• Biedermeier Desk in Seattle: The Veit Simon Children, Class, and the Transnational in Holocaust History

    Author(s):
    Anna Hajkova (see profile) , Maria von der Heydt
    Date:
    2016
    Group(s):
    German Literature and Culture, Jewish Studies
    Subject(s):
    Jewish Holocaust (1939-1945), Sex--Religious aspects, Transnationalism, Historiography
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    20th Century, class, Family History, sexuality, Gender studies, Holocaust studies, Religion and sexuality, Transnational history
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6PH0H
    Abstract:
    This study offers a transnational history of the Holocaust based on a study of a well-known Berlin Jewish family, the Veit Simons. We use this tangled family history as a point of departure for a transnational history of the Holocaust. In particular, we show how to read the links connecting the protagonists to the wider world as a means of writing transnational history. Their history also shows the interconnectedness of perpetrators and victims. Moreover, we demonstrate the importance of the category of class for our understanding of the experience of Holocaust history. While the Veit Simons could hold off some of the persecution, eventually the Holocaust brought them to the ground, resulting in a story of illness, death, and loss. Finally, we read the story from feminist angle, offering an examination of the interplay of gender, class, and persecution, examining how gender played out in coping while losing one’s former class.
    Notes:
    pulished online in December 2016, forthcoming in print in fall 2017
    Metadata:
    Published as:
    Journal article    
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    6 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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