Letters of Life, Love, and Longing 1920-1943

Description

After Hitler and the Nazis took complete control of Austria in 1938, it became clear that the lives of all Jewish citizens were at risk, and for most, escape to another country was the only way to protect themselves from the horrors that were sure to come. Gerda Sgalitzer, a fledgling physician, and her immediate family were among them. Gerda fled to England, then the United States; her brother, a surgeon, found refuge in China; and her mother, sister, and father, a prominent radiologist, were given asylum in Turkey.

Between 1938 and 1943, until they were reunited, Gerda wrote regularly to her parents. Although most of the letters were lost, more than two hundred of them were saved. These letters, in addition to photographs, family trees, biographies and essays included in this book, give historical context to Gerda’s account of her experiences. Letters of Life, Love, and Longing 1920-1943 was painstakingly researched, written and organized to revive Gerda’s memory and to reveal her amazing story.