Abstract

Nazi "justice" following the attempt on Hitler's life on 20 July 1944 led not only to the brutal execution of scores of conspirators, but also dramatically changed the lives of their families. However, whereas it is the husbands who are celebrated annually as heroes of the resistance, little mention is made of their wives. This collection of interviews, which the author conducted with eleven of them, reveals that it was the women's courage that sustained their husbands both before the plot and later, in the face of certain violent death.

"[This book] is a woman's and journalist's daring venture into an area exhausted by research and controversy ... Engaging and revealing reading ... the reader begins to see eleven colorful personalities, with rich background not visible in history books on the topic… [the author] never becomes confrontational but emerges as a careful and sensitive interviewer ... This book resists stereotyping, juxtaposing men and women, and valorizing, and takes into account social status and class of families questioned. [The book], touching without becoming kitsch, promotes a discussion of the nature and values of 'Widerstand', as well as an examination of the impact of 20 July on Germany's 'Vergangenheitsbewältigung'. I would recommend to anyone teaching the events of 20 July to include a couple of these interviews."   · Caroline Schaumann, Women in German

Dorothee von Meding is a writer and producer with the Hesse Television Network, Frankfurt.