I read one article on Budapest, Hungary and the Germans taking over Hungary. Some background knowledge I have acquired is, that Budapest was a huge safe haven for Jewish refugees until the Nazi invasion. This quote from an article on Budapest show us just how many refugees’ there were, “Before the war some 5,000 refugees, primarily from Germany and Austria, arrived in Budapest.” I also have learned that Hungary and Germany were allies, and until March 1944 Budapest was a safe place for Jews.
The research I have done so far reveals many connections to my book, Marika. In one of the articles I read they talk about how when Budapest was overrun by the Nazis, Jews were ejected from their apartments. This got me thinking about how Marika and her family live in two apartments, and when the Nazis invade if they will be forced from their homes? Also in the same article it talks about how Jews located in Budapest weren’t automatically sent to concentration camps, but rather scattered in buildings marked by the Star of David. The back cover of my book talks about how Marika and her family go into hiding. This quote talks about how Jews went into hiding and who assisted them in doing it, “Many Jews searched for places of hiding or for protection. They were aided by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg and other foreign diplomats who organized false papers and safe houses for them.” In Marika, Marika and her family made fake birth certificates and I wonder if they made them for hiding reasons. Apa, Marika’s father often yell’s at her brother over doing poorly in school because he fears his son will be sent to a labor camp for not having a job. When the Nazis over took Budapest they scared everyone and sent many people to labor camps, “The Arrow Cross instituted a reign of terror in Budapest and hundreds of Jews were shot. Jews were also drafted for brutal forced labor.” This quote is brutal but illustrates what happened in Marika’s town in the mid 1900’s. I anticipate that when Marika’s family does run into trouble it will happen very quickly without much warning. In the book Marika is finding out she is not wanted by how kids and adults are starting to treat her and her family.
Quotes from: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "BUDAPEST” http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005264 12-1-11
Interesting connection between the book and the actual history. I like the way you incorporated the evidence to support your ideas. Let's work on developing the introduction to your entries. This is a little clumsy and could use smoother transitions. Your ideas are solid.
ReplyDelete4/5 points.