Privilegiert, Erniedrigt, Gescheitert, Vertrieben

This book presents biographical sketches of seven individuals who lived in Schleswig-Holstein between 1885 and 1965. Though they were quite remarkable figures, regional literature has not paid much attention to them. They pursued their paths purposefully, yet not infrequently stumbled, lost their way, or suffered profound falls. There was voluntarism and the exploitation of privileges, as seen in the high nobility described: a duchess, a duke, and a princess. In contrast, a mayor stood for democracy and resistance; he came from the established Jewish bourgeoisie. The other three individuals were of lower-middle-class origin, each with their own trajectories of rise and fall: a Reich Commissioner, a Holocaust victim, and a business opportunist.