A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary

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A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary

by Anonymous, Marta Hillers, Philip Boehm (Translator), Hans Magnus Enzensberger (Editor)

4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 · rating details · 2,347 ratings · 373 reviews

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice

For eight weeks in 1945, as Berlin fell to the Russian army, a young woman kept a daily record of life in her apartment building and among its residents. "With bald honesty and brutal lyricism" (Elle), the anonymous author depicts her fellow Berliners in all their humanity, as well as their cravenness, corrupted first by hunger a...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published July 11th 2006 by Picador (first published 1945)

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Best Memoir / Biography / Autobiography

113th out of 1,804 books — 1,747 voters

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré

The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood

Berlin

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Jan 05, 2009 Zinta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When we speak of war fatalities, of those who have fallen, of those who have offered themselves up as sacrifices for the purpose of... but to what purpose? We think of fallen soldiers on the battlefield, yet far behind those front lines that so often are saluted in honor with parades and holidays -- are the women. Throughout the history of humankind, women of all ages have been treated as the prize of the conquerer. To the winner go the spoils, and the spoils are women.

"A Woman in Berlin" is a...more When we speak of war fatalities, of those who have fallen, of those who have offered themselves up as sacrifices for the purpose of... but to what purpose? We think of fallen soldiers on the battlefield, yet far behind those front lines that so often are saluted in honor with parades and holidays -- are the women. Throughout the history of humankind, women of all ages have been treated as the prize of the conquerer. To the winner go the spoils, and the spoils are women.

"A Woman in Berlin" is a journal kept over a two-month period of time in 1945, when Berlin was overtaken by the Russian (Soviet) Army. The author, dubbed simply "Anonymous," is rumored to be a German woman named Marta, well educated, perhaps a journalist who has seen much of the world... but not in this way. For eight weeks she chronicles the battle of the woman in war. Over 100,000 women are raped over this 8-week period in Berlin. Not once, but over and over again. The diarist writes of this time in a way that perhaps only a journalist could, keeping emotions in check, remaining clear-eyed, intelligence evident, apparently using her writing as a tool of survival. If the horrors of war are indescribable, the horrors of what women have had to endure as the human spoils of wars over time has had little examination, little if any punishment (arguably this behavior has even been encouraged), and even less understanding. This book is important reading to anyone wishing to understand war. Any war.

Who will pin purple hearts on these women for their suffering and degradation? Who can measure the wounds that never heal and their lifelong consequences to invidividuals and to societies? These are the unsung heroes who are forced to submit, yet so often rise up first to rebuild what war has torn apart -- homes, families, lives.

The first time this diary was published, it was not received as the heroic work of a survivor. The diarist was ostracized, because so often people turn away from and deny what hurts most, what reminds us of the depravity in mankind. She gave instruction to not publish these pages again until after her death, which arrived in 2001. But this is a timeless book, because women are being used and abused as the spoils of wars today. Witness Bosnia and Kosovo, Darfur, Iraq, and the list goes on to include every battle in which man has raised a weapon, himself becoming a weapon of destruction.

Essential reading. (less)

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Nov 22, 2008 Trée rated it 5 of 5 stars

Two days after finishing, I still can't stop thinking about the haunting beauty of this rare journal, deeply saddened at the events described and equally saddened she didn't write more. This is the kind of book that sucks all the oxygen out of the air, that needs space once it is finished. The idea of starting something new is out of the question, almost sacrilege. One wants a moment of silence, to reach through time and hug the writer, which cannot be done.

The prose is understated and often bri...more

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Feb 19, 2009 Denis rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is quite a stunning book - some have questioned its authenticity, some on the contrary have carefully explained why it can only be a real document. The fact is, this diary of an ordinary German citizen who lives through the fall of Berlin, during WWII, is breathtaking, and transports us like no other book does into the heart of a nightmare that did happen. As any diary written by a simple citizen, it's all about daily life - yet daily life in Berlin in 1945 is far from normal. It's actually...more

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Nov 06, 2007 Ally rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-person-account

This blew me away. What it might be like to live in a city that's subject to invasion, occupation and destruction by an enemy whose force you cannot hope to match -- that's what it offers us a glimpse of.

The fact that it's from a German perspective only underlines the reach of this diary. It's an anonymous woman's account of the 20 or so days during which the Russians took Berlin in April 1945. When a city's unarmed citizens (especially the women) become spoils for the victors, and we see humani...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Anna by: Chrissie

Shelves: own, world-war-ii-holocaust, biographies-memoirs, history, adult-nonfiction, favorite, book-to-movie, in-my-book-journal

This is the kind of book that sucks all the oxygen out of the air that needs space once it is finished. This diary of an ordinary German citizen who lives through the fall of Berlin, during WWII.is a part of history not often reported partly because the Germans themselves felt ashamed by their military defeat.

So well written I loved every moment of it.The one thing I wish to of knew was who she married in the end?!She writes in a compelling voice this book heartbreaking as well as inspiring. I...more

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Jul 30, 2007 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, biography

A journalist recorded what it was like to be in Berlin when it fell under Russina control during WWII. Cut off from the rest of the world, civilians (particularly young women) were subjected to the usual horrors of war as the Russians raped and pillaged bombed out dwellings. This is a part of history not often reported-- partly because the Germans themselves felt ashamed by their military defeat/inability to protect their civilians. Though the author remained anonymous for obvious reasons, her i...more

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Sep 06, 2007 Sundry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A truly amazing journal of one woman’s experience. She was a writer before the war, and traveled widely, and keeping a diary probably helped her keep her sanity.

Very well written. Intelligent discourse. An important look at the particular price women pay in wartime, how they become part of the loot and a target for vengence.

The author also observes in detail how society changes in times of extreme danger and deprivation. How it flexes to allow for every individual doing what s/he can to survive...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Rowland Bismark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

WHEN THE ANGEL SING WITH TEARS OF BLOOD

Focusing in particular on the German-Soviet war in the East, this book explores variations in patterns of sexual violence associated with armed forces in Europe during and immediately after World War II subjectively. Besides soldier violence perpetrated against civilian populations, a significant role was also played by irregular forces: most notably, by partisan guerrillas and civilian vigilantes. Ethnic nationalist partisan forces perpetrated especially b...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in life during the Third Reich, particularly women

Shelves: world-war-2, non-fiction-memoir, female-author, german-author, holocaust, knocked-my-socks-off

This is one the best WW2 firsthand accounts written by a German woman I have ever read (sorry for the run-on sentence). I could not put this book down.

It is the fascinating account of the last days of Berlin under the Third Reich, as well as when the Russians conquered the city. The anonymous author kept a journal of her experiences from which this book was later derived. I was stunned by the number of rapes committed by the Russians upon the German women and girls--I had no idea. I was also st...more

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Oct 14, 2008 Hannah added it

Matter-of-fact and quietly devastating.

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Mar 22, 2008 Maurice A. rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Maurice by: I saw a book review of it.

The sad events of World War II have traumatized many people on all sides of the conflict. “A Woman in Berlin” is an autobiographical description of the trauma experienced by a young German woman living in Berlin during the Russian conquest. It was written anomalously and published after the war. This thirty-four year old woman probably was impressed with German success early in the War, but experienced, first hand, the consequences of such aggression. Her comment about Hitler’s dreams of conques...more

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Feb 01, 2008 Gwen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the diary a woman kept during the weeks when the Russians occupied Berlin in 1945. I knew nothing about this episode--when you learn about the end of WWII, it's all about liberating the concentration camps, not what happened to the Germans. I mean, it's hard to work up a lot of sympathy.

Until you read the introduction, in which you find out that over 100,000 German women were raped by Russian soldiers in the first couple of weeks after Berlin fell. Hitler, being a megalomaniac insane per...more This is the diary a woman kept during the weeks when the Russians occupied Berlin in 1945. I knew nothing about this episode--when you learn about the end of WWII, it's all about liberating the concentration camps, not what happened to the Germans. I mean, it's hard to work up a lot of sympathy.

Until you read the introduction, in which you find out that over 100,000 German women were raped by Russian soldiers in the first couple of weeks after Berlin fell. Hitler, being a megalomaniac insane person, refused to evacuate women and children from the city as the Russians advanced, leaving them trapped and unable to get food or protection. They were already living in bombed-out buildings, scavenging for food, and then the Russians--who are all referred to as "Ivan"--show up.

The author keeps a heart-breakingly frank diary of what happens to her and those around her--the attempts to hide daughters in attics and crawl spaces, the fear of being caught in the stairway, efforts to make themselves look ugly, diseased, or as though they're menstruating. Group rapes are common. After a few days, a rapist who is "gentle" because she is so sore, or one who leaves behind money or food, stands out as a highlight of the day. After the brutal forcible rapes become less common, the more subtle form of rape occurs--the women try to align themselves with one particular Russian soldier to protect themselves from others, although there is no guarantee this will work--and of course their "voluntary" sexual relations with these men is not voluntary at all, since it's an effort to protect themselves from even worse sexual exploitation.

It's just mind-blowing to read her accounts--every time women who haven't seen each other in a while meet, the first questions is, "How many?", meaning "How many Russians raped you?" It becomes a joke--the women deal with the situation collectively by laughing at the rapists, saying they are horrible in bed or poorly endowed, congratulating themselves for being attractive enough to be raped, and so on.

Although of course it's not funny. They all worry about STDs and pregnancy, and women share information of doctors or remedies that might help should they encounter either. And the author recognizes that when the German men return, all the women will have to pretend that THEY PERSONALLY escaped the raping so their men will not see them as ruined. So they're victimized, but they already know that once life starts to return to "normal," they'll have to pretend it never happened. Their men's honor depends on them denying this horrible situation.

I loved reading the book--the author is insightful, witty, and informative--but it's definitely not FUN to read.(less)

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Nov 15, 2007 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

This is one of the best memoirs I have ever read of World War II. It not from the perspective of soldier, but a woman living in Berlin when it fell to the Russians. The bulk of the book takes places in one building, during 8 weeks starting when the Russians were approaching. You see civilization start to fall away as the city starts to fall apart (no water, no electricity); and you see people striped to their most basic as hunger and fear step in. In the first few weeks the Russians raped any wo...more

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Aug 28, 2007 Adri rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an anonymous account by a young woman of the weeks in Berlin after it fell to the Russian Army in 1945.

I'm not sure where to start, because there are a lot of surprising, compelling and troubling themes and stories in this book.

On a philosophical level, the way in which time is perceived, marked and recorded in this book made me think differently about history and timelines. History and experience, or History and memory, are not the same, and yet somehow linked in a very powerful way....more

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Mar 03, 2008 Casey rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone, but especially women

This is one of the most incredible books I have ever read and I think that it is a book that everyone should read, but more importantly every woman should read. it is a story of strength and resiliance and gives us a glimpse into the lives of people that we may have thought growing up were the "bad guys". Every time I learn more and more about WWII I realize that aside from the horrible atrocities of the holocaust, the line between good and bad can sometimes be unclear. A word of warning, many s...more

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Jan 21, 2009 Marsha rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I have read in a long time. I cannot get it out of my head. So many things to think about after having read it. I am surprised by how similar we Americans today are in our thinking and view of the world to the Germans of Hitler's time.

Do we not see ourselves as superior to those living in third world countries or the illegal aliens? Do we not hold up our inventions and the law and order of our society as examples of how evolved we are? The woman in the story felt those thi...more

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Jun 05, 2010 Nat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, biographies

So very dark and hard to read at times (okay, a lot of the time), but incredible. I'm very glad I read this. I learned a lot about something I didn't know anything much about (the Russian occupation of Berlin). It was also a rare opportunity to get the Germans' perspective, and that, too, primarily of the women.

The diarist is amazing. How she was able to maintain her composure, resolve, and sense of humour is truly inspiring. The passage on pp. 174-176 was my favourite. It reads in part: "All I...more

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Jan 23, 2008 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a diary format of a single woman living in Berlin at the end of World War II. This book is an on the ground personal account that personifies some of the horrors of war and its aftermath. She captures the urgency that the people felt to fulfill their basic needs and the realities of how this happened. Having been to Berlin, her descriptions of the local districts and how to go between them during this difficult period was of interest to me. Plus, I think this book captures the perso...more

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Jun 23, 2008 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone.

I was floored. Jaw on the floor, heart in my stomach, tears in my eyes floored. This book should be required reading for all women everywhere. It should be on high school reading lists and mandatory for all new military recruits. About what war does to women and children, about how the men go and fight and forget that if they lose it’s the women who suffer. Who are raped repeatedly and who watch their children starve to death in the rubble of their lives. But Anonymous writes her journal entries...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Originally published in the 1950s, this book is a personal journal written by a young single woman in Berlin at the end of W War II, as the Russian military took control of the city. The author chose to remain anonymous, writing about the rape experiences of civilian women as 'spoils' of war for the conquering troops. She writes candidly on an uncommon theme which created enough controversy that she declined to allow a reprinting during her lifetime. The book was reprinted after her death a few...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorieten

Wie de anonieme schrijfster ook was, schrijven kon ze! Een huiveringwekkende aangrijpende getuigenis van de laatste weken van de Tweede Wereldoorlog in Berlijn. En dan vooral van de vrouwen in Berlijn. Deze vrouwen hadden het verschrikkelijk te verduren maar toch een bepaalde veerkracht en saamhorigheid waardoor ze zich door deze periode heenworstelden: 'de collectieve massale verkrachting zullen ze ook collectief te boven komen'
De schrijfster en met haar vele anderen zien de voormalige militai...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is, has been, and always will be enormously controversial because it purports to be a true, eyewitness account, indeed a diary, of the Fall of Berlin to the Soviets in the spring of 1945, told from the standpoint of a civilian, a woman, who endured and somehow managed to survive the mass rapes inflicted on German women by the conquering Red Army. Myself, I tend to believe that this diary is genuine if only because it is disturbing on so many different levels.

First of all, it is manifo...more This book is, has been, and always will be enormously controversial because it purports to be a true, eyewitness account, indeed a diary, of the Fall of Berlin to the Soviets in the spring of 1945, told from the standpoint of a civilian, a woman, who endured and somehow managed to survive the mass rapes inflicted on German women by the conquering Red Army. Myself, I tend to believe that this diary is genuine if only because it is disturbing on so many different levels.

First of all, it is manifoldly disturbing on the level of trauma, sexual violence--the author describes with great candor and insight her own physical and psychological state as a rape victim. She also relates how she and other German women, her friends and acquaintances, discussed their victimization quite openly with each other--as she writes, it became a "collective experience," which in turn perhaps helped to bring about something of a collective recovery (to the extent that such events can ever be fully recovered from).

Second, this book strikes me as genuine because these very same rapists and plunderers, the Russian soldiers of the Red Army, are not uniformly portrayed in a dehumanizing way, rather, the author often discerns their humanity and individuality and even, at least once in the text, seems to recognize that their suffering at the hands of the Germans might very well equal her own at their, Russian hands. However, their suffering is always overshadowed by hers, and in general any empathy she feels for them is only expressed indirectly, by means of telling ellipses, so that the reader is forced to "read between the lines" as it were.

But here we come to yet another, and for me probably the most disturbing aspect of this book--the author's political views. If she was at all typical of educated Germans, these views are depressing indeed, and leave one with no doubt whatsoever how the Nazis managed to come to power in postwar 1930s Germany. In political terms, the anonymous author of this text can only be described as disillusioned, cynical, and disengaged. She rarely mentions the Jews, they are only the occasion for feeling conflicted (feelings which she does not explore). Twice in the text she equates parliamentarianism/democracy with communism and Nazism-- she regards all of these systems of government as equally corrupt and dishonorable! For her, only private life, remote from world events, has any value or meaning for the individual. But it seems to me that if this book has any underlying message at all, it is that in times of great political upheaval, violence, and terror, any such escape into private life is purely temporary and completely illusory.(less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Mark Rossiter rated it 5 of 5 stars

This anonymously written diary was kept between April 20th and June 22nd 1945 by a single thirty-something journalist in Berlin, and describes first-hand the utter collapse of German power in the capital of the Reich and the coming of the Soviet Red Army. One of the writer’s first observations is that “among the many defeats at the end of this war is the defeat of the male sex”; but she is referring to the beaten Germans, not to the agressively triumphant Soviets who sweep into town a week into...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Kaysee rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm aware of the history that goes along with the time period, we've all studied at one point or another; however, this was something more than I had expected. Our teacher had given us a warning, he told us that it would be intense in some parts and it might not be in taste for some of us, not that what this story holds should be in taste for anyone, but some of us can handle the contents better than others.

The way the woman tells her story, how she is able to even express herself and what is ar...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly rated it 4 of 5 stars

One hundred twenty-one pages of gray war-issue paper came out from the ruins of war and became this book. It's a diary of a "pale-faced blond" German woman, most likely a journalist in the 1920s who had had travels in twelve European countries and knew several languages, including a little Russian. She never wanted to disclose her identity and forbade its publication during her lifetime.

The first entry was marked "Friday, April 20, 1945, 4:00 p.m." That day was Adolf Hitler's birthday. The last...more One hundred twenty-one pages of gray war-issue paper came out from the ruins of war and became this book. It's a diary of a "pale-faced blond" German woman, most likely a journalist in the 1920s who had had travels in twelve European countries and knew several languages, including a little Russian. She never wanted to disclose her identity and forbade its publication during her lifetime.

The first entry was marked "Friday, April 20, 1945, 4:00 p.m." That day was Adolf Hitler's birthday. The last one was marked "Saturday, June 16 to Friday, June 22, 1945." Ten days after the first entry Hitler committed suicide. The diarist didn't know about it. She didn't even write anything that day and only wrote about her recollections the day after, May 1.

The little over eight weeks covered by this diary was perhaps the most tumultuous period for the city of Berlin during the last world war. Its beginning was when Berlin's eastern part (where the author lived) was shaking from Russian bombardment and the entries ended at the time when the Russians were slowly trying to restore normalcy to the city after the German surrender. In-between were deaths from bombs, arrests, suicides, hunger, and a lot of rapes of German women (including girls, mothers and grandmothers) by Russian soldiers. The author was not spared from these. Writing on May 1, 1945 she tried to remember the events of two days before, Sunday, April 29, 1945. A poignant line reads: "Exactly how the evening passed escapes me at the moment. Presumably brandy, bread, herring, canned meat, coitus, Anatol." Anatol was a minor-ranking Russian officer whom she tried to keep as her permanent rapist--just so that she will cease to be fair game to other soldiers and also for some food he'd share with her. This was just one of the many tricks, some verging on the ludicrous, the women residents of the city had resorted to to avoid being raped or at least minimize the incidents (one pretended to be a boy, another hid in the attic all the time, others tried to make themselves as repulsive as possible, like not bathing or pretending to have horrible diseases).

But it was not a long procession of cinematic horror as it would probably have been had the diary been fake (initial doubts about its authenticity were expressed by some). There were many moments of everyday ordinariness, as if there had been no war, like when the author met gentlemen Russian soldiers who treated her like a lady and who were interested more in discussing, say, politics, than sleeping with her. Or when she had interacted with some people to discuss a printing business they thought they can put up as Berlin struggles to recover. It was a city in a twilight zone, hovering between sanity and barbarism.(less)

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Aug 15, 2011 Oana rated it 5 of 5 stars

When the Russians took over Berlin, the soldiers were told that the women of that city were theirs. Though male authors have tackled rape in times of war, some of the books I read have minimized the severity or called into question whether or not women were actually raped. Thus A Woman in Berlin was welcome, in that it told a story we all know happened.

The book is based on the author's journal, which begins with the week before the arrival of the Russians and ends about two months after the war...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Becca Chopra rated it 5 of 5 stars

A MUST READ!
I was given this book to read as I am editing a series of diaries myself, although fictional ones. But it sat to the side for many months, as the book jacket description made the book sound like it would be another horrific, depressing account of World War II. I had heard enough from my grandparents and my father about their own near-death experiences in Eastern Europe during that time. Yet like them, the Anonymous author seemed to grow in strength and was able to survive the unsurvi...more A MUST READ!
I was given this book to read as I am editing a series of diaries myself, although fictional ones. But it sat to the side for many months, as the book jacket description made the book sound like it would be another horrific, depressing account of World War II. I had heard enough from my grandparents and my father about their own near-death experiences in Eastern Europe during that time. Yet like them, the Anonymous author seemed to grow in strength and was able to survive the unsurvivable. I can understand why the book was "politically incorrect" when first published because of the bad light it cast on German men and then laid to rest until the author herself had passed. Men, whether German or Russian, soldiers or civilians, do not come off in a good light in Anonymous' account. And war is further exposed as a futile exercise that causes as much, if not more, tragedy for women and children caught in the fight as to the men who make and follow the marching orders.

After I finally picked up the book, I did not put it down again until I was finished. It's a fascinating look at the underbelly of war and one woman's graphic description of her ordeal and the ordeal of everyone around her in occupied Berlin. Not the worst that happened during World War II. But a common experience not much written about in the history of war... the rape and pillage accompanies combat. This woman shows how she and others kept their strength and integrity, while compromising their virtue to survive. The human spirit is so alive in this book! I don't think judgment needs to be passed on the characters in the book or how true to life the story actually is... truth is not always in specific details. The philosopher Horace said, "adversity reveals genius, prosperity conceals it." Anonymous proved this ancient saying true.

I think "A Woman in Berlin" was off the shelves until we as a society were ready to see and believe how war (or any difficulty) can bring out the worst in most, but the best in a few. We can only attain to be as true to ourselves as this author was, learn the lessons presented here, and create a new world vision.
Namaste! Becca Chopra, author of "The Chakra Diaries" (less)

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Apr 18, 2010 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 13, 2013 Roberta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biografie, storia

Atroce. L'ho trovato atroce, ma nel senso che non riuscivo a staccarmi da queste pagine e ho finito di leggerle tutte in un giorno e mezzo. Un lucido e consapevole diario di due mesi di vita, di sopravvivenza a cavallo dell'occupazione di Berlino da parte dei russi vincitori. I giorni che noi italiani siamo abituati a pensare come quelli della "Liberazione", dai tedeschi sono stati vissuti diversamente. E dalle donne tedesche in particolare, anch'esse eterne vittime dei vincitori di una guerra.
C...more

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Dec 14, 2008 Jennie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just finished this book and I'm sorting out my feelings about it. On the one hand, it is truly incredible, this woman's story of what happened in Berlin when Germany lost and the Russians arrived. I'd like to read more about rape as a tool of war - it's an interesting concept. What she chose to do during this time would make for an INCREDIBLE discussion amongst women.
On the other hand, I can't help but say I wouldn't do the same, given the same circumstances. If I were single, with no one depe...more

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About Anonymous

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

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Quotes from A Woman in Berlin

“Ich versuche mir vorzustellen, wie es wäre, wenn mir dies Erleben zum ersten Mal auf solche Art zuteil geworden wäre. Ich muß den Gedanken abbremsen, so was ist nicht vorstellbar. Eines ist klar: Wäre an dem Mädchen irgendwann in Friedenszeiten durch einen herumstreunenden Kerl die Notzucht verübt worden, wäre hinterher das übliche Friedensbrimborium von Anzeige, Protokoll, Vernehmung, ja von Verhaftung und Gegenüberstellung, Zeitungsbericht und Nachbarngetue gewesen – das Mädel hätte anders reagiert, hätte einen anderen Schock davongetragen. Hier aber handelt es sich um ein Kollektiv-Erlebnis, vorausgewußt, viele Male vorausbefürchtet – um etwas, das den Frauen links und rechts und nebenan zustieß, das gewissermaßen dazu gehörte. Diese kollektive Massenform der Vergewaltigung wird auch kollektiv überwunden werden. Jede hilft jeder, indem sie darüber spricht, sich Luft macht, der anderen Gelegenheit gibt sich Luft zu machen, das Erlittene auszuspeien. Was natürlich nicht ausschließt, das feinere Organismen als diese abgebrühte Berliner Göre daran zerbrechen oder doch auf Lebenszeit einen Knacks davontragen.” — 1 person liked it

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title link	preview: A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30851.A_Woman_in_Berlin?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1366385038l/30851.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30851.A_Woman_in_Berlin?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary by Anonymous[/url]

A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary

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