It all happened in a flash. February 1933 was the month in which the fate of German writers as
for so many others was decided. In a tensely spun narrative Uwe Wittstock tells the story of
a demise which was predicted by some but also scarcely thought possible. He reveals how in a
matter of weeks the glittering Weimar literary scene gave way to a long dark winter and how
the net drew ever closer for Thomas Mann Bertolt Brecht Else Lasker-Schüler Alfred Döblin
and countless others. Monday January 30: Adolf Hitler is sworn in as Chancellor of Germany.
Joseph Roth cannot wait any longer to learn what today's paper will report. He leaves for the
station early in the morning and takes the train to Paris bidding Berlin farewell comes
naturally to him. Meanwhile Thomas Mann barely spares a thought for politics during the next
ten days focusing instead on his forthcoming speech on Richard Wagner. Weaving an intimate
portrait of the major figures whose lives he follows day by day Wittstock shows how the
landslide of events which immediately followed Hitler's victory spelled disaster for the
country's literary elite. He resurrects the atmosphere of the times marked by anxiety for many
by passivity and self-betrayal for some and by grim determination for others. Who will applaud
the new dictator and who will flee fearing for their life? Drawing on unpublished archival
material this important work is both a meticulous historical narrative and a timely reminder
that we must remain vigilant in the face of the forces that threaten democracy however distant
the prospect of totalitarianism may seem.
