DOC Asylum: A Survivor's Flight from Nazi-Occupied Vienna Through Wartime France by Moriz Scheyer in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Don HydeA very thought provoking book from one who lived through thr hell on Hitler's Germany.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. ASYLUM is an especially useful memoir because the author did not alter a single sentence from the time it was written.By BookreporterMoriz Scheyer was a clear-thinking; discerning and well-intentioned man. He was also successful and kind. In his own words; to him; the most agonizing part of being a refugee was requiring assistance viewed as a subsidy and not being able to return the favor. This is the nature of the person he was. Leaving behind an admired career as an arts editor and literary journalist in Vienna; he was forced to flee the Nazis by traveling to France; where; while seeking refuge; he recorded his experiences --- never knowing if they would ever be read or if he would even survive. His memoir is ASYLUM.When finally fleeing his native country; there was a young man in a storm trooper uniform demanding to see his passport before the departure via train. When he conceded under threat; the man threw it back at his feet; designating him a “Jewish pig” before walking off --- and that was Scheyer’s last memory of being home in Austria; a place he could never call home again. At first he thought he had found safety. “Chez nous en France; tout cela serait impossible.” “Here in France none of that could ever happen;” was the saying he always heard. But soon the Nazi occupation arrived; and Paris closed its shutters amid a disparately flowery summer. “The enchanted peace was actually just fear taking a breath;” Scheyer observed. When the French people saw the Nazi troops goose-stepping down the streets; at first they laughed at its ridiculousness. If they only knew what was to come.Surviving bombings that killed thousands of civilians; the desperation of an ordinarily six-hour train ride that lasted 36; and time in a concentration camp; Scheyer eventually found refuge in a convent where he sheltered among nuns who cared for women with intellectual disabilities. More than the horrors of persecution; what you will take away from ASYLUM is the compassion of strangers and the help of people who had the wherewithal to affect lives during the startling dysfunction of Europe under siege. And if you care to know what it was like for a good man to survive under the swastika; then this book is for you.ASYLUM is an especially useful memoir because the author did not alter a single sentence from the time it was written during the war. As a matter of fact; there are no frills or injected opinion. Although this bright man had the capability of writing an ornate account; he chose to speak directly and acutely. Above all; he wants the reader to plainly understand the circumstances and his story. The memoir was left unpublished for years because of alleged anti-German sentiment; but after completing the book; I sincerely cannot place it. I hear words spoken during wartime from a persecuted man who was cut off from the outside world against his will; and at most hear tense moments of frustration thrust upon him --- not the slightest hatred.Moriz Scheyer was an honest man leading a fruitful life who could not have imagined what was in store for him and his family due to the rise of Hitler; but now others can conceive what it was like to walk in his footsteps and into his character. As Scheyer wanted the world to question like he did; it has been stated; “How could it all have happened?”Reviewed by John Bentlyewski0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Scheyer's account of surviving as a Jew in WWII FranceBy algo41“Asylum” is Scheyer’s memoir of his survival as a Jewish refugee in France during WWII; written during that time period with very little editing afterward – a few deletions. It was recently found and translated. The survival of himself and his wife was a matter of great luck on several occasions; resourcefulness; friendships; some monetary resources; and the great heroism and humanity of strangers. Not stated in the book was that long-time French Jewish citizens were offered some protection by the Vichy government; but not other Jews such as Scheyer. I am aware of the suicide of many Holocaust survivors; often attributed to survivor guilt; but that is not important in this account. There is privation; especially during time spent in an internment camp; but when Scheyer reflects on this it may be helping to lessen any sense of guilt. There is much hatred; which often does not distinguish between Nazi’s and Germans; “these ape-like creatures”. Primary is the strain of the constant fear and anxiety. “But in order to stay alive – in order to have at least a chance of surviving – you allow yourself to die bit by bit”. Even when Scheyer has access to a radio and therefore music; “It is not the case that beautiful memories are necessarily a solace; ….. this may be so; (only) when there still exists some point of connection between them and the present”. Scheyer was an arts editor and essayist in Vienna. While much of the writing is prosaic; some of it is wonderful. The few pages on the exodus from Paris before the conquering Germans are notable. “A grotesque mish-mash of vehicles ……. The intensity of their (the drivers) facial expressions contrasted absurdly with the snail’s pace at which the endless caravan …actually proceeded; metre by metre; constantly stopping and then stumbling on again”. Toward the end of the account there is liberation and some psychological relief. “A little love and the little piece of daily bread: those are the true necessities of life. Nourishment for the soul and sustenance for the body – modest as it seems; that is all that one needs for existence”. Whether for privacy or other reasons; there is great respect and loyalty but no love depicted between husband and wife.