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WW2: Four generations of a family struggle to forge their destinies.
Without a Country
What you need to know before your trail
As Hitler’s reign of terror begins to loom large over Germany, Gerhard and Elsa Schliemann—like other German Jews—must flee with their children in search of sanctuary. But life elsewhere in Europe offers few opportunities for medical professor Gerhard and his fellow scientists. Then they discover an unexpected haven in Turkey, where universities and hospitals welcome them as valuable assets.
But despite embracing their adopted land, personal and political troubles persist. Military coups bring unrest and uncertainty to the country, intermarriage challenges the cultural identity of Gerhard and Elsa’s descendants, and anti-Semitism once again threatens their future in the place they call home.
Locations
Reset- Germany - Frankfurt
- A: Frankfurt university hospital
- B: Römerberg Square
- Switzerland - Zurich
- C: Train station
Travel Guide
Istanbul, Turkey
The role of Turkey and Istanbul is not a country not city usually represented in WW2 historical fiction. It is a city still under construction and both the city itself and the people living in it have a sense of feeling lost and unsettled. Their city has been created out of nothing and so is beautiful and organized/ At least that is the idea, but for many Jews living here, their home is away from their homeland.
The city of Istanbul becomes a character during war time. There is a lot going on in the persecution of Jews. This persecution escalated quickly before the war and this was the time many Jewish people there tried to escape and move as the family does, in the book.
Many people moved to Turkey which is not something that the history books concentrate on. The Turkish leader, Ataturk, encouraged German scientists, including Jews who had lost employment at home, to come and work in his universities and help modernize and improve the new country of Turkey as it moved ahead and tried to carve its own place on the world stage.
“Some of the shortcomings were understandable. After all, Turkey was a poor country recovering from years of war and upheaval. But something else was upsetting the German hospital administrators and professors: Turks resented them. Surely the emigres told themselves, the Gazi has no idea this is happening. He was he who had invited them to Turkey and he who had allocated scarce resources…”
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
This book tells the story of a family, in this case the Schliemann family (Don’t think it’s based on actual people but probably inspired by so many), who move to Turkey over several years during and following the 2ww
The role of Turkey in the war is not one I’ve read much about before. It’s not a country that we often think of an involved in this war for some reason. The persecution of the Jews for example is a story we’re all familiar with but I hadn’t read much at all about Turkey’s help and involvement during this time. It was a fascinating read in that regard.
The story is told through the generations and I did think that the initial story which begins with Gerhard and Elsa was the strongest and the best told. Everyone in th family who follows is affected by them and their fate, but their stories were quicker and less developed. However, I have to praise the author for such an nice and easy to read text given the level of research and complexity of the subject matter.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Without a Country
Destination : Frankfurt, Zurich, Istanbul Author/Guide: Ayse Kulin Departure Time: WW2 onwards
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