Memories of a German Childhood

About the Book

When the author's father died, just 6 months short of his 90th birthday, the personal effects he left behind included the scientific papers he had written over the years, a few private letters, and lots of old photographs. Looking at pictures of what must have been his father's friends and colleagues from boarding school, university, and his days as a scientist in Germany, the author realized then how little he knew about his father's early life, and that he had waited too long to ask. His father had lived in a most interesting time. He was a young boy during World War I, had experienced the early days of electricity, radio, automobiles, and indoor plumbing, lived through Germany's great upheaval in the 1920s, witnessed both the rise and the fall of the Nazis, survived military service in World War II, and was lucky enough to be one of the German scientists recruited to come to the United States after the war. Yet he had seldom talked about the details of his life in Germany. At the time, the author thought about writing down his own reminiscences. He too had lived an interesting life, having grown up in Nazi Germany during World War II. Wouldn't his sons and their children be interested in reading about their father's (and grandfather's) background and experiences? He thought they might be. After all, it is part of their heritage. But it wasn't until about a year ago that he started to write about his childhood memories. And an amazing thing happened. The more he wrote, the more he remembered. Long forgotten details—even the essence of conversations—came back to him in great clarity. He was able to remember particulars that had been in deep storage for all these years. The first fourteen years of his life had been very different from the life led by his American friends, classmates, and colleagues. His family had lived through and survived a brutal regime and a devastating war. Luck played a large part in their being able to survive as a family and to move to the United States, while others they knew lost their homes, or friends in concentration camps, or husbands and fathers in battle. But as a child the author didn't dwell much on his good fortune. Instead he just concentrated on coping with whatever situation he would find himself in, and surviving as best he could. Writing down his memories, however, has made him realize just how very lucky he had been.

About the Author

Niels Buessem was born in Berlin and came to the United States as a fourteen-year old, joining his scientist father. He obtained a degree in political science from Penn State and also attended the Sorbonne and the University of Munich. After active duty with the Air Force, Buessem first worked for Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich as Executive Editor, then served as president of Grune & Stratton and as corporate officer for John Wiley, W.B. Saunders, and Little, Brown. In 1989, he co-founded Andover Medical Publishers. After the company was sold, he and his wife, Susan Hunter, launched Andover Publishing Services, a firm providing editorial and production services. They live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania