To Cope and To Prevail

About the Book

Using a tradition in German culture called the "Stammtisch" —a group of fictional characters resembling the lower and higher middle classes—Dr. Warg writes an enjoyable and not-so-conventional memoir filled with well-known and lesser-known facts about Germany's history and culture during the turbulent years of the 1930s to the 1950s. As the "Stammtisch" and the actual relatives and friends of a young eyewitness discuss politics and economics, the reader learns first-hand how people coped with those chaotic times by holding on to their customs. Through their eyes, we see how Germany's culture survived despite the 12 years of Nazi regime, the war with its bombardments, evacuation, separation of families, occupation by armed forces, the Cold War, and dodging bullets when attempting to cross the Russian border that split Germany into East and West.

About the Author

Dr. Ilse-Rose Warg studied at the Medau Schoule in Coburg, Germany. After two years as an exchange teacher for physical education in Bethlehem, PA. she immigrated to the USA in 1964. She is married to the geologist Jamison B. Warg. They adopted two children. Dr. Warg received her PhD from the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). She teaches German language, literature, history, and culture at US universities. Currently, she is employed at Penn State Altoona, PA. Her previous publications include Er bleibt dabei: Schnurre zum75, 1995.