Although I left Berlin sometime ago, I can’t seem to leave it behind. While in London, I bought a first novel about a German couple in Berlin during the Second World War. This soldier and his “mail order” wife are on the German side ; the novel portrays the brutal conditions of the fighting on the Russian front and the grim state of affairs for those trying to cope at home. And the effort these two young people undertake to stay connected to each other. I recommend The Undertaking by Audrey Magee.
Now, thanks to a recommendation from my friend Patricia, I’ve been immersing myself in Berlin Diaries, 1940-1945, an unusual first person account of life in Berlin by a transplanted Russian princess. The author is Maria Vassiltchikov. My reading of this is enlightened by having been in that city and having walked some of the streets she references. She recounts parties socializing with ambassadors and diplomats and other royals, but as the war deepens, her concerns become more mundane and basic—where to safely stay and live, what will be available to eat, and what will be the fate of her friends, colleagues, and scattered family members. Her brother edited the diaries, sent for publication just before her death in 1976, and his clarifications of people and places and his interjections about the events of the war are most helpful to the modern reader. Even if you haven’t experienced Berlin, this is a worthwhile and fascinating account of this time period.
