, some of the most compelling parts of the book are the notes on the interrogations by the Gestapo bureaucrat, who asked Benno why he had called Hitler an idiot and a thief. Benno’s response was that Hitler thought the Jews had no minds of their own and he was a thief because he stole everything they owned. During the last interrogation, another Gestapo agent burst into the room to announce gleefully the false news that Moscow had fallen and Nazi tanks were approaching the Kremlin.
A few days later, Benno was brought into the interrogation room for one last time to sign his confession. A photographer was there to take the photo of Benno for the formal documents. As the photographer was operating his camera, the inspector who had witnessed part of the interrogation told the photographer to wait: “Our Israel Neuburger is a formal dresser, so we need to make sure he's dressed properly for this portrait photo.” The inspector left the room and returned with a bow tie in his hand and stood in front of Benno, whose hands were cuffed behind his back. As the gestapo inspector placed the bow tie on the collar of Benno's white shirt, he left the tie at an angle below his neck. A bureaucrat sitting at a desk in the room looked over at Benno's face, which was drawn and covered in bruises, and said: “Hey, why don't we make a postcard from this photo and put it in the mail? Now that would promote some terror.”
Benno was transported to the People's Court in Berlin and at the end of the short trial the presiding judge read the following statement: In the name of the German people the People's Court hereby finds defendant Benno Israel Neuberger guilty of conspiring to commit the high crime of treason. It sentences the defendant to be put to death and the convicted is hereby directed to pay for the cost of the trial and the execution. And the funds were taken from Benno’s bank account after his death. Benno was executed by guillotine in Berlin on September 18, 1942. Anna was murdered at the concentration camp in Treblinka, Poland on September 19, 1942.
Benno Israel Neuburger was an ordinary man who sent 14 postcards insulting Adolf Hitler, the most powerful leader in Germany and one of the most prolific mass murderers in history. Benno fought with courage and the moral conviction of his rage, using postcards, the only weapon he had. Bruce Neuburger takes great pride in his grandfather Benno’s courageous and imaginative act of insulting one of the most evil, genocidal maniacs the world has known by sending ordinary postcards to identify Hitler as an “idiot, thief, and mass murderer.” Writer and activist Bruce Neuburger also exemplifies Benno’s courage and humanity by pointing out in current book promotions, speeches and rallies the parallels between the Nazi Genocide and other crimes against humanity of the Third Reich and the current Genocide in Gaza. He comments on Benno’s role in history: If there's any broader importance it is that the desire, means, and courage to resist oppression exist even in the most repressive societies and such resistance is never futile
May 13, 2025
Postcards to Hitler, by Bruce Neuberger, is an extraordinary account of the Holocaust as viewed through the eyes primarily of a particular German Jew, Benno Neuberger, and written by his grandson, Bruce, from letters he received through his family and by interviewing family members.
The chronology of the story ranges from 1907 to 1942 and much of the pre-Nazi history of Germany is, frankly, rather cumbersomely presented in what can only be described as something resembling feather dusting scenes in the form of beer hall discussions among Benno Neuberger and several of his friends. Highly informed and astute discussions for a beer hall, perhaps. This information covered in these discussions lays the groundwork for helping to understand the support later given to the Nazi party but, I think, to those with a solid knowledge of that history these scenes may prove redundant while those with little knowledge of this background may find it cumbersome.
However, once Hitler enters the picture the book takes a fascinating and worrisome turn. Some characters can see the the troubling warning signs and manage to escape Germany as more and more of their civil rights are taken from the Jews while others, including Benno, believe it to be a passing phase and everything will eventually be alright - until it isn’t and it is too late.
Once Benno accepts reality he decides on an individual course of defiance by sending to Hitler a series of anonymous postcards defaming him. That is until the Gestapo successfully traces them and arrests him. Benno then bravely meets his fate.
It is impossible to measure the impact the effects of this one man’s resistance; if it influenced or inspired others such as the White Rose, but this book will certainly immortalize forever in the pages of literature this one man’s courage in the face of overwhelming evil. It is also featured in a video viewable at postcardstohitler.com, though it is in German.
Brief descriptions of all persons mentioned are listed in the book including their fates.
Certainly not an uplifting book, and not for the casual reader, however the importance of being able to recognize when a group’s rights are being taken away bit by bit and what can happen when evil is met with complacency makes this book a valuable read.
The chronology of the story ranges from 1907 to 1942 and much of the pre-Nazi history of Germany is, frankly, rather cumbersomely presented in what can only be described as something resembling feather dusting scenes in the form of beer hall discussions among Benno Neuberger and several of his friends. Highly informed and astute discussions for a beer hall, perhaps. This information covered in these discussions lays the groundwork for helping to understand the support later given to the Nazi party but, I think, to those with a solid knowledge of that history these scenes may prove redundant while those with little knowledge of this background may find it cumbersome.
However, once Hitler enters the picture the book takes a fascinating and worrisome turn. Some characters can see the the troubling warning signs and manage to escape Germany as more and more of their civil rights are taken from the Jews while others, including Benno, believe it to be a passing phase and everything will eventually be alright - until it isn’t and it is too late.
Once Benno accepts reality he decides on an individual course of defiance by sending to Hitler a series of anonymous postcards defaming him. That is until the Gestapo successfully traces them and arrests him. Benno then bravely meets his fate.
It is impossible to measure the impact the effects of this one man’s resistance; if it influenced or inspired others such as the White Rose, but this book will certainly immortalize forever in the pages of literature this one man’s courage in the face of overwhelming evil. It is also featured in a video viewable at postcardstohitler.com, though it is in German.
Brief descriptions of all persons mentioned are listed in the book including their fates.
Certainly not an uplifting book, and not for the casual reader, however the importance of being able to recognize when a group’s rights are being taken away bit by bit and what can happen when evil is met with complacency makes this book a valuable read.
December 31, 2025
I was really drawn into this book! I've read quite a bit about modern German history and the Holocaust. The author skillfully wove two elements into this narrative that are unusual in biographies of everyday people from this era that make this book well worth your time.
The story of Benno and Anna brings to life the tremendous changes that German Jews experienced in a few short decades after German unification in 1871, with their formal, legal emancipation that year. When the book opens, Anna's family still lives a traditional life in the "Jewish quarter" of the village they'd been forced to live in for generations, while Benno's has already moved to Munich, a booming metropolis. The subsequent social transformations these demographic shifts entailed for most Jews - in religious practices, women's role, professional opportunities - are often overshadowed by the culturally, socially, and politically more prominent Jewish life in Berlin, but understanding them is important to understanding why, like Benno, so many Jews of his generation had a hard time coming to grips with the mobilization of virulent antisemitism even as it loomed larger and larger. They had come so far, how could all that possibly be erased?
Similarly, the author has integrated major political events of the era into the telling of Benno and Anna's story that bring them to life, not only Germany's defeat in WWI itself but the attempted seizure of power in Munich by communists and anarchists after the war and the consequences of its bloody suppression on orders of the Social Democrats. Those events rarely appear in popular histories but they played an outsized role in the rise of National Socialism, the failure of the left parties to unite against Hitler when he came to power, and the transformation of the Freikorp (a militia of reactionary WW1 veterans) into the seasoned backbone of Nazi SA and SS. And there's a terrific website, https://postcardstohitler.com/, where you can dive into much of the source material, photos and even video.
Janice Becker
The story of Benno and Anna brings to life the tremendous changes that German Jews experienced in a few short decades after German unification in 1871, with their formal, legal emancipation that year. When the book opens, Anna's family still lives a traditional life in the "Jewish quarter" of the village they'd been forced to live in for generations, while Benno's has already moved to Munich, a booming metropolis. The subsequent social transformations these demographic shifts entailed for most Jews - in religious practices, women's role, professional opportunities - are often overshadowed by the culturally, socially, and politically more prominent Jewish life in Berlin, but understanding them is important to understanding why, like Benno, so many Jews of his generation had a hard time coming to grips with the mobilization of virulent antisemitism even as it loomed larger and larger. They had come so far, how could all that possibly be erased?
Similarly, the author has integrated major political events of the era into the telling of Benno and Anna's story that bring them to life, not only Germany's defeat in WWI itself but the attempted seizure of power in Munich by communists and anarchists after the war and the consequences of its bloody suppression on orders of the Social Democrats. Those events rarely appear in popular histories but they played an outsized role in the rise of National Socialism, the failure of the left parties to unite against Hitler when he came to power, and the transformation of the Freikorp (a militia of reactionary WW1 veterans) into the seasoned backbone of Nazi SA and SS. And there's a terrific website, https://postcardstohitler.com/, where you can dive into much of the source material, photos and even video.
Janice Becker
June 1, 2024
Bruce Neuburger writes a powerful tale with Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew’s Defiance in a Time of Terror
In Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew’s Defiance in a Time of Terror, the reader is introduced to a family, who ends up being neighbors with the would-be dictator of Germany, and the insightful terror that he projects to his followers. The family is Jewish, living in Munich, where the main character is Benno Neuburger and Anna Einstein, who marry when there is a prosperous time in Germany. They married in 1907, well before either WWI or WWII. The author shares the story of his grandparents, and it shares a wondrous love with the two before their world is turned upside down. Eventually, the World goes to war, when WWI is started, and things become almost unlivable, but the Neuburger's have hope for a peaceful future. As a family story that was passed down, the author also did his research so that he could get the complete picture of what life was. It was an amazing story of a life lived with love, and even with the horrors of war and the intensity of the lives the Jewish had to endure, including death and other despicable acts. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew’s Defiance in a Time of Terror is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book also write a review.
In Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew’s Defiance in a Time of Terror, the reader is introduced to a family, who ends up being neighbors with the would-be dictator of Germany, and the insightful terror that he projects to his followers. The family is Jewish, living in Munich, where the main character is Benno Neuburger and Anna Einstein, who marry when there is a prosperous time in Germany. They married in 1907, well before either WWI or WWII. The author shares the story of his grandparents, and it shares a wondrous love with the two before their world is turned upside down. Eventually, the World goes to war, when WWI is started, and things become almost unlivable, but the Neuburger's have hope for a peaceful future. As a family story that was passed down, the author also did his research so that he could get the complete picture of what life was. It was an amazing story of a life lived with love, and even with the horrors of war and the intensity of the lives the Jewish had to endure, including death and other despicable acts. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew’s Defiance in a Time of Terror is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that anyone who reads this book also write a review.
April 21, 2025
I've been hearing lately about how very many "Holocaust" books have been published. True, but this is one well worth any reader's time. I thought I knew all about World War II’s Holocaust, but here was a completely new angle. Bruce Neuburger, a seasoned writer, has chronicled the story of his own grandfather, Benno Neuburger, who defied a terrorizing regime to fight back in his own way.
But since Neuburger chose to give Benno’s view from the time of his comfortable life in 1906—complete with relatable marriage, children, and a healthy business—up through 1942, the reader is gifted with something new: a loyal and self-identified secular German Jew and his large extended family’s step-by-step realization that their beloved country has rejected them. All of the well-researched historical events over those 35 years, the ever-so-gradual buildup to the disaster, are detailed. Reactions and actions come from Benno, his family and also from Jewish and gentile friends and neighbors. In the end, this clear and well-written book should serve as a warning for all people worldwide living today, especially Americans. It answers definitively the frightening question: Can it happen here, now, and yet again?
But since Neuburger chose to give Benno’s view from the time of his comfortable life in 1906—complete with relatable marriage, children, and a healthy business—up through 1942, the reader is gifted with something new: a loyal and self-identified secular German Jew and his large extended family’s step-by-step realization that their beloved country has rejected them. All of the well-researched historical events over those 35 years, the ever-so-gradual buildup to the disaster, are detailed. Reactions and actions come from Benno, his family and also from Jewish and gentile friends and neighbors. In the end, this clear and well-written book should serve as a warning for all people worldwide living today, especially Americans. It answers definitively the frightening question: Can it happen here, now, and yet again?
January 24, 2025
I alternated between reading and listening to this book. The narration by a full cast was excellent. This is a compelling listen (book).
It starts in 1907; this is a detailed history of several Jewish families and how they are affected by Germany’s history. The book is well-researched and includes a bibliography and notes. In the audiobook there is an interview with the author at the end.
Benno and Anna live in Munich during Hitler’s rise to power and are greatly impacted in a negative way as they simply try to live their lives. The number of Anti-Jewish laws is astonishing. It’s no wonder that Benno spreads the word about Hitler being a murderer. It is his defiance that drives him. If only others would’ve spoken out, history would have been decidedly different.
We need to all remember that “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” We must never let anything like this happen again.
( )
It starts in 1907; this is a detailed history of several Jewish families and how they are affected by Germany’s history. The book is well-researched and includes a bibliography and notes. In the audiobook there is an interview with the author at the end.
Benno and Anna live in Munich during Hitler’s rise to power and are greatly impacted in a negative way as they simply try to live their lives. The number of Anti-Jewish laws is astonishing. It’s no wonder that Benno spreads the word about Hitler being a murderer. It is his defiance that drives him. If only others would’ve spoken out, history would have been decidedly different.
We need to all remember that “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” We must never let anything like this happen again.
( )
November 30, 2024
Through the story of the Neuburger family, who lived next door to Hitler in Munich, this intimate Holocaust account shows how German-Jewish life unraveled from hopeful beginnings in 1907 to utter devastation. Using family letters and careful research, it brings the massive tragedy of the Holocaust down to a deeply personal scale.
Loved the book!!
Loved the book!!
November 30, 2024
I couldn't put this book down, as the Neuburgers' story brought home the gradual erosion of human rights in a way no textbook ever could. This is a must-read for history lovers and anyone wanting to understand how the Holocaust affected real families, though the content can be quite intense at times.
November 30, 2024
This haunting book kept me awake at night, not just with its tragic story but with its intimate portrayal of how a normal family's life can be destroyed by hatred. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Holocaust history who wants to understand it through a more personal lens, though be prepared for an emotional journey.
November 30, 2024
This haunting book kept me awake at night, not just with its tragic story but with its intimate portrayal of how a normal family's life can be destroyed by hatred. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Holocaust history who wants to understand it through a more personal lens, though be prepared for an emotional journey.
August 17, 2024
This very good book has parallels with the last book I read: both it and Chasing the Echo present a quite full history through the story of real people, in this case the story of the experience of German Jews in the 20th century, up until 1942. And in this case, the real people are the family of the author, Bruce Neuberger. Of course, I knew the outline of the story and some of the outrage and horror of it, but this book filled it our, without ever becoming tedious. He doesn't push the outrage on you, for instance naming in a sentence or two each Action against Jews taken officially by the Nazi government, and one or two by our government, as they occur in time.
I found this an excellent treatment of this so very important slice of our history in the last century, which echoes so loudly now.
See Don R's review on this site for more detail.
Again, the author is a friend, active in my church, where he devotes much of his time to our Human Rights Working Group.
I found this an excellent treatment of this so very important slice of our history in the last century, which echoes so loudly now.
See Don R's review on this site for more detail.
Again, the author is a friend, active in my church, where he devotes much of his time to our Human Rights Working Group.
September 6, 2024
Neuberger’s account of his German Jewish Grandfather’s resistance to Hitler and the Nazi’s Holocaust, is a compelling account of the rise of Nazi-ism in WWII Germany and beyond. Through the personal account of his family - anecdotes, character descriptions, relationships, conversations - Neuberger gives the reader an easily comprehensible history of the plight of the Jewish people before and after the war as well as illustrating the truth about Jewish resistance and the concept of “Never again.” Something for Jews and non-Jews to demand today as Israel wages its war on Gaza.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews