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This is one the best WW2 firsthand accounts written by a German woman I have ever read (sorry for the run-on sentence). I could not put this book down.
It is the fascinating account of the last days of Berlin under the Third Reich, as well as when the Russians conquered the city. The anonymous author kept a journal of her experiences from which this book was later derived. I was stunned by the number of rapes committed by the Russians upon the German women and girls--I had no idea. I was also st ...more
It is the fascinating account of the last days of Berlin under the Third Reich, as well as when the Russians conquered the city. The anonymous author kept a journal of her experiences from which this book was later derived. I was stunned by the number of rapes committed by the Russians upon the German women and girls--I had no idea. I was also st ...more
When the Russians took over Berlin, the soldiers were told that the women of that city were theirs. Though male authors have tackled rape in times of war, some of the books I read have minimized the severity or called into question whether or not women were actually raped. Thus A Woman in Berlin was welcome, in that it told a story we all know happened.
The book is based on the author's journal, which begins with the week before the arrival of the Russians and ends about two months after the war ...more
The book is based on the author's journal, which begins with the week before the arrival of the Russians and ends about two months after the war ...more
This is a devastating book. It should be read.
It is great that this memoir was published -- the place, the time, the perspective are all fascinating.
The book was written by a German woman at the end of WWII when the Red Army rolled into Berlin and began a period of raping and looting. It was nearly impossible to avoid being raped, though a few managed to avoid it either by being hidden somehow by their families or, in one case, dressing as a man. You might also have escaped by living on the 4th floor of an apartment building -- according to ...more
The book was written by a German woman at the end of WWII when the Red Army rolled into Berlin and began a period of raping and looting. It was nearly impossible to avoid being raped, though a few managed to avoid it either by being hidden somehow by their families or, in one case, dressing as a man. You might also have escaped by living on the 4th floor of an apartment building -- according to ...more
Let us make no mistake - this book is about mass rape and its consequences. Tens of thousands of Berlin's women were raped by Russian soldiers after the city was taken. Hardly any women were spared, from the very young to the very old.
And yet - this book is surprisingly positive. The real core of it is about women's ability to accommodate sheer chaos, starvation and death raining all around, and even how to walk away with one's sanity. The actual target of shame seems to be German men, who allow ...more
And yet - this book is surprisingly positive. The real core of it is about women's ability to accommodate sheer chaos, starvation and death raining all around, and even how to walk away with one's sanity. The actual target of shame seems to be German men, who allow ...more
4.5 Stars
This was a remarkable book showing the day to day life of women in 1945 while Berlin is being occupied by Russian Troops. The author frankly (yet not graphically) describes the brutality she suffered but also how she looks to survive with an eye to her future. I found her dark humor enjoyable. Her thoughts on human nature and the effects of war on social mores were very interesting.
This was a remarkable book showing the day to day life of women in 1945 while Berlin is being occupied by Russian Troops. The author frankly (yet not graphically) describes the brutality she suffered but also how she looks to survive with an eye to her future. I found her dark humor enjoyable. Her thoughts on human nature and the effects of war on social mores were very interesting.
Wow. An amazing record of what happened in Berlin at the close of WWII.
Naturally read it in Finnish.
Sep 02, 2009
Kelly
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Emily
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Oct 28, 2010
Erma Odrach
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Sep 16, 2012
Laurie
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Nov 28, 2012
Maureen
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Jan 20, 2015
Art
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Jun 12, 2015
Inna
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Oct 12, 2018
Lauren
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Oct 02, 2021
Amy
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