Customer Reviews

Elsie's War: A Story of Courage in Nazi Germany

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Frank Dabba Smith tells an inspiring story, geared primarily to the young reader. he reminds us, that there were also many courageous Germans, who defied Hitler in WWII

This children's book is the first telling, in English, of a little known story of daring & courage during the darkest days of Nazism. The Leitz family owned the Leitz optical works & camera factory in Wetzlar, Germany, which manufactured the world famous & often coveted Leica camera. They produced the world's first successful 35mm camera. What is little known is the family's successful attempt to help many Jewish employees escape the clutches of Nazism by posting them overseas. Elsie Kuhn was the daughter of Dr. Ernst Leitz II, who was the owner of the optical works & factory. She helped in her father's actions & also helped improve the day-to-day living conditions of the 800 Ukrainian women sent to the factory as forced laborers. This book is about the time Elsie personally tried to facilitate the escape to Switzerland of a Jewish woman from Wetzlar. The woman was betrayed & Elsie was imprisoned by the Nazis. She was eventually saved & not sent to almost certain death in the Ravensbrück concentration camp, because a massive ransom was paid for her release. This is a wonderful tale of courage & bravery & sacrifice in the face of danger, torture & death. Elsie was not apathetic. Elsie took part in the struggle against Nazism. This book is written to interest children & not frighten them.