Aus dem Leben einer deutschen Nichtarierin im Zwanzigsten Jahrhundert

The account of Elsa Meyring – The life of a German non-Arian in the 20th century - starts with her childhood in Stettin from 1883 to 1903 where she was raised in a strict, but warm and cultured middle class family. In 1904 she married a friend of her father who was much older than her and adored her. After a short time of living a careless life with her loving husband she realized that she needed to engage in social work and over time became the Head of the Woman’s association in Stettin, organized the National Women’s Service during the First World War and became the first woman elected to the Stettin City Council from 1919-1929. With the beginning of the Nazi reprisals she was less able to work in public life, her family business lost government contracts and they were forced out of their apartment. A party member who moved in did not want Jews living in the house. On February 12, 1940 the Jews of Stettin incl. Elsa and her husband and other family members were deported to Lublin. Her husband had a breakdown and died shortly after their arrival. She continued to help and describes in vivid detail the horrible situation in Lublin, which was still bearable compared to later years. She was one of the few people able to receive a pass from the General Government of Poland (Generalgouvernement Polen) and managed to emigrate to Sweden.