Credit: Frederick Fitzgerald
Growing up in Nazi Germany – Esther Anumu Fordham Esther Fordham was a Black woman who, born October 9, 1925 in Hamburg, Germany, came of age during the Nazi era. In this December, 1995 conversation with artist Frank Fitzgerald, Esther discusses her youth, schooling and the reaction of classmates and adult Germans to her specialness. As world conditions darken and war grows to become the norm, she finds discrimination, fear, sorrow and horror, but also generosity and hope. After the bombings cease, amid the rubble Esther meets and marries an American soldier. Giving birth in an Army hospital, she wonders why she has a whole maternity ward to herself. Later, living in America, she slowly learns about prejudice, segregation and lynchings. Throughout all, Esther Anumu Fordham strives to see “people as human beings” and succeeds. In 1997, after having raised a family and worked 20+ years for an airline, Esther retired and returned to Germany. She lived to be 94 years old. Family photographs courtesy of Esther Fordham and Dominique Seidler Warias.
Credit: Biographics
Hans Massaquoi: Growing up Black in Nazi Germany When you think of Nazi Germany, you mostly think about the human rights abuses, and the concentration camps like Auschwitz. But have you ever wondered what happened to the black people living under the Third Reich? It turns out that even though there were racial laws demanding the extermination of the Jewish and Roma people, there were so few Africans living in Germany, that they were not considered to be one of Hitler’s main priorities. One very special mixed race boy grew up in Germany during the Third Reich, and he lived to tell the tale. Not only did he manage to survive unscathed, but he also desperately wanted to join the Nazi Party. He was an actual prince, and he grew up to become a writer. This is the incredible story of Hans Massaquoi. Transform your viewing...
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