General

Recently I have received comments from Jewish readers of Immigrant Soldier regarding Herman’s friendship with the SS Officer Richard Schulze. One of these, an acquaintance and fellow author, wrote, “I understand that your uncle needed the help of Schulze to organize the POW camp, but I’m wondering how he could let their relationship become a close friendship considering the evil men that he [Schulze] assisted?” Another reader of my blog, a long-lost second-cousin through my paternal grandmother wrote, “I am intrigued by the relationship Herman developed with Richard Schulze-Kossens. I've learned elsewhere that they remained good friends for the rest of their lives. I wonder if you have further insight into how Herman could feel such kinship [with an SS officer]?” The issue of Herman’s friendship with Schulze was something I had to struggle with as a writer and as a student of the Holocaust. In order to be true to Herman’s story, [...]

Several of my readers have expressed disappointment that Immigrant Soldier does not have photos.     Other than the pictures used on the cover, I decided that because the book was written as a novel, it would be better without photos which might inhibit a reader’s imagination.  You will find some pictures of Herman on various pages of this web-site, including one on the author page of myself with Herman just a few months before he passed away. But for followers of this blog, I thought I would share a small selection of family photos.  I hope you enjoy these glimpses of Herman’s early years.   The three siblings, Edith, Friedel, and Herman, in about 1923. They are a perfect group of early 20th Century, German kinder. Note that in the center Friedel, the oldest, proudly wears his beloved Lederhosen and Tyrolean jacket.             This photo of the three [...]