Brings together contributors to examine the responses of various segments of American and European society to the Harpers Ferry Raid and John Brown's execution. The incidents were widely publicised; and their meanings were hotly debated. The debates contributed to Northern antipathy to slavery.
#1144392 in Books Rutgers University Press 2001-02-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.21 x .85 x 6.14l; 1.53 #File Name: 0813529093388 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Profound story of resistance and courageBy lwrlThe Rosenstrasse Protest in Berlin saved thousands of Jewish lives (mostly men) and is an important yet virtually unknown story of the Holocaust. How can this be?As this book brings out; 98% of Berlin Jews who survived the Holocaust were married to Aryan women. Women who were in what the Nazi's declared "Jewish households" and therefore on skimpier rations than their fellow Aryan's – including those Aryan men married to Jewish women; since those homes were declared "Aryan households" and had larger rations and less restrictions. Jewish males were forced out of their professions too; which created further hardship on the "Jewish households".Jews in mixed marriages were coveted by the Nazi's very early on; however; they (Nazis) feared potential backlash from Aryan in-laws. For that reason; intermarried Jews were actually protected – at least temporarily – and so the Nazis threatened the Aryan partner to abandon/divorce their Jewish spouse; "or else." Most intermarried Aryan men did so and their Jewish wives were immediately given a one-way train ticket to Auschwitz. However; most Aryan women married to Jewish men refused to succumb to the Nazi thugs.The "final roundup" in Germany was for the intermarried Jews. Saved for last (and mostly men) they were forced into carpet trucks and packed into commandeered buildings; one of which was on Rosenstrasse St.But then malnourished and beleaguered Aryan wives came for them. Standing outside the building; one wife began protesting to the well-armed; well-fed; uniformed gestapo; demanding to be given back her husband. The crowd eventually grew to a few hundred; and occasionally the guards would threaten to mow them down with machine guns. They would scatter temporarily; but over the course of a week of protesting – the only case of mass German protest against the Nazis – they got what they came for; their husbands were released to them and then the story was apparently forgotten/buried.I'm very grateful to Nathan Stoltzfus for his work in collecting and preserving the stories of witnesses and bringing this important and virtually unknown story into the light of day.There is a ton of information and is well worth the read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This book tells the incredible and largely-unknown story of German ...By Jim HuffstodtThis book tells the incredible and largely-unknown story of German women married to Jewish men during Hitler's reign. Even someone familiar with the vast historical literature of the Hitler period will find this new and revelatory. In 1943; the wives of German Jewish men openly protested in Hitler's Capitol the SS arrest of their mates who were slated for the death camps. Incredibly; despite the threats of armed SS men with sub-machine guns; these women did not disperse. In the end; Hitler himself; released the imprisoned husbands fearing the political fall-out. Naturally; he intended to revisit the issue later with evil intent; but the war ended before he could. The author is a professor of German history at Florida State University; fluent in the language; and interviewed a number of the survivors in-depth including husbands; wives and even SS men. The book is well-written and worth reading.4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. What women can do whey they're ticked off!By Kelleigh NelsonHow many times have we seen throughout history where women get infuriated by injustices? How many times have we seen women become tigresses when their children are threatened? How many times do we need to see throughout history that when a wrong is committed; if we were just to stand up in throngs and shout; ENOUGH!; we could stop the insanity. This book makes all the points...they saved their spouses. Why? Because they spoke out loudly and clearly. Where were the churches when this atrocity was going on? To their shame; they were too silent but for a few. Remember the old adage; "The squeaky wheel gets the oil." Never again allow this horror to happen; not to any peoples...not to any!Wonderful book; and wonderful insight to spouses who loved their Jewish partners enough to risk their own lives to save those they loved...heroic!
