Read our sample translation of Amstel 278
About the book
Not long after the Germans occupied the Netherlands in May 1940, Géza Weisz and his family had to go into hiding. Along with a handful of others, Weisz turned up at the home of Fritz Rimathé, a Swiss doctor. The address: Amstel 278. Both men kept a journal. Frits provides a detailed account of his life in Amsterdam, ranging from the raids in his neighbourhood to the artists’ resistance movement and the searches of his home. Géza describes the mounting tension between those in hiding, and a touching reunion with his son Fransje, who is hiding elsewhere.
Their claustrophobic existence ends abruptly in August 1944, when one of Géza’s childhood friends is driven to betrayal. Thanks to its wealth of autobiographical documents, Amstel 278 is a compelling narrative describing life – both public and underground – during the occupation.