Rosemarie Birman's father, Mr. Edwin Van D'Elden was, in the years leading up to the Second World War, (1929-1942) stationed in Frankfurt a/M, Germany, as the Secretary of the American Chamber of Commerce.

He wrote extensively for the German Press on economic and trade matters and also wrote music reviews for the Herald Tribune. In his official position, he was able to assist people, mostly Jews, attempting to flee the Nazis.

For this activity, he was interned by the Gestapo at the onset of the war. Eventually he and his wife and daughter (Rosemarie) were exchanged for German nationals who found themselves in the United States. Their son, Karl H. Van D'Elden had come earlier to the United States and spent the war years in the U.S. Navy.

In the following material, Rosemarie paints a picture of life for Americans in Germany at that time. After the family was repatriated, Mr. Van D' Elden spoke and wrote extensively in the United States to alert people about conditions in Nazi Germany.

Rosemarie Birman's talk 1995 at Congregation Tifereth Israel, Greenport N.Y.
Speech at the Empire Hotel New York City in 1942
An account of life in Germany As the Van D'Elden's witnessed the beginnings of what has become known as the Holocaust.
Article written July 10 1942 by Max Behrens in the German-Jewish newspaper, Aufbau The original is in the German language. Translation by Rosemarie Birman.

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