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The Teacher of Auschwitz by Wendy Holden x-book

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The Teacher of Auschwitz

Publisher
Zaffre
Publish Date
9 January 2025
Run Time
10 hours 36 minutes
Format
x-book®

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What to expect

'Haunting and beautiful. Excruciatingly vivid, The Teacher of Auschwitz is rigorously researched and true to the history, powerfully conveying what a smart, loving and energetic man Fredy was.' Dr Elizabeth Baer, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Fredy built a wall against suffering in their hearts...

At the dark heart of the Holocaust, there was a wooden hut whose walls were painted with cartoons; a place where children sang, staged plays and wrote poetry. Safely inside, but still in the shadow of the chimneys, they were given better food, kept free of vermin, and were even taught meditation to imagine full stomachs and a day without fear. The man who became their guiding light was a young Jewish prisoner named Fredy Hirsch.

But being a teacher in such a brutal concentration camp was no mean feat. Whether it was begging the SS for better provisions, or hiding his homosexuality from his persecutors, he risked his life every day for one thing: to protect the children from the mortal danger they all faced.

But time is running out for Fredy and the hundreds of children in his care. Can he find a way to teach them the one lesson they really need to know: how to survive?

From the bestselling author of Born Survivors, comes an assiduously researched and powerful new novel. Drawn from archives and survivor testimonies, historian and biographer Wendy Holden tells the inspirational and uplifting true story of Fredy Hirsch: The Teacher of Auschwitz.

Critics Review

  • This is the closest possible narrative a person who did not experience those times herself, could have written... This novel is a most important work, which will do justice to Fredy and all those victims.

    Dita Kraus, the real-life inspiration for The Librarian of Auschwitz

  • The Teacher of Auschwitz tells the remarkable and heart-breaking story of an extraordinarily brave man who did all he could to protect hundreds of children caught up in the horrors of the Holocaust. His story serves as a powerful and timely reminder that we can all make the choice to stand up for others, and we do not have to be silent in the face of hate. Wendy Holden has brought Fredy's incredible story to life, ensuring that his legacy will live on for generations to come.

    Chief Executive Karen Pollock CBE, Holocaust Educational Trust

User Reviews

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Details

Author
Wendy Holden
Narrator
George Naylor
Duration
10 hours 36 minutes
Release Date
9 January 2025
ISBN
9781804184639
Format
x-book®
Publisher
Zaffre
Genre
The Holocaust, Historical romance

Synopsis

'Haunting and beautiful. Excruciatingly vivid, The Teacher of Auschwitz is rigorously researched and true to the history, powerfully conveying what a smart, loving and energetic man Fredy was.' Dr Elizabeth Baer, United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumFredy built a wall against suffering in their hearts...At the dark heart of the Holocaust, there was a wooden hut whose walls were painted with cartoons; a place where children sang, staged plays and wrote poetry. Safely inside, but still in the shadow of the chimneys, they were given better food, kept free of vermin, and were even taught meditation to imagine full stomachs and a day without fear. The man who became their guiding light was a young Jewish prisoner named Fredy Hirsch.But being a teacher in such a brutal concentration camp was no mean feat. Whether it was begging the SS for better provisions, or hiding his homosexuality from his persecutors, he risked his life every day for one thing: to protect the children from the mortal danger they all faced.But time is running out for Fredy and the hundreds of children in his care. Can he find a way to teach them the one lesson they really need to know: how to survive?From the bestselling author of Born Survivors, comes an assiduously researched and powerful new novel. Drawn from archives and survivor testimonies, historian and biographer Wendy Holden tells the inspirational and uplifting true story of Fredy Hirsch: The Teacher of Auschwitz.

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