In 1940, the German sons and daughters of great Nazi dignitaries Himmler, Göring, Hess, Frank, Bormann, Speer, and Mengele were children of privilege at four, five, or ten years old, surrounded by affectionate, all-powerful parents. Although innocent and unaware of what was happening at the time, they eventually discovered the extent of their father’s occupations: These men—their fathers who were … were capable of loving their children and receiving love in return—were leaders of the Third Reich, and would later be convicted as monstrous war criminals. For these children, the German defeat was an earth-shattering source of family rupture, the end of opulence, and the jarring discovery of Hitler’s atrocities.
How did the offspring of these leaders deal with the aftermath of the war and the skeletons that would haunt them forever? Some chose to disown their past. Others did not. Some condemned their fathers; others worshipped them unconditionally to the end. In this enlightening book, Tania Crasnianski examines the responsibility of eight descendants of Nazi notables, caught somewhere between stigmatization, worship, and amnesia. By tracing the unique experiences of these children, she probes at the relationship between them and their fathers and examines the idea of how responsibility for the fault is continually borne by the descendants.
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This book kind of left me wanting, I still had questions at the end but the fact that the book is older and I was wanting a modern take on the children was a lack in me not the book.
I had always wondered about how children of the high command in the Nazi party were treated by their parents. And then after the war whether or not they faced the same hardships as the rest of their countrymen. This book answers those questions.
“What if…?” I was in their shoes… How would I have handled what they had to…?
Interesting subject matter.
Shocking, scary and touching in a way. These children didn’t have a choice in their life as children of Nazi’s but as adults some still embraced the legacy of their fathers. Everyone should read this book to remember that what happened in Nazi Germany should never be allowed to happen again.
The book was very similar to a film made on the topic. Both good.
I only wish that all those involved in murdering the victims of WW2 could have been punished. I hate knowing all were not.
Very good. Tells you how these children had different views on their parents activity during WWII
It was interesting to read about the children of Nazis and their perception of their fathers who seemed to have split personalities. They were so different at home than when they carried out their jobs of extermination.
How does it affect a person to find that the man who read the bedtime stories is a monster? This author documents the very different ways that children of leading Nazis coped with this discovery. This period in history is always fascinating in it’s horrifying contradictions. Thus book adds another layer in our attempt to document the incomprehensible. It will not give you answers but it will supply a different prospective and fill in some banks in this national madness.
I have read dozens of books about all aspects of Nazi Germany and I thought this would be something unique and different. Not so. I don’t think it is the fault of the author but rather the subjects. Like their fathers the children do not seem to be of any particular eloquence or interest as a human being. They either stay loyal to a horrendous ancestry or endure an ongoing emotional turmoil.
How Himmler’s daughter could still think of him as a loving father goes beyond any tolerance for putting her life in context.
I’m a big WWII history buff and this was great to get the kids views and feelings.
I am still reading this book, but I am finding it very interesting.
Made me think about WWII in a different way.
I am an American who now lives in Berlin, so things relating to Germany during WW II are compelling. This book about how the children of notable Nazis was especially interesting because I am roughly the same age as they are–my father fought in WW II, and I suppose some of my friends here are the children of those who fought in the German army. It would also be interesting to read about how the children of those men who were not dedicated Nazis but had to fight in WW II (like my brother-in-law, who was pulled out of high school a month before graduating to serve in the German army) have dealt with these issues
Eye opening. The effects of evil goes from generation to generation. We all have to make sure that nothing like this can ever, ever happen again.
I have though about these children. A great book.
Very interesting and thought provoking.
An unusual take on relations between the fathers and their children. It was mb ever good.
It got to be “too much” but I could not not continue to the end.