One of Ravensbruck’s most famous prisoners

Just when I thought I’d read every book on Ravensbruck, I find another.

I loved Fiorello’s Sister: Gemma La Guardia Gluck’s Story, about Fiorello La Guardia’s sister Gemma who was a prisoner at Ravensbruck Concentration camp. Doing research for Lilac Girls, I’ve read so many Ravensbruck survivors’ memoirs and they are all so interesting, but this one gives a unique view of the camp, from a VIP prisoner’s point of view. There were many well-known prisoners at Ravensbruck. As Gemma says:

“Among the prisoners in Ravensbruck were wives, mothers and sisters of the most prominent families of Europe.”

Genevieve DeGaulle. Himmler’s own sister, Olga. Several countesses, a few famous opera singers and the wives of many male political prisoners, including those of the German  men who tried to murder Hitler in the July 20 plot. But being an American, Gemma’s story is of special interest.

Once the Nazis discovered that Gemma, the sister of New York’s beloved and openly anti-Hitler Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was living in Hungary with her Jewish husband they arrested her and sent her to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. At Ravensbruck Gemma was housed separately, in VIP quarters, until she insisted on living with her fellow prisoners. She taught them English and was called Mother and Auntie by her fellow prisoners. I won’t spoil the ending of the book but her story is a captivating one and well worth reading if you are interested in WWII at all.

The book also shares Gemma’s life in the United States, and some great candid photos of her brother.

 Love this one of Mayor LaGuardia, Albert Einstein and the cast of “The Brothers Ashkenazi”