Czechmate
And the bottom drawer of life
---- Michael Condé-Jahnel ----
The Book / The Story
English
This story is sourced from authentic family papers chronicling life altering events.
It starts with an unfinished manuscript by my father, describing the upheaval in his life from the early 1930's until the end of WWII.
It reports the rising tensions between family members, some with libertarian views like my father and others already connected to the 'inner circle' of Hitler's disciples in Berlin. It includes accounts of my uncle's work for Albert Speer at the Reich's chancellery and his military service under Rommel.
There are the journal notes of my mother of the Russian invasion, the Czech reprisal, our perilous escape and the eventual resettlement.
The papers and my parent's exchanges of letters speak of the triumph of unconditional love between two people during the most difficult time of their lives.
German
Ein unvollendetes Manuskript meines Vaters (1946) und bislang unveroeffentliche Ereignisse zwischen Anfang der 30iger Jahre bis zur Nachkriegsperiode.
Er berichtet ueber Kontakt einiger Familienmitglieder mit dem inneren Kreis in Berlin (Speer/Rommel) und familiaere Spannungen zwischen den liberalen Ansichten meines Vaters und Anderen bereits dem wachsenden Gespenst des Nationalismus verschrieben.
Die Tagesbuch Notizen meiner Mutter ueber den Einmarsch der Russen, Vergeltung der Tschechen, unsere Flucht, die Wiederherstellung nach dem Krieg in Hamburg.
Diese Unterlagen fuehrten zu 'Czechmate and the bottom drawer of life'.
Publisher: Tablo Pty Ltd. (May 2020)
Language: English
Hardcover: 392 pages
Available on Amazon and major booksellers internationally.
Our Town
This painting is the central square of our town, Reichenberg/Liberec. It was created by my uncle Hugo Jahnel, renowned architect and artist in 1931, as a wedding present to my parents. The building on the upper left shows a partial view of the city hall.
The building on the right was my grandfather's business; it also included the town's public library. When I returned in 1998, the lower portion of the building stood empty, but the library was still there on the upper floor.
The town theater and opera house are on the lower left, where Hitler and Rommel hosted 'An evening with the Fuehrer' in March of 1939.
Unsere Stadt
Zentraler Platz unserer Stadt, Reichenberg/Liberec, gemalt von meinem Onkel Hugo Jahnel in 1931 zur Hochzeit meiner Eltern.
Rechts das elterliche Geschaeft und Verwaltungsgebaeude und die Biobliothek der Stadt in den oberen Etagen. Diese Bestand noch nach meiner ersten Rueckkehr 1998. Links oben, auf der anderen Strassenseite, eine Teilansicht vom Rathaus. Das Theater und Opernhaus ist links unten. Es war dort wo Hitler und Rommel 'Einen Abend mit dem Fuehrer' im Maerz 1939 veranstalteten.