We’ve actually had two launches of this book. One was held on-line and was about the book itself. The other was held at The Met at Bury, in the Stanley Bar, and was more to do with the whole cycle.
You can watch the video here of the online launch.
Some interesting points came up at both meetings.
At the Face to Face with the Führer I was able to explain how the whole project started. I also discussed how I actually discovered some facts by writing about them.
We talked too about how by fictionalising true stories we bring them to life.
What would the consequences have been if Käthe had shot Hitler? And yes, I confirmed that this incident had really happened.
We discussed Käthe’s personality. She‘s a feisty woman, a feminist.
At the meeting about the Schellberg cycle (24 May 2023) we chatted for a while as people arrived and then I gave a presentation about the cycle. I started off by showing everyone a photo of the house. Interestingly I’ve only seen a phot myself recently and surprisingly it was just exactly as I imagined.
I explained how the letters have two main themes: duty and camaraderie. In many ways the letters are quite bland and careful. Is this because their former teacher was joining in? Or was it indeed because she warned them to be careful?
• I pointed out that it raised some questions: How did a school for the disabled manage to resist the Nazi regime?
• What was it like being a young girl / woman in Nazi Germany?
• Why was the propaganda so successful?
• How could a German father work on the V2 bomb when his wife and child were living in London?
We looked at pictures of BDM uniforms, a BDM magazine and the demonstration of how the 1935 Nuremberg race laws defined a Jew.
We looked at a picture of Clara, the memorial to how she was transported to Theresienstadt and how her final transport note gave her true name back.
I finished by concluding that the Schellberg story do far is a story about three feisty women:
• Renate 13-22 1938-1947
• Kathe - her mother
• Clara - her grandmother
Question: Were they victims or survivors?
There was time also for a few questions and to chat some more.
I had the book on offer: £10 for one, £15 for two, £18.00 for three and £20.00 for four. There are still some left and they are still on offer while stocks last. Find out how to order here.
