On November 9th, 1938, Nazi paramilitary groups and civilians went on a rampage against Jews throughout Nazi Germany. In the night that is referred to as “Kristallnacht” (Night of Broken Glass), hundreds of synagogues were burned, thousands of businesses owned by Jews destroyed and many Jewish people attacked, injured, incarcerated and killed. Johannes Höber, who, mainly for political reasons, was about to leave Germany for the U.S., witnessed the events in his native Düsseldorf and was shocked. On his way to the United States, he wrote a detailed eyewitness account of the events. It began, “The images of the 24 hours from Wednesday at midnight until Thursday at midnight are things that I will never forget for the rest of my life.” This and other letters of that time that he and his wife Elfriede, who remained in Germany until 1939, and other family members wrote to each other, were found fifty years later, by Johannes and Elfriede's son Frank. In these letters, Elfriede describes the worsening situation in Nazi Germany and Johannes describes his flight from Europe and his entry into political life in the U.S.
The letters tell the story of an educated couple driven out by the Nazis and forced to make a new life in a new country. The U.S. welcomed the refugees with support and opportunity. Within a few years, each was able to begin a new career in public service, making worthwhile contributions to their adopted country. While the letters document a story of immigration that has its echoes in today's headlines, they also provide insightful personal narratives about life in Nazi Germany.
© Francis W. Hoeber
Author
Francis W. Hoeber, a Philadelphia historian, will read from
Against Time: Letters from Nazi Germany, 1938-1939, and discuss his findings.
Greetings by representatives of the German Embassy, Goethe-Institut and Action Reconciliation Service for Peace/Germany Close Up
About the author:
Francis W. “Frank” Hoeber is a historian and writer working in Philadelphia. He spent several years researching, translating and annotating the letters that make up
Against Time: Letters from Nazi Germany, 1938-1939. His current historical research concerns German politics in the nineteenth century. Previously, Hoeber spent nearly 45 years in public service. He was an executive in the headquarters of the New Jersey courts for twelve years. Before that, he spent thirty years with the National Labor Relations Board in Philadelphia. He is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. Hoeber is a graduate of Columbia University and has a Master’s degree in history from Temple University. He and his wife Ditta, an artist, live in a former factory building they rebuilt in Philadelphia.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and can be signed by the author upon request.
Co-sponsored by the German Embassy and Action Reconciliation Service for Peace/ Germany Close Up
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