Shedding Our Stars: The Story of Hans Calmeyer and How He Saved Thousands of Families Like Mine

by Laureen Nussbaum, Karen Kirtley

During the German occupation of the Netherlands, 1940 to 1945, all Jews were ordered to register the religion of their grandparents. The Reichskommissar appointed the young lawyer Hans Calmeyer to adjudicate “doubtful cases.” Calmeyer used his assignment to save at least 3,700 Jews from deportation and death, dwarfing the number saved by Schindler’s famous rescue operation. Laureen Nussbaum―née Hannelore Klein―owes her life to this brave German official. In Shedding Our Stars , she tells how Calmeyer declared her mother non-Jewish and deleted her and her family from the deportation lists, saving them from death. She goes on to interweave his story with her family‘s tale of survival, as well as with that of her boyfriend and, later, husband, Rudi Nussbaum. Since in Amsterdam the Kleins were close to the Franks, Anne Frank and her family also figure in book. Going beyond the liberation of the Netherlands to follow both Calmeyer’s and the author’s story to the end of their lives, Shedding Our Stars is a story of courage in the darkest of times, and of the resilience of the human spirit.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Memoir, World War II, Holocaust, Biography, Historical

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent in-depth exploration of the life of Hans Calmeyer and his helpful assistance to the family of the author, the Kleins, during WWII in the Netherlands. I'm pleased that I have met Laureen Nussbaum and through reading this gotten to know her more completely.

[Manisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hans Calmeyer helped to save thousands of jews from sure death even while staying in the system and working for the germans. This is his story and how he saved the author, Laureen Nussbaum, and her family along with several others. This book was riveting for it is an account of not just how Laureen saved her boy friend's life but, also of how life turned out after the war. There are more details here than what we got from Anne Frank's diaries (a contemporary) about Amsterdam. In fact, Otto Frank, the only survivor from Anne Frank's family stayed a friend with this family.
Calmeyer was instrumental in helping to keep thousands of jews from the concentration camps. He was a german bureaucrat and did whatever he could by way of providing appropriate paperwork to save as many as he could. The book is his biography while also being Laureen's memoir of those times and beyond.
It was fascinating to read so many details of lives at a time when neighbours and friends had turned on each other. Humanity goes on because there are decent and morally upright men in the mix. We will always need stories like these to give us hope for a future that is increasingly become narrow minded and selfish. It is a must-read for that.

[Pam Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking story of a family forced to move from Germany to Holland during WWII. Reading memories of their, and other people's, extraordinary attempts at survival was terrifying. The thing that struck me the most was when Laureen detailed the dwindling numbers of fellow students in her classes. What struck me most about this book was the resilience of people - when their family, friends, neighbours etc were all disappearing, being forced to go to labour camps, trying to find shelter or people to hide them from the Nazis, or starving to death - the glimmers of hope and humour were like little lights in the darkness. I'm not ashamed to admit that the book made me cry in parts when another meaningless death or betrayal took place. I am neither German nor Jewish but I believe books like these should be read by everyone to understand the horrors of war. More books like these need to be published, not just about WWII but about other, more recent wars e.g. Yugoslavia or Afghanistan etc, so that people who are removed from the battle zone understand what our fellow humans went through.

This book is a great read for anyone interested in the social history of Jewish persecution in Holland.

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shedding Our Stars tells the story of Hans Calmeyer - a German lawyer working for the Nazi administration in the Netherlands between 1941 and 1945 - and how his actions helped to save thousands of Jews from deportation, including the author and her family.

This was a fascinating read. I have studied and read much about this area of history but do not recall coming across any mention of Calmeyer, and so was really intrigued by the story of this man who had such an important, life-saving impact on generations of Jews. The way Nussbaum interweaves her narrative on Calmeyer with her own personal story turns what could be classed as an academic text into a compelling part-memoir which is accessible to both historians and casual readers.

I also particularly liked how the account continues after the Holocaust and the author recounts her experiences and memories of living in various different countries during the Cold War up to present day. At times she observes the similarities in the ways various groups are treated compared to her own experiences coming from a Jewish family living in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. It serves as an important reminder that we should not forget the lessons of the past lest we end up repeating them.

All in all, an interesting read that I would definitely recommend.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kiersten · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who loves to delve into the history of resistance fighters of WWII, I was intrigued by this story of both a survivor and the indirect link to a rescuer high up in the ranks of occupied Holland. Nussbaum's tale of her family's ability to survive thanks to the work of Hans Calmeyer is captivating, but I'm not sure if the transfer of his biography from the original German to make sense for US audiences works well. It can work for someone who appreciates the nuances of the history of the resistance movement in the Netherlands, but for the average American? Not so much.
Maybe gathering some other stories from other people who survived with his help would have made the book flow a bit better, I'm not sure. It is a great tale, and one I enjoyed immensely, but I don't know how well this book will relate to mainstream readers.

[Gilion Dumas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laureen Nussbaum and her family lived in Amsterdam during the German occupation of the Netherlands. She was a childhood friend of Anne Frank. Hans Calmeyer was a lawyer appointed by the Germans to adjudicate "doubtful cases" of people trying to leave the country. He saved at least 3,700 Jews from deportation to Nazi camps, including Nussbaum and her family.

In her memoir, Nussbaum writes about how Calmeyer removed them from the deportation lists by declaring her mother non-Jewish. She follows the story of her family and Calmeyer after the war. Her book is an important tribute to an unsung hero and an inspiration.

[Ani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for book club August 2020. I have been interested in holocaust books since I read Anne Frank’s diary as a teenager, and so expected to like this. I certainly learned a lot about Hans Calmeyer, the years after WWII, and the author, but I can’t say I liked how the book was presented. It felt like reading two different books at once, to have it switch back and forth between the author’s memoir (essentially) and the story of Calmeyer. She explained why she did this, but it didn’t work for me. I’m sorry to have to miss discussing the book with the coarthur/editor at club next month, as I’d love to hear her insight first hand.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laureen "Hansje" Klein's family emigrated to the Netherlands in 1936, lived near the Family Frank, and attended school with Margot and Anne. Hans Calmeyer worked at the Reich's Commissariat and was charged with interpreting the registration law and was to settle any doubts as to whether a person was an Aryan, a full Jew, or a part Jew. "Lives hung in the balance of his decisions." Calmeyer used his discretion in cases of "mixed marriages" categorizing offspring as non-Jews. The Kein family was just one in over 3,700 Jews that were saved from certain death because of Calmeyer's lenient interpretations of the racial registration laws.

[Donna Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shedding Our Stars was a fascinating and informative read. A blend of both history and memoir, Laureen Nussbaum tells the story of Hans Calmeyer, a German official whose quiet but effective efforts saved thousands of lives during the Holocaust. She weaves his story with her own, and that of her family—since they were among the thousands who were saved from the camps by Calmeyer’s determination. In addition to being a riveting read on many levels, it is also an important warning for the present day, and a reminder that courage and integrity are essential to a free society.

[Leila Pitchford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the intertwined story of two families -the Kleins and Hans Calmeyer - during World War II. Calmeyer was a German lawyer who found ways to help thousands of Jewish families during the war, including the Kleins.

I gave this 4 stars because the story is compelling. The writing is decent but the story is the star that drives the reader.

And the section where the title shedding our stars comes into play is an emotional highlight.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shedding Our Stars is a terrific read. The author knew Anne Frank and her family, but survived the Holocaust in the Netherlands due to a German lawyer who arranged paperwork for thousands of Jews In order to avoid deportation. I had never heard of Hans Calmeyer. His life was an I teresti g part of this dual biography, but I was more fascinated with Laureen's personal narrative. It's a great contribution to the expansive canon of Holocaust memoirs. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

[LS Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never heard of Hans Calmeyer and am so glad I read this book. This NF biography was very eye opening so I forced myself to finish it. It was also intriguing to read about the large resistance movement in the Netherlands. However, the book seemed disorganized and jumped often between the story of Calmeyer and the Nussbaum. I probably would not recommend this book unless someone was specifically requesting a book about Calmeyer.

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The actions of Hans Calmeyer, a lawyer working for the Nazi regime, proved to save 1000s of Jews from death, including the family of Laureen Nussbaum. Much more than historical fiction, this book gives detail and insight into the abilities of one man to affect so many. Recommended reading.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very detailed and well-researched true story. However, the literature was dry and I found myself losing interest at times. The title is a little bit misleading too. I thought that the whole book would be dedicated to Hans Calmeyer, but it was more about two separate stories that occurred under an overlapping time period.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting family story of German Jews who were saved by the efforts of a German lawyer in the Netherlands who managed their "dejudification" on paper, along with thousands of others. It's not the most compellingly written, but it's a worthwhile story. (After the war it did feel at times like reading an old aunt's overlong Christmas letter, so I confess I dropped out at about 1974.)

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not know about Hans Calmeyer and the many Jewish lives he saved (many more that the famous Schindler). Was interesting to read about how he did so and the fact his family was friends with the Frank family as per Anne Frank. Found the information interesting but the story a bit lack luster in its telling.

[Joanne Rosener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that sheds light on Hans Calmeyer and his amazing role in saving Jews from the Nazis at great personal risk. And for all those he saved, it was all those that he couldn’t save that haunted him. While Schindler is credited for his role in saving Jews, Calmeyer actually had a much greater impact.

[Kat M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully done memoir that really makes you think about things, the author was able to convey everything that they needed to. It was a pleasure to read this and read about the journey that this author had.

[Michele · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry to say I really didn’t like this book. It was an informative memoir of a sad time but it read more like a term paper than a story. Too much extra information and connotations not needed. I would not recommend. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

[Wendy E. Kliment · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It is a great read about a family that survived the Holocaust dues to the decision making of the Reichskommissar Hans Calmeyer. It provides both a story line following Laureen Klein and Rudy Nussbaum, friends of the Franks', and how they survived the Holocaust.

[Kurt Dahlke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling, matter-of-fact, enjoyable and sobering. The book is an interesting amalgam of memoir and translation of another book about Calmeyer (if I understand correctly) and is entirely worth your time.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir has a very interesting point of view because the author mostly writes about Calmeyer but also includes her story. Her family was saved by Calmeyer, but it seems that his reputation had to be saved by her and others like her.

[Sandy Barnes]

I know the author Laureen Nussbaum.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it was simply quite boringly written. English is quite clearly directly translated directly, so sounds quite stilted.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story of an amazing lady. This tale of survival follows the author throughout her lifetime and shows the impact one selfless action can have across time. Highly recommend this read, especially during these dark times.

[Kim Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have to say that I just liked this book. The author has en eventful life, as did others in this book. I think, for me, that it just didn't flow. And that could be because the book wasn't just about her, but also about others. It seemed choppy and therefore I had a hard time following the story.

[DiAnne Caspers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a fairytale

To baby boomers, what happened after WW2 was not in our American or World History textbooks. I’m sure our parents wanted time to pass away from the end of so much sacrifice, the good, & the evil. This author introduced me to an incredible man who made the life/death difference to her & her family. His story & her story is enlightening. The end of the war was hard times, it was life, but it wasn’t “the fairytale ending” I believed.

[Wrpainting · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and informative read about people living in the heart of the holocaust in the Netherlands.