The Blessed Abyss: Inmate #6582 in Ravensbrück Concentration Camp for Women

by Nanda Herbermann, Hester Baer (Editor), Elizabeth R. Baer (Editor)

On February 4, 1941, Nanda Herbermann, a German Catholic writer and editor, was arrested by the Gestapo in Münster, Germany. Accused of collaboration with the Catholic movement, Herbermann was deported to Ravensbrück Concentration Camp for Women in July 1941 and later released upon direct orders from Heinrich Himmler on March 19, 1943. Although she was instructed by the Gestapo not to reveal information about the camp, Herbermann soon began to record her memories of her experiences. The Blessed Abyss was originally published in German under the imprint of the Allied occupation forces in 1946, and it now appears in English for the first time. Hester Baer and Elizabeth Baer include an extensive introduction that situates Herbermann's work within current debates about gender and the Holocaust and provides historical and biographical information about Herbermann, Ravensbrück, and the Third Reich.

Genres: Nonfiction, Holocaust

280 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Isabel May · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blessed Abyss was an important book to give insight into how German prisoners viewed the Holocaust, but at times it became difficult to read Nanda's egotistical words. Her referral to the prostitutes as pigs or simply calling them "my prostitutes" made me sick, but nonetheless, it is important when learning about history to read from all perspectives. Overall, this was a phenomenal look at the Holocaust through the eyes of a German woman, and I would recommend it to those who wish to dive deeper into those impacted from the atrocity.

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked that it was from a woman's perspective and that it was written a bit more colloquially than other memoirs (mostly), but I had a hard time with Herbermann. She was just a little too self-righteous for me.

[Beverley Chalmers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing perspective even if rather controversial.

[Jeanne Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. What else can be said about a concentration camp memoir?