Irmgard: The Girl from Dresden. A Memoir of Survival and Legacy - Hardcover

by Fiona Kelmann (Author)

Born in Dresden as Nazism tightened its grip, Irmgard (Irma) Conradi witnessed the rapid dismantling of Jewish life in Germany. As discriminatory laws escalated into violence, Irma's world collapsed during the terror of Kristallnacht. She navigated her own survival in a regime built on persecution and terror - one that punished Jewish lives and targeted non-Jewish people who dared to oppose it. Irma recounts her story with astonishing clarity: her family's fate, surviving Terezin, and her arrival to Australia as a refugee.

Interwoven with Irma's testimony is the voice of author Fiona Kelmann, who explores the powerful terrain of post memory, revealing how the past shapes the present and how stories are inherited across generations. The book also shines a light on the unique strength of Melbourne Holocaust survivors, a community defined by resilience, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to education and remembrance. Irma's two decades at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum form a central part of this legacy.

A story of survival, witness, and responsibility, this book is a profound testament to the enduring power of memory - and the courage of one woman who refused to be silenced.