Jewish Life in Nazi Germany: Dilemmas and Responses

摘要

Towards the beginning of his introduction Francis Nicosia describes this volume as dealing with the various reactions of Jews to the increasing persecution they faced under the Nazis. Thereafter as many as possible regardless of such criteria. In addition, the shared interest of the Zionists with the Nazis to encourage emigration was undermined by indiscriminate Nazi brutality. The remaining chapter by Konrad Kwiet entitled 'Without neighbours' is the most difficult to comment on. It describes the isolation of Jews in a breathless, somewhat polemical style. While it is impossible to argue with the facts he presents about the increasing isolation of Jews in hostile surroundings, his judgements often seem unduly harsh. At the end of his essay, he refers to the stones designed by the artist Gunter Demnig covered by a brass plaque with the name of a victim of the Nazis and placed where such victims lived or died. Although this action is called 'remarkable' (p. 143), he suggests in his concluding sentences that they will annoy many Germans in the way Jews annoyed their neighbours in the Nazi years. It would have been more generous to put the emphasis on a small but powerful attempt at atonement. Nevertheless, this is undoubtedly an excellent volume, which will appeal to a wide variety of readers. It goes into areas that do not always receive the attention they deserve, bringing yet more insights into an era that will continue to cast its evil shadow.