Ulla Giesecke

From Prague to the Promised Land: a Jewish Family's Odyssey from Czechoslovakia to Israel Ulla Giesecke

When a Jewish family flees from the German invasion of their home country of Czechoslovakia in 1938, their flight leads them to France via Switzerland, eventually on to Tel Aviv, Israel. The family, under the headship of banker Frederic Bartok, is comprised of his wife, Cornelia, an opera star and gifted violinist; their twin daughters, Romingarde and Irmingarde; the children's governess, Bernie; and their trusted chauffeur, Francois Leclerq. The orphans Hannah and Max, whose parents have been murdered in Poland, join the family later. This is a story of survival that allows a growth of faith. All historical events described are factual in a setting of fiction.