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No One Knows Their Destiny

The Eckfeld Records: Inside the Dunera Story
Brief Description
Popular culture has mythologized the Dunera Boys, but who were the real men who sailed on the infamous ship, and how did the voyage transform their lives? Art historian Tonia Eckfeld draws on a deeply personal history to tell the story of her father and her... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Popular culture has mythologized the Dunera Boys, but who were the real men who sailed on the infamous ship, and how did the voyage transform their lives?

Art historian Tonia Eckfeld draws on a deeply personal history to tell the story of her father and her uncle, Jewish refugees whose lives were shaped indelibly by their wartime experiences and internment, each to very different outcomes.

In 1939, Reinhold and Waldemar Eckfeld fled Hitler's Austria to Churchill's United Kingdom. There they were unjustly arrested and transported on the Dunera to Tatura prison camp, where it took many months to gain their freedom. Their experiences of internment were often harrowing, riven with violence, deprivation, and frustration. Waldemar, who was beaten by British guards aboard the Dunera, found himself entangled in court martial proceedingsβ€”the records of which were reportedly destroyed by the British government to hush up a human-rights scandal. Reinhold, classified as an 'enemy alien', joined the Australian Army after release and served the country that would not legally recognise him for so long.

Drawing on a trove of historical artefacts, including previously unseen artworks, photographs and official documents, Tonia Eckfeld takes the reader inside these events as they unfold. Gripping and illuminating, this book asks us to reconsider the conventional narrative of the Dunera Boys, unearthing new perspectives on the impact of war, trauma, and legacy on family relationships.

The story of the Dunera internees usually is presented as one of triumph. As Tonia Eckfeld knows intimately, the story is richer and more complex than that. In this compassionate and moving book, she encourages us to consider anew the Dunera story and its many intricacies." - Dr Seumas Spark

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922979780

Publisher: Monash University Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 September 2024

Country: Australia

Imprint: Monash University Publishing

Illustration: Illustrations

DIMENSIONS

Width: 170.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Professor Tonia Eckfeld is an internationally renowned art historian and a principal fellow at the University of Melbourne. She was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship to the University of Chicago and a research fellowship to Harvard University, and was an honorary professor at Zhengzhou University and a distinguished research fellow at Northwestern Polytechnical University in China. Tonia lectures internationally and is a consultant for documentary films for National Geographic, Smithsonian Networks, BBC, Channel 4 and others.

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