 | Eva and Otto: Resistance, Refugees, and Love in the Time of Hitler Eva and Otto is a truestory about German opposition and resistance to Hitler as revealed through theearly lives of Eva Lewinski Pfister (1910-1991) and Otto Pfister (1900-1985).It is an intimate and epic account of two Germans--Eva born Jewish, Otto bornCatholic--who worked with a little-known German political group that resistedand fought against Hitler in Germany before 1933 and then in exile in Parisbefore the German invasion of France in May 1940. After their improbableescapes from separate internment and imprisonment in Europe, Eva obtainedrefuge in America in October 1940 where she worked to rescue other endangeredpolitical refugees, including Otto, with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt. Asrevealed in recently declassified records, Eva and Otto later engaged indifferent secret assignments with the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) insupport of the Allied war effort. Despite their vastly different backgrounds,Eva and Otto gave each other hope and strength as they acted upon what theyunderstood to be an ethical duty to help others threatened by fascism. The bookprovides a sobering insight into the personal risks and costs of a commitmentto that duty. Their unusually beautiful writing--directed to each other indiaries and correspondence during two long periods of wartime separation--alsoreveals an unlikely and inspiring love story. The authors are the three children of Eva and Otto: Tom Pfister was a partner at the lawfirm of Latham & Watkins, LLP, where he practiced in its Los Angeles officefor over thirty years before retiring. He currently serves on the boards ofseveral nonprofit organizations and provides pro bono legal advice for them.Tom received his AB from Stanford University (majoring in history and German),and spent a year of study with Stanford programs in Germany. He received his JDfrom Harvard Law School. Kathy Pfister is a psychotherapist with a private practice in Amherst,Massachusetts. For many years, she worked as a therapist in the CounselingService at Mount Holyoke College. During that time, she also served as a memberof the adjunct faculty at the Smith College Graduate School of Social Work.Kathy received her AB from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and hermaster's degree in clinical social work from the University of California,Berkeley. Peter Pfister is seniorcounsel at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, LLP, where he has practicedin its San Francisco office for over forty years. He previously served as chairmanof that firm. As an undergraduate at the University of California, SantaBarbara, Peter spent a year in the University of California Education Abroadprogram at the University of Göttingen, Germany. He received his JD from YaleLaw School. |
