Adam

About the Book

Fritz Adam, a German Jewish entrepreneur, owner of one of the most prestigious department stores in central Berlin, finds himself at odds with the political developments at the time of the Weimar republic. Fritz is an enthusiastic supporter of the Olympic ideal and sees the promotion of sports as the way forward to increase cooperation between nations in the form of healthy competition so as to prevent future military confrontations. Also an adventurer at heart, and sponsor of many of the first exploratory voyages around the globe, he sees his beliefs and ideals threatened and finally shattered as the Nazis return to values of order, discipline, and military expansionism. As a Prussian officer who fought in the great war, he regards himself as a German, a Berliner and a Jew, in that order. Despite being forced into bankruptcy and witnessing the increasing repression of the Jewish people, he holds on to his belief that it is only a temporary phase and that the army will restore order in time. As the political situation deteriorates, the tension between Fritz and his eldest son, an ardent pacifist, increases and threatens the family unity. Fritz has to decide whether to stay or leave the Germany that he loves.

About the Author

Christopher Charlton was born in London in 1955. The second child of a German Jewish mother and Polish Catholic father, he was influenced by their liberal post-war attitudes from an early age. He was brought up in Bohemian Hampstead where the house was always full of ex-refugees, writers, painters, singers, and actors. He moved to Frankfurt, Germany, in 1987 and made his home there. Influenced by his family background, he became interested in German history and culture, especially the causes of the two world wars, and was able to witness with great satisfaction the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the integration of modern Germany into the European Union. After a career of over 40 years in financial services, he walked away on his 60th birthday. Three of his uncles wrote books about their lives and he decided that it was time to tell the story of their father and the history of the family. ADAM is Christopher’s first book.