H.G. Adler

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The biography of H.G. Adler (1910-88) recounts the life of a survivor of Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, and two other concentration camps. He not only endured the greatest cataclysm of the 20th century but also dedicated his literary and scholarly career to memorializing those who perished, producing over two dozen works in fiction, poetry, history, sociology, and religion. Despite his significant contributions, he remained largely unknown for much of his life. Adler was a writer's writer and a scholar of pioneering Holocaust studies, a renowned radio essayist in postwar Germany, and a key figure in the prosecution of Adolf Eichmann. His narrative reflects both the collective experience of many and his unique journey, marked by profound love and perseverance, especially following the loss of his first wife, Gertrud Klepetar, in Auschwitz. His courtship with Bettina Gross, who escaped to Britain, further intertwines their fates. Adler's legacy includes a lecture in Theresienstadt honoring Kafka, nurturing younger artists like Jehuda Bacon and Ivan Ivanji, and preserving Viktor Ullmann's compositions, which were later celebrated. His life, characterized by postwar struggles and a commitment to human dignity, was dedicated to ensuring that the lessons of the past would resonate in the future.