About this Event
On the eve of the anniversary of the November Pogroms (Kristallnacht), the Goethe-Institut Washington invites you to an evening of reflection and discovery with renowned historian Wolf Gruner, author of the book Resisters: How Ordinary Jews Fought Persecution in Hitler’s Germany.
In this compelling conversation, Gruner sheds light on the often-overlooked stories of Jewish individuals who defied Nazi persecution. Among many other “ordinary resisters” across Nazi Germany, an elderly real estate broker, a homemaker, a merchant and two teenagers challenged the regime not with weapons, but with courage, creativity, and conviction.
Gruner’s research redefines resistance beyond armed combat, drawing from a rich tapestry of sources including victims’ testimonies, survivors’ recollections, and even perpetrators’ records. His work reveals the diverse ways in which Jews protested, disobeyed, and survived under Nazi rule.
Gruner will discuss the broader implications of individual acts of resistance - what it meant then, and what it can mean today.
About the Speaker
Wolf Gruner is the Shapell-Guerin Chair in Jewish Studies and Professor of History at the University of Southern California. He is the Founding Director of the USC Dornsife Center for Advanced Genocide Research and currently serves as the 2025–2026 J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Senior Scholar-in-Residence at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
A leading expert on Holocaust history and Jewish resistance, Gruner has authored eleven books and coedited five volumes. His latest work, Resisters: How Ordinary Jews Fought Persecution in Hitler’s Germany (Yale University Press, 2023), was a finalist for the Yad Vashem International Book Prize and the National Jewish Book Award.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Goethe-Institut Washington, 1377 R Street Northwest, Washington, United States
USD 0.00
