Thursday, August 16, 2018

111 Places in Berlin - On the Trail of the Nazis Paperback – September 15, 2014 by Paul Kohl (Author), Nadia Boegli (Author) (Emons Publishers/Emons Verlag)



History has indelibly imprinted itself onto the cityscape of Berlin - the period of the Nazi regime in particular. The many air raids and the destruction wrought during the final Battle of Berlin have left their traces, as have the Nazis - megalomaniac restructuring plans to transform Berlin into the future world metropolis "Germania". "111 Places in Berlin - On the Trail of the Nazis " takes you to the well-known and lesser known sites of Nazi history in Berlin. It gives a concise account of the historic events and introduces the most important personalities. Several maps and a clear graphic design let you put together your own sightseeing tour and provide quick orientation at each location.

Although the singular brutality of the Nazi dictatorship gruesomely symbolizes human ruthlessness beyond all boundaries, one meanwhile often searches in vain for its visible traces - the "Führerbunker", Gestapo headquarters, or the Sportpalast have long since ceased to exist. Presumably less sensational witnesses of history as well as the "silent heroes" are thus all the more important. This special guide through "Brown" Berlin lends a voice to many of them: where swastika flags and yellow stars were [both?] manufactured, where the SS played soccer with skulls, how much deportation to Auschwitz cost the victims, who the other parties were who had an interest in the "final solution", where the Nazis hoarded their bars of gold, where Hermann Göring s extravagant wedding was celebrated, where Hitler s half-brother ran a restaurant, or what was taught in the Reich School for Brides. This book puts particular emphasis on which courageous Berliners concealed Jews in the face of mortal danger, or even dared to rise up openly against the Gestapo and the SS - often with success! - and which Jewish organizations saved the lives of children and others. A poignant city guide to places which must never be forgotten.

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