Book Synopsis
Per Stalzer (2004), he began life in the ethnically isolated town of Gottschee. Gottschee was once part of the Austrian empire, but 600 years later it was an island of Catholic Germans in the middle of Slovenia during the rise of the Third Reich. After a gradual emigration of the very educated among the Gottschee, those who remained were forced to assimilate into the Slavic culture. German schools and clubs were outlawed. German was not to be spoken in their churches. And the Gottschee people were forced to accept Slavic versions of their own family names. At first, all able bodied men of age were conscripted into the Slovenian army after their lands were confiscated. Later, when Hitler came to power, the Gottschee people …show more content…
He is a 15 year old refugee that has spent the last few years in various camps in Europe at the end of World War II. He is physically tall for his age, well built, and very blond. He lives with both parents and his older brother in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. above a cutlery shop. They have some family in the U.S., including an uncle whom the family feels cheated them and a maternal aunt and her husband near their new residence. Their housing is small, but adequate for their needs. They are the ethnic minority on their street, but they do live near a neighborhood of Gottscheer people. Edwin identifies himself as heterosexual. He is a high school student in the neighborhood and holds various part time jobs including working for a local grocer and delivering newspapers. He is a good student, but has some issues fitting in with some of the other students following his recent …show more content…
Shortly after his birth, their town of origin, Gottshcee, was forced to evacuate into a refugee camp as the Nazi party came to power in Germany. These ethnically German people were put on a forced march by their Slovenian neighbors to escort them to the border. While most of the people were not brutalized; death, beatings, and near starvation conditions were not unusual. The people also were forced to leave behind most of their belongings including proper winter clothing. When the family arrived in Austria they were transported via cattle cars to live in a series of refugee camps. The Austria government did provide beds to sleep on and food, but resources were scarce and there was not adequate shelter in the winter. Edwin and his brother hit their developmental milestones appropriately and were able to return to school in Austria, although they suffered from the teasing of classmates and often from physical
Per Stalzer (2004), he began life in the ethnically isolated town of Gottschee. Gottschee was once part of the Austrian empire, but 600 years later it was an island of Catholic Germans in the middle of Slovenia during the rise of the Third Reich. After a gradual emigration of the very educated among the Gottschee, those who remained were forced to assimilate into the Slavic culture. German schools and clubs were outlawed. German was not to be spoken in their churches. And the Gottschee people were forced to accept Slavic versions of their own family names. At first, all able bodied men of age were conscripted into the Slovenian army after their lands were confiscated. Later, when Hitler came to power, the Gottschee people …show more content…
He is a 15 year old refugee that has spent the last few years in various camps in Europe at the end of World War II. He is physically tall for his age, well built, and very blond. He lives with both parents and his older brother in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. above a cutlery shop. They have some family in the U.S., including an uncle whom the family feels cheated them and a maternal aunt and her husband near their new residence. Their housing is small, but adequate for their needs. They are the ethnic minority on their street, but they do live near a neighborhood of Gottscheer people. Edwin identifies himself as heterosexual. He is a high school student in the neighborhood and holds various part time jobs including working for a local grocer and delivering newspapers. He is a good student, but has some issues fitting in with some of the other students following his recent …show more content…
Shortly after his birth, their town of origin, Gottshcee, was forced to evacuate into a refugee camp as the Nazi party came to power in Germany. These ethnically German people were put on a forced march by their Slovenian neighbors to escort them to the border. While most of the people were not brutalized; death, beatings, and near starvation conditions were not unusual. The people also were forced to leave behind most of their belongings including proper winter clothing. When the family arrived in Austria they were transported via cattle cars to live in a series of refugee camps. The Austria government did provide beds to sleep on and food, but resources were scarce and there was not adequate shelter in the winter. Edwin and his brother hit their developmental milestones appropriately and were able to return to school in Austria, although they suffered from the teasing of classmates and often from physical