The Bridge

by Manfred Gregor

May 1945. Somewhere in Germany. Only a few days before the capitulation. Seven Hitler-youth, who’ve been stuck into Wehrmacht uniforms, are deployed to defend a bridge of no strategic significance, equipped with nothing more than a few carbines and bazookas. Abandoned by their senior officer, helplessly torn between a thirst for adventure and a confused belief that they must save the Fatherland, they take up the futile struggle just as the American tanks roll in.
The Bridge, which achieved worldwide success as a book initially, followed by the equally successful film version directed by Bernhard Wicki, is a memorial to a duped generation that was sent to the slaughter in the final days of World War Two.

Genres: War, German Literature, History, World War II, Germany, Literary Fiction

143 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Gregor Dorfmeister was a German journalist and writer. Under the pseudonym Manfred Gregor, Dorfmeister published three novels.

Born in Tailfingen, today part of Albstadt, Gregor Dorfmeister grew up in Bad Tölz, where he attended high school. In the spring of 1945 at age 16, he was a member of the People's Army in his home region and participated in defending two bridges against advancing American tanks. Seeing one of the tank-crew members wounded was "terrible. ... That's when I became a pacifist". Seven of eight of his young fellow German fighters were also killed in the day's battles before the town fell. In 1946 he finished high school and then worked for a construction company and in the wood processing industry. From 1948 he studied drama, journalism and philosophy at the University of Munich. During this period he completed an internship at a Munich newspaper. From 1954 he was Außenredakteur of Munich Mercury in Tegernsee, from 1957 in Miesbach and 1960 in Bad Tölz. From 1962 he headed the local paper Tölzer Courier.

Dorfmeister, who in addition to his journalistic work has been committed to the support for disabled people, lived in retirement in Bad Tölz. In 1981 he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He died in Bad Tölz in 2018.

Dorfmeister released three novels under the name Manfred Gregor.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_...]

Reviews

[Luís · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another title that had been in my post for some time and which came back to my memories.
While the Nazi defeat is recorded, some officers decide to send a group of teenagers to defend a small bridge against the arrival of American soldiers; it will be carnage in the ranks of young German recruits who dreamed of being heroes and ended up martyrs.
It was written without embellishments, straight-line descriptions, and a heaviness hanging over the story's second part.
The Germans face their past and a youth sacrificed in the name of an outdated ideal.

[Ivan da Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memorável ! Muito marcante.




Um grupo de 7 amigos de 16 anos são convocados para combater pela Alemanha nazi na Segunda Guerra Mundial. São incubidos de protegerem uma ponte e impedir a passagem das tropas Americanas, e se preciso dar a vida pela missão.

Ao longo da história é-nos mostrado o lado mais cru do ser humano, e como somos (fomos) um reflexo da sociedade onde vivemos. Como o autor diz no final do livro "A juventude nem é boa nem é má. É fruto da época em que se vive!"
A história ajuda-nos a refletir no sentido da vida, no sentido das nossas relações inter-humanas.


Cada capitulo é seguido por um breve resumo da vida de cada miúdo o que torna a leitura bastante interessante .


É um livro/relato autobiográfico sobre o serviço militar juvenil forçado ,na Alemanha durante a WW2 onde o escritor conta-nos a sua própria historia .

Sem duvida um dos livros mais notáveis que eu já li!

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Near the end of WWII, a desperate Nazi party attempted to shore up the German army by forming the ‘Volkssturm’, a national militia of those not already serving in the military. Many 16-year-old boys, who were members of the Hitler Youth, were strategically placed at key locations to prevent the Allied advance. Seven such boys are the focus of this novel, all childhood friends, rounded up in a small village and ordered to defend a bridge at all costs from the oncoming Americans who are only twenty miles away.

I haven’t read many WWII novels from the German point of view but this one makes it clear that people are people, no matter their nationality. While these boys want to follow orders, their fears are as real as anybody else’s. With the advantage of history we know these young men are likely doomed and indeed, the novel unfolds in much the same way as the Battle of the Alamo. The author includes flashbacks for each of the boys so we get to know them pretty well. They become individuals with personalities, flaws, and dreams. That makes it all the harder when they eventually fall one by one. The battle action is intense and the boys put up a good fight, establishing machine gun nests, surprise traps, and even using bazookas to take out a couple of American tanks. When they are reinforced by another group of Volkssturm, this time a group of ten men all over 60 years old, those men take one look at the situation and promptly desert, knowing the war is in reality already over.

The author is Gregor Dorfmeister, writing under the pen name of Manfred Gregor. This novel, published by Avon in 1958, is largely autobiographical as the author was himself a 16-year-old member of the Volkssturm, assigned to defend a bridge against American tanks. He survived to tell the tale but the experience of seeing Americans as well as his own buddies killed in combat turned him into an anti-war pacifist. This is reflected in the novel which highlights the futility of the bridge defense effort. If you’re looking for a realistic portrayal of a last stand scenario in WW2, this is a good one.

[Димитър Тодоров · Rating 5 out of 5]

Случи се да я прочета като поредна от няколко книги за днешната и раншната младеж. И за смъртта на бойното поле. С голяма преднина e най-силната в поредицата!

Това е историята на седем 15-16 годишни момчета от малък град в Южна Германия, които биват мобилизирани в народно опълчение в края на април 1945 година, облечени в закърпени униформи на вече загинали по фронтовете войници, и изпратени да посрещнат настъпващата американска армия на градския мост. Заповедта е да го „удържат“. „Удържат“ е в кавички, защото очакванията са само да ги посрещнат и евентуално - размотаят с час-два, докато ония се усетят, че друга отбрана няма. Като и очакванията са само от кумова срама! Никой с ръка на сърцето няма да им се сърди, ако се приберат по домовете си. Още по-малко ще ги преследва да ги наказва. А ако няма сърце, най-вероятно вече сам да се е покрил. Защото на всички възрастни – от бръснаря до генерала – е ясно, че войната свършва всеки момент. Със загуба. Но на будни юноши не можеш да правиш двусмислени намеци за кумова срама и да очакваш сами да се сетят за каква безсмислица залагат на карта живота, който за тях още не е и започнал. Още по-малко – когато си ги мотивирал с цената на този живот да пазят нещо от „врага“, после да се опиташ сам да им го вземеш. А „врагът“ е в кавички, защото в техния свят той не представлява това, което един поне малко по-възрастен войник би бил подкован да разбира. Нито като дефиниция защо е враг, нито като реална опасност. Техният враг е като противниковият отбор в игра. А за играта най-важно е да е честна. Че може и да е смъртоносна е ясно само на теория, но какво точно означава смъртта? Ще научат на моста. И от двете ѝ страни. И че тя би могла да предупреди с шамар. Но само веднъж! А как изобщо се отбранява един мост? Със сигурност не и ако седиш на него. Но къде? Та те даже до този урок не са стигнали в часовете по военно. Но се справят удивително добре. А мотивацията им е всичко друго, но не и отвлечени понятия като родина или фюрер (Както би било в обичайна руска книга или филм от същия период, но от другата страна на фронта. Примерно - за безименно възвишение, което трябва да се защитава в бой с местно значение). Фюрер, впрочем, за 190 страници не се и споменава нито веднъж. Но участва генерал, който при лична среща би могъл да вдъхнови или отблъсне юношата от пръв поглед като всеки един учител. И за тяхна зла участ този е от вдъхновяващите. И за още по-зла – на тяхната възраст приятелство не е имагинерно като научния патриотизъм, а абсолютна определяща поведението им движеща сила. Отделно всеки от тях си има свои, чисто – момчешки, причини да излезе на моста. Да не изглеждаш страхлив; да си винаги пръв в атлетическите изяви и най-точен в стрелбата; да влезеш в кожата на любим герой на Карл Май; да направиш напук на баща партиен гаулайтер; да бъдеш достоен за баща офицер; да подражаваш на големия си брат; да опазиш своя територия; да изкупиш вина (или непохватност) към момиче; да надвиеш комплекс на мамино детенце; да надвиеш болката на (току що диагностицирано) разбито сърце. Книгата обръща внимание на запознанството с всяко момче поотделно поне толкова, колкото и на събитията на моста. И стиска за гърлото.

А днешната младеж? Може ли да я съдим както случайният възрастен минувач, че 10 (или 70) години след войната профучава безгрижно по същия мост, без да си дава сметка за добродетелите и жертвите на раншната. Не можем! – е присъдата на живия участник и свидетел - Младежта не е нито добра, нито лоша. Тя е такава, каквото е времето, в което живее.

[Vygandas Ostrauskis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5

Lietuvių kalba šis romanas buvo išleistas 1964 metais ("Tiltas") ir man padarė nemažą įspūdį. Po karo dar nebuvo praėję 20 metų, tekdavo pasikalbėti su jo dalyviais, prisiminimai būdavo labai įvairūs, nes ir karas, netgi būnant fronte, visus buvo palietęs nevienodai, o ir ne visi galėjo (ir norėjo) pasakoti tiesą.
Romanas apie vokiečių berniūkščius, panorusius pažaisti karą, kai jis visai visai artėjo prie pabaigos – iš esmės romane viena diena, 1945 m. gegužės 2-oji. Karas ne žaidimas, ir pažaisti karą žinoma nepavyko: saugodami tiltą, kurio gynimas iš esmės nieko jau nelėmė, beveik visi 7 klasės draugai beprasmiškai žuvo... Žuvo ne tik dėl vaikiško noro pažaisti karą, bet ir todėl, kad jų sąmonę buvo užvaldžiusi fašistinė propaganda, nacionalistinė demagogija, baimė pasirodyti bailiu. Po kiekvienos žūties autorius papasakoja trumpą jaunuolio biografiją, dar labiau pabrėždamas žūties beprasmybę. Ypač, kai jaunuoliai pradeda šaudyti į minuotojų komandą, atvykusią susprogdinti nebereikalingo tilto – jų krauju aplaistyto tilto.
Kiek žinau, pagal šią, o gal pagal analogišką knygą, yra sukurtas kino filmas.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lapsuuden suosikkikirjoihin kajoaminen vanhemmalla iällä on usein vaarallista. Pettymyksen mahdollisuus on aina olemassa: kirja ei enää tunnukaan niin ihmeelliseltä, ja silloin tuntee samalla menettävänsä pienen palan menneisyydestään.

Herätessäni keskellä yötä tulin ajatelleeksi pitkästä aikaa Manfred Gregorin kirjoittamaa romaania "Silta" (Werner Söderström, 1960), erästä lapsuuteni merkityksellisimmistä ja vaikuttavimmista lukukokemuksista. Niinpä nappasin sen kirjahyllystäni tarkoituksenani vain selailla kirjaa hieman, mutta parin ensimmäisen luvun jälkeen en enää voinut lopettaa ennen aamua.

"Silta" on romaani seitsemästä kuusitoistavuotiaasta koulupojasta, jotka keväällä 1945 komennetaan ase kädessä puolustamaan erään saksalaisen pikkukaupungin halki virtaavan joen ylittävää kivisiltaa. Saksa on jo hävinnyt sodan, ja tehtävän ainoana tarkoituksena on pitää asemat hallussa muutaman tunnin ajan, jonka jälkeen silta on tarkoitus tuhota.

Vuonna 1929 syntynyt saksalaiskirjailija kuvaa omaa sukupolveaan, jonka kohtaloksi tuli rusentua hengiltä kolmannen valtakunnan kuolonsyleilyssä. "Silta" ei kuitenkaan keskity niinkään sotakuvaukseen, vaan se on enemmän romaani luonteenpiirteiltään ja taustaltaan erilaisista pojista ja heidän elämänvaiheistaan. Lapsuuden ja nuoruuden kuvaamisessa kirjailija onnistuu erinomaisesti, ja henkilöistä tulee nopeasti lihaa ja verta, aitoja ja eläviä persoonallisuuksia. Lukiessani muistin kuinka lapsena kirjaa lukiessani samaistuin useampaankin eri hahmoon.

Sodanvastainen sanoma on ajaton, ja oikeudenmukaisessa maailmassa romaanista otettaisiin uusia painoksia vähintään yhtä usein kuin Erich Maria Remarquen "Länsirintamasta". "Siltaa" voikin yhä suositella kenelle tahansa yläkouluiästä ylöspäin.

[Shawnnnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manfred Gregors Romanvorlage zur bekannten Verfilmung hat auch heute noch eine unheimliche literarische Kraft. In diesem Buch erhält man vor allem einen tieferen Einblick in die Geschehnisse und Hintergründe, der sieben Jungen, die eine vermeintlich unnütze Brücke verteidigen sollen. Mancher vielleicht mit seinem Leben. Eine eindringliche, behutsam erzählte Geschichte, die das Grauen des Krieges noch einmal verdeutlicht, indem es eben Kinder sind, auf deren Schultern ein Kampf ausgetragen wird, der schon längst verloren ist. Nicht nur in Kombination mit der Verfilmung aus dem Jahr 1959 lesenwert, sondern fast schon als Pflichtlektüre zu empfehlen. Eindringlich. Bitter. Bedauerlich. Groß!

„Die Jugend ist nicht gut nicht schlecht. Sie ist wie die Zeit, in der sie lebt!“

[tõnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rõhuv ja raske lugu seitsmest poisist teise maailmasõja lõpupäevil, kus viimases hädas panevad Natsi-Saksamaa juhid rindele poisikesed, et oma pettekujutelmi veidigi pikendada.
Poisid ei poolda natsirežiimi, pigem vastupidi, loo jooksul sümboolseks saanud silda kaitsevad nad ainult käsu korras. Isegi kui teised poisid pageksid parema meelega koju, siis ühe klassivenna südikus ja truudus üksteisele liidab kamba ühtseks. Tegelaskujud ei ole kindlasti vaprad ja sangarlikud, nagu nende loetud indiaaniromaanides, pigem on nad naiivsed ja pole harjunud sõjakoledustega.
Romaani lõpuks tulebki välja, et poistele polnud tähtsaim lagunev režiim ja suur patriootlikkus, vaid just selle silla kaitsmine, mille tõttu nende kaaslased on langenud. Nad ei taha tunnistada, et kogu ülesandel ei olnud algusest peale mõtet ja nende sõbrad surid asjata.

Kahjuks põhineb romaan suuresti ajaloolisel taustal, kus Hitleri viimased sõdalased olidki noored poisid (kõige nooremad kuni 12a!), kes fanaatiliselt osutasid viimse meheni vastupanu.
Need lapsed olid terve oma teadliku elu elanud range propagandakasvatuse all, mistõttu oli sõja lõpul nende ainsaks lootuseks surra vapralt isamaad kaitstes. Isegi kui vanemad inimesed mõistsid ammu, et sõda on kaotatud (ka romaanis), siis lapsed ei vandunud ikka alla.
Romaani tegelaskujud on sellevõrra targemad ja iseseisvamad, et ei ole täielikult ajupestud, vaid pigem lähevad sõtta, sest filmid, raamatud ja sõjamängud on tekitanud põnevuse ning elevuse.

Väärt romaan.

[Luís · Rating 5 out of 5]

Por vezes, é bom ler o outro lado de certos acontecimentos.
Manfred Gregor consegue dar-nos uma imagem muito precisa daquele grupo de miúdos/rapazes feitos soldados à força e mandados defender uma ponte de uma cidadezinha alemã, de cujo liceu eram alunos, uns meses atrás.
A guerra estava perdida para a Alemanha mas, o poder continuava a sacrificar tudo e todos.
Um livro que queria ler desde os anos 60. Escondido entre as cortinas de um cinema em Angola, já tinha visto, com 8 ou 9 anos, algumas cenas do filme.
Emocionei-me com algumas passagens do livro e gostava de ver o filme, descansado, sem estar alerta, com receio de ser apanhado.
Não sei se o autor do livro era Albert Mutz e qual o nome do local. Gostaria de passar por essa ponte e de prestar a minha homenagem aos que perderam aí a vida.

[Shihab Shahriar Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fascinated by the true story that inspired this novel. I was certain the base story itself was enough to make book read-worthy, and the writer had a very easy job in his hand. The book turned out to be a quite mediocre one. But importantly, I can't really see what the writer could/should have done differently.

I've reversed my position now. Now I think turning an extraordinary story into extraordinary fiction is hell of a lot harder than starting from scratch. Because readers already know the main story and probably picked up the book because of that story, writer can't stray too far away from it. But also because they know the story, they need constant supply of new elements throughout the book to keep them engaged. Writing an engaging fiction is hard, but doing it without the usual creative freedom of fiction writers is, as I've said, hell of a lot harder.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was glad to have finally found and read this book after having first seen the film adaptation. It’s a moving story, although the frequent deviations into the backstory of each character deprived it of much momentum. The linear story line of the movie was a much better tactic. All the same it’s a worthwhile reading experience.

[enya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Paul Meyer-Stoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolut schreckliche Geschichte, werde mir auf jeden Fall auch den Film anschauen. Bin extrem dankbar, dass mein Opa 2 Jahre zu jung war um damals noch eingezogen zu werden.

[Anh Nhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was forced to read in school
It was enjoyable

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short work is an allegory on the futility of war making a parable of teenagers tasked with bridge security in the final days of WWII. In the spring of 1945 at age 16, the author was a member of the People's Army in his home region and participated in defending two bridges against advancing American tanks. Seeing one of the tank-crew members wounded was "terrible. ... That's when I became a pacifist". Seven of eight of his young fellow German fighters were also killed in the day's battles before the town fell. Drawing on that experience, we have a solid basis in reality for the logistics and actions taken by the young defenders. Using the novelist's prerogative and knowing something about the background of such lads, the author gives each defended character-forming flashbacks and allows us into their interior thoughts even as lethal bullets take their lives.

[Irène Schrader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is likely the first time I've read a piece of literature that explores World War II from the "Nazis' side." I use quotation marks because the main characters are seven German teenage boys from the same village, rounded up to defend a bridge during the war’s final days in May 1945 against American soldiers.

The author, who was himself one of these Hitler Youth, describes each boy's background and how they navigate their desire to save the Fatherland, their boyish sense of adventure, and their fears.

This book serves as an important testament that is rarely found in fiction. Although I struggled to differentiate between the boys—despite the author giving them distinct storylines—I still felt a connection to them and found the imagery captivating.

[Aldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die (stark autobiographisch geprägte) Idee - eine Gruppe sechzehnjähriger, notdürftigst für den Volkssturm gedrillter Jungs verteidigt verbissen und sinnlos auf Befehl eine Brücke während der letzten Tage des 2. Weltkriegs, mit vorhersehbar deprimierenden Folgen - war stark, aber irgendwie wurde ich mit dem Stil nicht warm. Es dauert ewig, bis man Näheres über die Protagonisten erfährt, Gregor bezeichnet sie durchwegs als "die Sechzehnjährigen" und lässt eigentlich erst nach dem Tod jedes einzelnen etwas Revue über dessen Leben passieren. Verglichen mit anderen Werken ähnlicher Themen blieb die Sinnlosigkeit der ganzen Tragödie eher abstrakt.

[Andres "Ande" Jakovlev · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sild" räägib küll rasketest teemadest, ent lugeda on seda kerge ja ladus.

Teema ja käsitlus on niivõrd hea, et selle jaoks oleks võinud oluliselt rohkem aega anda. Praegu jäid tegelased kuidagi pinnapealseks (kuigi oli ka neid, kes rohkem kõnetasid). Oleks tahtnud rohkem kaasa elada, samastuda. Ja ka kaasa tunda.

Võiks muidugi autorit korrata ja öelda, et me oleme kõik oma ajastu lapsed ja ega ma ei saagi samastuda pea sajanditaguste noorte (või isegi lastega). Aga - mõni kuu tagasi loetud Justustusi Bursast raputas mind oluliselt tugevamini.

Ja soovitus - eessõna tasub läbi lugeda alles pärast raamatu lugemist. Seal on mõningad spoilerid, mida tasuks vältida.

[SigridHejeHolst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really well written, easy to read and when it got into detail it didn’t feel to heavy. I liked the flashbacks that appear all the way through the book, they don’t seem out of place and that takes a lot of talent to write in my opinion. I loved the ending, the question that Albert already asked ud as the start is finally taken into consideration

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es bringt auf jeden Fall näher, wie ahnungslos und manipuliert junge Soldaten damals waren. Ich fand es auf alle Fälle eine interessante und auch traurige Perspektive auf das Ende des 2. Weltkrieges. Teilweise war es etwas langatmig und teils auch sexistisch, wobei sich letzteres vielleicht durch den zeitlichen Kontext erklären lässt, angenehm zu lesen waren diese Stellen trotzdem nicht.

[Annika Kohl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein Buch was von vorne bis hinten einfach toll war. Fesselnd, Emotional, kann Ich nur jedem Empfehlen.

Konnte nicht abwarten weiterzulesen, wenn ich mal pausieren musste.
Das ist so ein Buch, was man nicht mehr aus dem Kopf bekommt

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eigentlich 2.5 Sterne ich fand es weder schlecht noch gut. Auch wenn die Dramatik sehr gut geschildert wurde was die Jugendlichen als HJs erleben. Man merkt es darf nie wieder passieren. Aber es gibt bessere Bücher die diese schlimme Zeit schildern

[Beatriz Pinho · Rating 4 out of 5]

P0o

[Lilly]

Tough topic. Still well written, would read it again

[Sandra Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sollte jeder Lesen der vergessen hat wie schrecklich Krieg ist.

[Liisa Pajusaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Vasco Ribeiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

História de 7 miúdos de 16 anos, colegas de liceu mobilizados pela alemanha na II guerra mundial 15 sias antes de a guerra acabar. A missão que lhes é dada é defenderem uma ponte numa cidade do avanço doa americanos. O que eles fazem com galhardia e coragem, fruto da inconsequência da juventude., morrendo 6 deles. solados a sério e velhotes tinham fugido. eles conseguem destruir 2 tanques. No fim, quando só restavam 2 e já amargurados se preparavam para ir embora, chegam uns alemães para destruir a ponte, ao que se poem, e morre mais um. Aoo fim e ao cabo só sobrevive um, que se pergunta porquê eu?.
A história dos vários miúdos vai sendo contada no fim de cada capítulo. gostei mesmo muito do livro.

[Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anti-war novel is based on a true event in Germany during the last days of the Second World War. Seven teenage soldiers are assigned to defend a bridge near their city. Unknown to them, the bridge is not strategically important. As they did not get the order to retreat, the boys keep on fighting to defend the bridge to the bitter end. No other book I have read illustrates better the folly of war, the pointlessness of it all, than this novel by Manfred Gregor.

[Inno van Lieshout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het Duitse leger is eind april 1945 al maanden op de vlucht en schooljongens mogen nu de Amerikaanse troepen tegenhouden door -in dit geval- een brug te verdedigen. De waanzin van elke oorlog ten voeten uit. De jongens verwachten hulp van het reguliere leger, dat was immers beloofd, maar, zoals je als lezer al vermoedt, dat gebeurt niet. In plaats van te vluchten, gaan ze gek genoeg strijdend ten order. Voor het vaderland!
Goed geschreven, maar wat een waanzin.

[Mk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super.