While the Gods Were Silent: Growing Up Under Fascists and Communists

by Julius Scherzer

This book is an autobiographical and historical narrative that starts in the 1930s and ends in 1963, the year of the author s arrival in the U.S. The narrative combines autobiography, history, and psychology to tell the story of the author s childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood. It is a story that takes place in a corner of Eastern Europe under fascism and communism, before, during, and after World War II. The author describes his life under the Romanian fascists and communists, as well as under the Soviets during the Stalin era. The author grew up in a province that belonged to the Austrian Empire before World War I. The province was annexed by the Kingdom of Romania, taken over by the Soviets, occupied by Romanian and German troops during World War II, and later re-occupied by the Soviets. The author and his family lived under these different rulers, and the narrative describes their life during those turbulent years. The author also describes his life in communist Romania after the war, between 1946 and 1963, as well as his brief stay in Austria.

417 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2006