Summary of Mendelssohn is on the Roof
In the novel “Mendelssohn is on the Roof”, Heydrich, the chief Nazi in Prague during World War II, orders the removal of the statue of the Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn from the roof of the Rudolfinum, a prominent music hall on the banks of the Vltava River in Prague. The order is simple but tricky to carry out, as the statues do not have names, and the SS officer in charge does not know how Mendelssohn looks like. He commands to remove the statue with the biggest nose, which turns out to be Richard Wagner, Hitler’s favourite composer. This farcical incident sets the stage for “Mendelssohn is on the Roof”, but the novel soon turns away to the harsh reality of life in Nazi-occupied Prague and the Terezin ghetto (Theresienstadt).
Reasons to read Mendelssohn is on the Roof
“Mendelssohn is on the Roof” is a compelling novel about the fate of the Czech population in Prague during World War II. Jiří Weil, a Czech writer of Jewish descent who lived in hiding during the war, is best known for this novel and “Life with a Star”. Fans of this novel might also try Laurent Binet’s novel “HhhH”. Jiri Weil’s works have been admired by authors such as Philip Roth.
Setting: Prague & Terezin (Czech Republic)
Book set in Czech Republic: Prague, Terezin ghetto (Theresienstadt)
Year of publication: 1959
Nr of pages: 273
Original title: Na střeše je Mendelssohn
