Out of Vienna: Eight Years of Flight from the Nazis

by Ernie Weiss

Out of Vienna is about twenty eight members of the author's family from Vienna and Prague, who were persecuted by the Nazis beginning in 1938 following the annexation (Anschluss) of Austria to Germany. Ten did not survive the Holocaust. Nine were murdered by Nazis. One committed suicide.

A nonfiction story, Out of Vienna follows the Weiss family's long flight through thirteen European countries to escape the Nazis' iron fist and cruelty. Engrossing from beginning to end, its dialogue and vivid physical descriptions of places and events are based on personal interviews, research and the author's own recollections. A certified page-turner, this is a story meant to be shared with others. Follow this family's remarkable journey and discover how their resourcefulness allowed them to survive. Though they experienced many difficulties, they never lost hope for a better future and at the end of eight long years - their dream finally came true.

Weiss is the son of a Dachau Concentration Camp survivor, yet he never asked about his father's time in Dachau. Perhaps Weiss wanted to forget the years spent fleeing the Nazis. It was only after his mother's death that he determined to find out more about his father's incarceration, and their eight years of hectic flight.. Thus began a quest to discover other relative's whereabouts and fate.

Genres: Nonfiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published September 23, 2008

Reviews

[Daniel Cifelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book that I bought and read as a young adult. I met Ernie when I was in 4th grade. He came to a high school my father taught at and the history teacher invited me to come and sit in class while Ernie spoke to everyone. Maybe one of the most impactful people I have ever met and his stories meant so much more to me after reading them.
I highly recommend this book as it is a somewhat unknown perspective of the holocaust that is very impactful. I am forever grateful I met him and heard his story, and for the fact that he was able to live through everything and be able to tell it. It’s truly inspiring to read about everything and know I have met the man living through the events in the book. This man and his stories changed me as a kid a second time as a teenager. For that and his love of football which we talked about after the class ended, I give this book 5 stars.

[LindaJ^ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ernie Weiss wrote this book to chronical what happened to many of his immediate and extended family members as they attempted to escape or avoid Hitler's hatred of and intention to eliminate the Jewish race. The journeys begin in Vienna, Austria (which had around 250,000 Jews pre WWII and now has very few). One teenage cousin escapes with a friend to Switzerland. One uncle goes to Paris, joins the French Foreign Legion after being rejected by the French army, works as a civilian for the American army, and finally joins the British army. A couple of cousins make their way to Israel, and two others to London. Both sets of grandparents die in concentration camps. One Aunt, Uncle, and cousin are publicly beheaded, along with everyone else on their street. His father spends time in a concentration camp but the persistence of his mother, a Yugoslavian passport, and some money get him released. Ernie, his younger brother Peter, and his parents follow a torturous journey to finally reach the US -- Vienna to Yugoslavia to Spain to Portugal to Cuba to the US. They get from Yugoslavia to Cuba using fake Bolivian passports.

The book is written in short vignettes interspersed with important world events, which put the family's journeys and experiences in context. Many of the family member's stories are quite heroic, but the author describes everything quite factually, i.e., he doesn't make a big deal out of and let's the events themselves tell the story. Definitely worth reading.

[Marlise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perdsonal stor about extended family escaping from Vienna i WWII and how he came to America. Positive story.

[Elizabeth Levesque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not overly well written but so so interesting. Rocked my mind for months after reading.