In this Book
- Crowns, Crosses, and Stars: My Youth in Prussia, Surviving Hitler, and a Life Beyond
- Book
- 2012
- Published by: Purdue University Press
summary
This is the story of a remarkable life and a journey, from the privileged world of Prussian aristocracy, through the horrors of World War II, to high society in the television age of postwar America. It is also an account of a spiritual voyage, from a conventional Christian upbringing, through marriage to Pastor Martin Niemoeller, to conversion to Judaism.
Born during the turbulent days of the Weimar Republic, the author was the goddaughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II (to whom her father was financial advisor). During her teenage years, she witnessed the rise of the Third Reich and her family’s resistance to it, culminating in their involvement in “Operation Valkyrie,” the ill-fated attempt to assassinate Hitler and form a new government. At war’s end, she worked with British Intelligence to uncover Nazis leaders. Keeping a promise to her father, she left Germany for a new life in the United States in the 1950s, working for NBC and raising her son in the exciting world of New York, only to return to Germany as the wife of Martin Niemoeller, the voice of religious resistance during the Third Reich and of German guilt and conscience in the postwar decades. Upon her husband's death in 1984 she returned to America, after having converted to Judaism in London, and turned yet another page by becoming an active public speaker and author.
The title reflects a story of three parts: “Crowns,” the world of nobility in which the author was raised; “Crosses,” her life with Martin Niemoeller and his battles with the Third Reich; and “Stars,” the spiritual journey that brought her to Judaism.
Table of Contents
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- Editor’s Note
- p. xi
- 1. September 1914
- pp. 6-10
- 2. Augusta
- pp. 11-15
- 5. My Arrival
- pp. 24-26
- 7. New Men in My Life
- pp. 31-34
- 8. The New Pastor
- pp. 35-39
- 9. Rabble-Rousers
- pp. 40-42
- 10. The Godfather
- pp. 43-47
- 11. The Third Reich Begins
- pp. 48-50
- 12. A Pastor’s Growing Doubts
- pp. 51-52
- 13. Nazis on Parade
- pp. 53-54
- 14. Life in the Third Reich
- pp. 55-59
- 15. Royal Sons
- pp. 60-61
- 16. School Days
- pp. 62-64
- 18. Uncle Mirko
- pp. 70-71
- 19. Nazi Actions
- pp. 72-74
- 20. A Meeting with the Führer
- pp. 75-77
- 21. Problems at School and at Home
- pp. 78-81
- 22. Uncertain Reactions
- pp. 82-83
- 23. Boarding School
- pp. 84-88
- 24. My Meeting
- pp. 89-90
- 25. Pastor Made Prisoner
- pp. 91-93
- 26. Triumphs of the Führer
- pp. 94-95
- 27. Prisoner 569
- pp. 96-98
- 28. Growing Up
- pp. 99-107
- Part 2: Destruction Unlimited
- pp. 109-232
- 29. Conspirators
- pp. 111-112
- 30. Out of and Into School
- pp. 113-115
- 31. An Aspiring Actress
- pp. 116-118
- 32. A Visit Home
- pp. 119-122
- 33. Good-bye to My Godfather
- pp. 123-126
- 34. The Incipient Actress
- pp. 127-129
- 35. The War Comes Closer to Home
- pp. 130-131
- 36. Shortages
- pp. 132-133
- 37. Resistance
- pp. 134-135
- 38. Rescue Efforts
- pp. 136-138
- 39. Danzig
- pp. 139-141
- 40. The Final Attempt
- pp. 142-145
- 41. Revenge
- pp. 146-149
- 42. Aftermath
- pp. 150-151
- 43. More Illegal Activities
- pp. 152-154
- 44. A New Career
- pp. 155-158
- 45. Thoughts of Home
- pp. 159-160
- 47. The War Closes In
- pp. 162-166
- 48. Last Visit to Dachau
- pp. 167-168
- 49. Arabella
- pp. 169-171
- 50. Freedom
- pp. 172-173
- 51. Continuing the Trek
- pp. 174-175
- 52. War’s End
- pp. 176-179
- 53. The Russians are Coming
- pp. 180-183
- 54. With the Americans
- pp. 184-187
- 55. Joining the British
- pp. 188-190
- 56. British Intelligence
- pp. 191-192
- 57. Return to Berlin
- pp. 193-197
- 58. The Confessing Accuser
- pp. 198-200
- 59. Surviving in Berlin
- pp. 201-205
- 60. Help from Many Sources
- pp. 206-208
- 61. A New Job
- pp. 209-211
- 62. The News of My Father
- pp. 212-214
- 63. Grandmother
- pp. 215-216
- 65. New Sorrows, New Jobs
- pp. 220-222
- 66. The Airlift
- pp. 223-224
- 67. Cold War
- pp. 225-226
- 68. Discomfort and New Life
- pp. 227-232
- 69. A Test Case
- pp. 235-239
- 70. Living in America
- pp. 240-242
- 71. The New Yorker
- pp. 243-245
- 72. The Today Show
- pp. 246-247
- 73. In Love Again
- pp. 248-250
- 74. Hollywood
- pp. 251-252
- 75. Tragedies and Other Events in Europe
- pp. 253-255
- 76. Events in America
- pp. 256-257
- 77. Divorce, Despair, Deliverance
- pp. 258-260
- 78. Back to Berlin
- pp. 261-263
- 79. Life with Martin
- pp. 264-266
- 80. Under the Rug
- pp. 267-269
- 81. Married Life
- pp. 270-272
- 82. Martin and the World
- pp. 273-275
- 83. Life in Germany
- pp. 276-278
- 84. Rebellion
- pp. 279-280
- 85. Film and Farewell
- pp. 281-283
- 86. The Work Is Finished
- pp. 284-285
- 87. East Germany
- pp. 286-288
- 88. New Beginnings
- pp. 289-291
- 89. A New Life
- pp. 292-293
- 90. Questions of Faith . . . and Answers
- pp. 294-297
- 91. Conversion
- pp. 298-301
- Epilogue: August 1996
- pp. 302-304
Additional Information
ISBN
9781612492100
Related ISBN(s)
9781557536181, 9781612492117
MARC Record
OCLC
787852074
Pages
360
Launched on MUSE
2012-07-18
Language
English
Open Access
No