Summary of Last Waltz in ViennaÂ
In February 1938, 17-year-old Georg and his girlfriend attend their first ball at the Konzerthaus in Vienna. Two weeks later, German troops march through the streets of the Austrian capital, forever altering the fate of Georg and his Jewish-Austrian family.
Reasons to read Last Waltz in Vienna
In “Last Waltz in Vienna,” British author George Clare recounts his childhood in a middle-class Jewish family in Vienna before and after the Anschluss, his family’s escape to Ireland, his parents’ ill-fated move to France, and their subsequent deportation to Auschwitz. This book is Clare’s first-hand account of the rise of Nazism, the practical obstacles in the way of escape and security (paperwork and bureaucracy…), and the challenges of adapting to a new environment. “Last Waltz in Vienna” won the WH Smith Literary Award in 1982 and was the subject of a BBC television documentary.
Setting: Vienna (Austria)
Original title: Last Waltz in Vienna
Year of publication: 1981
Nr of pages: 288
