Sub Title: My Family's Journey to Freedom
Author: Mellitta Strandberg
Co Author: George E. Pfautsch
Publisher: Author House
Publication Date: 1 December 2011
Pages: 67
Source: From the Author-Melitta Strandberg
My Review:
This is not the type of book that I normally review here, since it is not fiction. It is a biographical story of a search for freedom following WWII. But, I was interested in this book because I have been helping my best friend, Gwyn do some genealogy research. Her Grandmother died in a concentration camp. We have yet to discover her ancestral roots. It is as if she never existed, other than the record of her death in the concentration camp. But, the research into this really peaked my interest and I have since, been reading more about this era in history.
Melitta Strandberg is really a walking miracle. She was taken away from her mother at birth in 1944 at the hospital in Weimer Germany. She was taken for the purpose of experiments ordered by Hitler to be conducted on newborns. This was part of his quest to obtain what he thought was the perfect race. The babies chosen for these experiments were from mothers of Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Poland. Melitta's mother was Hungarian, therefore not of the pure race. Therefore, her daughter was perfect for experimentation. This is just another example of the lengths that Hitler stooped to because of his obssession. There is no way of knowing just what Melitta was subjected to during the 6 months she was in the company of the Nazis.
This is a compelling story of a family's fight for freedom and the things they had to endure to reach that goal. Yes it is a sad story, as most from this era are. But, they do finally find freedom and take the last refugee train to Augsberg, Germany. When they get off the train, there are American Soldiers offering the children chocolate. (hence, the name of the book) This was the children's first taste of freedom.
Quote from the book:
"Sometimes the citizens of this nation take freedom for granted. Apathy is a great risk to the preservation of freedom. Governments must sometimes be reminded of the words of our second President, John Adams, "You have rights antecedent to all earthly goernments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the universe." When any government forgets those words, it also forgets the reason for governments to exist."
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