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I Shall Bear Witness

The Diaries Of Victor Klemperer 1933-41
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( 2,910 ratings, 227 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
I Shall Bear Witness by Victor Klemperer is a gripping diary chronicling the experiences of a Jewish academic living in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1941. It offers a deeply personal and insightful perspective on the day-to-day challenges, fears, and the gradual erosion of rights faced by Jews during this turbulent period. Klemperer's detailed entries provide a poignant testament to the resilience of the human spirit amidst oppression.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this deeply personal memoir if you're interested in intimate firsthand accounts of life during the Nazi regime. The author, a Jewish professor, documents his observations and experiences under increasingly oppressive conditions, offering a profound narrative of resilience and survival. This book may appeal to those who appreciate detailed historical diaries that capture the human spirit amidst adversity.

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A publishing sensation, the publication of Victor Klemperer's diaries brings to light one of the most extraordinary documents of the Nazi period.
'A classic ... Klemperer's diary deserves to rank alongside that of Anne Frank's' SUNDAY TIMES

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

A publishing sensation, the publication of Victor Klemperer's diaries brings to light one of the most extraordinary documents of the Nazi period.

'A classic ... Klemperer's diary deserves to rank alongside that of Anne Frank's' SUNDAY TIMES

'I can't remember when I read a more engrossing book' Antonia Fraser

'Not dissimilar in its cumulative power to Primo Levi's, is a devastating account of man's inhumanity to man' LITERARY REVIEW

The son of a rabbi, Klemperer was by 1933 a professor of languages at Dresden. Over the next decade he, like other German Jews, lost his job, his house and many of his friends.

Klemperer remained loyal to his country, determined not to emigrate, and convinced that each successive Nazi act against the Jews must be the last. Saved for much of the war from the Holocaust by his marriage to a gentile, he was able to escape in the aftermath of the Allied bombing of Dresden and survived the remaining months of the war in hiding. Throughout, Klemperer kept a diary. Shocking and moving by turns, it is a remarkable and important account.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

I Shall Bear Witness by Victor Klemperer is widely acclaimed for its poignant and detailed portrayal of life in Nazi Germany, offering an unparalleled view into the subtle erosion of daily life under the regime. Critics have praised its clarity and insight, comparing Klemperer's diary to that of Anne Frank for its primary source value and emotional depth. The book is noted for its authoritative account of the period's inhumanity and is considered an essential read for those seeking to understand the Jewish experience in 1930s Germany.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781474623179

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 October 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 44.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 500g

Pages: 688

About the Author

Born in 1881, Victor Klemperer studied in Munich, Geneva and Paris. He was a journalist in Berlin, taught at the University of Naples and received a DSM during WWI as a volunteer in the German army. He was subsequently a professor of romance languages at the Dresden Technical College until he was dismissed as a consequence of Nazi laws in 1935. He survived the Holocaust and the war and taught again as an academic until his death in 1960.

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