Cinziaz
asked
Harald Gilbers:
I haven’t read your book yet. How do you explain a Jew being still in Germany in 1944 and being recruited by the Gestapo? How realistic is it? Thank you.
Harald Gilbers
I refer to the diaries of Victor Klemperer here. Jews who were married to an "Arian" spouse had some little protection at first, because the Nazis were unsure of how to deal with them. In February of 1943 approximately 27,000 Jews still lived in Berlin in so-called Jew-Houses. Of course, this was only a fraction of the initial Jewish population, the majority of them was already killed. Finally, at the beginning of 1945 the last remaining Jews were also transported to the death camps. From then on survival was only possible underground or under an assumed name. I describe this in my second novel "Sons of Odin".
It seems that persons with one Jewish parent were sometimes tolerated, as long as they proved useful to the regime, like Field Marshal Milch. Some of the organizers of the Olympic Summer Games of 1936 were Jewish. As a cynical kind of mercy they were allowed to keep on living in Berlin and were not transported to the death camps. There is however no historical example of a Jewish commissioner forced to work for the SS. My novel is a literary speculation under what circumstances this could have been possible. Chances for this were practically nonexistent, in my novel it only happens because an ambitious SS officer pursues his own agenda.
It seems that persons with one Jewish parent were sometimes tolerated, as long as they proved useful to the regime, like Field Marshal Milch. Some of the organizers of the Olympic Summer Games of 1936 were Jewish. As a cynical kind of mercy they were allowed to keep on living in Berlin and were not transported to the death camps. There is however no historical example of a Jewish commissioner forced to work for the SS. My novel is a literary speculation under what circumstances this could have been possible. Chances for this were practically nonexistent, in my novel it only happens because an ambitious SS officer pursues his own agenda.
More Answered Questions
Ed
asked
Harald Gilbers:
Just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed Germania very much. I certainly look forward to seeing the other Oppenheimer books translated into english. Will your publisher decide to go ahead? I am certainly curious about how the Oppenheimer's saga plays out. It reminds me of the long running Longmire series of Craig Johnson, where the protagonist's environment is an essential element of the story. Thanks.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more



