Bibliograph

50 children, one ordinary American couple's extraordinary rescue mission into the heart of Nazi Germany, Steven Pressman ; with an afterword by Paul Shapiro, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Type

Label

50 children, one ordinary American couple's extraordinary rescue mission into the heart of Nazi Germany, Steven Pressman ; with an afterword by Paul Shapiro, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-280) and index

resource.biographical

contains biographical information

Illustrations

illustrationsplates

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

50 children

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

876860007

Responsibility statement

Steven Pressman ; with an afterword by Paul Shapiro, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Sub title

one ordinary American couple's extraordinary rescue mission into the heart of Nazi Germany

Summary

Based on the acclaimed HBO documentary, the astonishing true story of how one American couple transported fifty Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Austria to America in 1939-- the single largest group of unaccompanied refugee children allowed into the United States. In early 1939, America's rigid immigration laws made it virtually impossible for European Jews to seek safe haven in the United States. As deep-seated anti-Semitism and isolationism gripped much of the country, neither President Roosevelt nor Congress rallied to their aid. Yet one brave Jewish couple from Philadelphia refused to silently stand by. Risking their own safety, Gilbert Kraus, a successful lawyer, and his stylish wife, Eleanor, traveled to Nazi-controlled Vienna and Berlin to save fifty Jewish children. Steven Pressman brought the Kraus's rescue mission to life in his acclaimed HBO documentary, 50 Children. In this book, he expands upon the story related in the hour-long film, offering additional historical detail and context to offer a rich, full portrait of this ordinary couple and their extraordinary actions. Drawing from Eleanor Kraus's unpublished memoir, rare historical documents, and interviews with more than a dozen of the surviving children, and illustrated with period photographs, archival materials, and memorabilia, 50 Children is a remarkable tale of personal courage and triumphant heroism that offers a fresh, unique insight into a critical period of history

Table Of Contents

The plan -- The rescue -- New lives

resource.variantTitle

Fifty children

Classification