The review of the book by Klemperer Essay

The Book Review: Examining the Occasions During Hitler’s Rule

The book review by Klemperer is a journal that examines the occasions that occurred during the rule of Hitler. It gives readers a general understanding of the procedure, the suffering endured by Jews at the hands of the German leadership, as well as the optimism that those subjected to abuse and torture had for a better future.

The Hardships of Polish Jews and the Mystery Trips

The reader also gains insight into the hardships that the Polish Jews had to endure through the mystery trips that he takes with his wife Eva to flee the suffering in Germany. The book by Victor focuses on his life as an endangered Jew living in the German Nazi era that was demarcated by holocausts and inhuman treatments. He analyses the fear that he and Eva had to endure as Jews during Hitler’s regime. The diary provides the readers with a record thought of an individual living under political upheaval in a foreign country where systematic oppressions were the order of the day. Illegal political goings fueled by Hitler’s goons in the 3rd Reich is highlighted in the diary. Those persons that never voted him were hunted down and either executed or tortured. Despite the political turmoil and oppression that was driven by Hitler, Klemperer sill had a strong attachment to the country, and unlike those individuals that went to exile, he remained put.

The Devastating Conditions of German Jews

The conditions that Klemperer has to undergo while living in Germany were devastating especially with the intensification of wars, inhuman treatment under the Hitler regime and the spewing of the Nazi anti-Semitism across the country. In the autumn of 1941, all the German Jews were supposed to wear a “yellow star” that was used to identify them among the native population. All the Jewish emigration was halted, and any one that tried to escape from the country was executed in public. They could not carry out activities such as running businesses and engage in their civic rights. Most of the Jews wallowed in poverty and were affected by various types of diseases, with the government not coming to their aid. Klemperer, in his book, states that he was among those Jews that were trapped in the torturous regime awaiting Hitler’s implementation of the execution law that would have ended up leading to the death of several non-Germans. The spread of the Nazi anti-Semitism brought along with it intimidations and fear on those persons that were not natives or were a part of the opposition.

Inhumane Developments and Lack of Information Access

The Hitler regime ensured that it denied its citizens access to information and this forced Klemperer to primarily rely on second-hand reports, rumors or foreign news to have an understanding of the details of oppressive developments that were taking place across the country. Some of them included the construction of the Nazi death camp that was completed on 8th December that year and the development of projects at Auschwitz-Birkenau and Belzec among other sites that were to be used as murder spots for millions of Jews that lived in Germany. Klemperer argues that Hitler’s government funded and supervised the construction of death centers in Germany. He further states that it took him a lot of time to realize more inhuman acts was yet to be embraced by the regime. International bodies strongly criticized the inhuman activities that were being conducted by Hitler, but that hardly stopped him from developing more torture and execution centers.

The Holocaust and Its Devastating Impact

The Holocaust served as the climax to a regime that was marred by humanitarian crisis and based on Klemperer’s findings more than 2.7 million Jews lost their lives in 1942. The reason for his survival during the massacre was solely attributed to the fact that he was married to an Aryan lady and this gave him fragile privileges. However, this form of marriages became a subject of discussion in the Berlin suburb meeting in 1942, and the year was termed as the most lethal in the Jewish history. The main agenda of this conference, led by Reinhard Heydrich was to dissolve the mixed marriage setup with the aim of exposing the Jewish groups, thus making them easy targets for the massacres. However, the proposal was never implemented because the dominance of the Nazi anti-Semitism was overwhelming and the government mainly focused on strengthening its powers by weakening the oppositions.

Friendship, Financial Difficulties, and Escape

In his book, Klemperer states that while the Wannsee conference was ongoing, he spent most the time at Paul Kreidl residents. Paul was a Jewish that had met Klemperer several years back, and in this era when the Jews were Hitler’s main target, he offered his friend a safe place to live. It is from his friend that Klemperer learned about the death of those Jews that had been sent from Germany to Latvia. Kreidl was among those Jews that had been deported to Riga, only to survive after a power struggle ensued between the Nazis that sided with the postponement of the Jews’ death. Additionally, Klemperer got an opportunity to learn more about the push by Hitler to have all the foreigners expelled out of Germany and those opposed to him imprisoned or publicly executed.

Financial Difficulties and Comparison of Regimes

He writes about the regular financial difficulties that he faced while living in the country that was ant-Jews. The challenges were often relieved by the gifts that he received from his elder brother, George, a surgeon that had fled to the U.S. in 1935. After the accession of Hitler, Klemperer was swindled some money by Sandel, and he felt that reporting the matter to the police would have saved his some distrust from the authority on his support to the Jewish community. He later likens communism to Nazism, and this comes to happen especially after he ends up becoming a member of the Communist Party that mainly took charge of East Germany.

Anxiety, Auschwitz, and German Intimidation

Klemperer’s diary provides an assessment of a mixture of anxiety, rumors and the need for humanitarian aid that makes it more appealing to the readers. On March 1942, he revealed about the jokes made by Hitler about banning the Jews from buying flowers, the strengthening military situation on the eastern side and the report on the leniency of the anti-Jews policies that were in place in Hungary. He also described his knowledge on Auschwitz, a dreadful concentration camp that was used by Hitler to execute those persons that opposed him as well as the foreigners, mostly those from a Jewish origin. Gas chambers were incorporated in the Auschwitz-Birkenau section of the camp, and the polish Jews were tortured before being thrown into the building. Germany was a country living in fear and intimidation and this further empowered the country’s leadership that further manipulated its people.

The Apex of Attacks and Escape from Germany

The continual attacks on the Jews reached its apex in September 1942 with all those civilians that wore a yellow star captured and executed at the hands of the Nazi’s under the orders of Hitler. According to the author, that was aimed at humiliating the Jews and making it easier for them to be spotted and killed. Klemperer and his wife Eva decided to escape from the country through the East Germany in what was a daring move. Before the escape, he made a trip to Pinkowitzes and Neumanns that were to be deported on the Day of Atonement. Their situation was worrying, and they needed urgent assistance. He later describes that they never made it since they were killed during the deportation trip by the Nazis. Despite Hitler’s atrocities, most of the Germans believed that he was a democrat that meant well for them. However, Klemperer concludes his book by arguing that his life in Germany was full of sorrow, misery, and pain.

Conclusion

Klemperer, in his book, provides an assessment of the Nazis’ history as well as the growth and spread of anti-Semitism. By going through the content, one gets an understanding of the suffering that the Jews were subjected to under Hitler’s regime and their quest for a better life in other parts of Europe that in most cases was faulted by the German government. He uses humor in capturing the attention of the readers. The events during the Hitler’s rule can be compared to some of the evil happenings that take place in the modern world, especially in those countries where citizens feel oppressed by their rulers or government.

Work Cited

Klemperer, Victor, and Martin Chalmers. I will bear witness: a diary of the Nazi years 1933-1941. New York: Modern Library, 1999.