Volume 8, Number 10 · June 1, 1967
Ben and Dieter: A Speech to the Israelis
By Guenter Grass, Translated by Helen Mustard, Ursule Molinaro, Venable Herndon
While I was writing this paper, the German Social Democrat, Fritz Erler, died. A country that has always pursued the wrong models has lost a model man. When the German middle classes succumbed to national socialism in 1933—often against their better judgment—the high school student Fritz Erler said: 'No.' And stuck by it. This man who scorned ambiguity dared to resist, at a time when many others sought the refuge of 'inner emigration.' At twenty-five he was brought to trial and jailed. In the spring of 1945 escape saved him from transfer to Dachau.
Feature, 2908 words
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