The Last Jews in Berlin

By: Leonard Gross

Narrated by: David de Vries

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, approximately 160,000 Jews called Berlin home. By 1943 less than 5,000 remained in the nation's capital, the epicenter of Nazism, and by the end of the war, that number had dwindled to 1,000. All the others had died in air raids, starved to death, committed suicide, or been shipped off to the death camps.

In this captivating and harrowing book, Leonard Gross details the real-life stories of a dozen Jewish men and women who spent the final 27 months of World War II underground, hiding in plain sight, defying both the Gestapo and, even worse, Jewish "catchers" ready to report them to the Nazis in order to avoid the gas chambers themselves. A teenage orphan, a black-market jewel trader, a stylish young designer, and a progressive intellectual were among the few who managed to survive. Through their own resourcefulness, bravery, and at times, sheer luck, these Jews managed to evade the tragic fates of so many others.

Gross has woven these true stories of perseverance into a heartbreaking, suspenseful, and moving account with the narrative force of a thriller. Compiled from extensive interviews, The Last Jews in Berlin reveals these individuals' astounding determination, against all odds, to live each day knowing it could be their last.

©1992 Leonard Gross (P)2019 Tantor

Very good and worthwhile book

This book reminded me somewhat of "The Dressmakers of Auschwitz" as it is a collection of individual stories for a certain group of Holocaust victims--in this cases, Jewish of Berlin. This kind of collected stories portrays the human suffering and makes it all the more real than straight history. It is well written and excellent narration.

Amazing real life adventure.

I couldnt stop listening. Great listen for WW2 history buffs and Adventure fans of any era.The courage and Innovativeness of these Stories is exciting and inspiring.

Uplifting story of resilience and cunning

Despite Hitler’s declaration that Berlin was Juden-frei, this accounts tells the stories of Jews who refused to leave Berlin during WW2. The resilience and cunning needed to survive is fully on display here. As the author states, no Jew survived in Berlin without the help of some Germans who opposed the Nazi regime. Their stories and sacrifices are detailed here as well. Together, these accounts are both surprising and inspiring.

Loved it

Incredibly informative. Captivating and exciting at times. Sad, terrible and terrifying many other times. The only problem is the numerous characters in the book with distinctive stories would be very difficult and confusing to seperate for audio beginners. You might wanna repeat some chapters to accurately follow the story.

4 starts

I'm giving this 4 stars because although I really enjoyed the content, it got a little confusing flipping between characters. I also wasn't enthralled with the narrator. I think perhaps a female narrator would've been better suited. The narrator's voice was somewhat monotone and made the dry parts even more dry.

All that being said, the stories were very interesting and the characters were relatable.

Wow! Great book

Very informative of what the Jewish people had to go through to survive. It amazes me that the allied troops, especially the USA, let this atrocity go on for so long.

Too many characters at once.

With so many characters it’s hard to follow all at the same time. Still a great story and important to understand the entire breadth of the Holocaust.

well done

Easy to follow the stories. Sad and full of courage.
Thank you for writing this book.

An excellent account of Jewish survival in Berlin,

This is a story I have not read before - the stories of an assortment of Jewish individuals and families who had not been willing or able to escape Berlin as the Nazi hammer fell on them. The author has done a great job in choosing which stories to tell, and keeps it real, unvarnished, yet engaging, gripping.

For readers steeped in WWII non-fiction, this is an excellent addition.

Gives new insight into a terrible time in history

This book tells the story of people surviving against unimaginable odds during a terrible time in history. I am not finished with the book, but so far it has been a very interesting read... Rather than a depressing rehash of the horrors of the Nazis and wartime in general, it tells the personal efforts of those who risked everything to help the many Jews who decided to (or were forced to) stay in Berlin. It is uplifting to hear of the selfless bravery of the characters...engrossing and very well narrated.