Stewart, John, 1918-

John Stewart was born Hans Gideon Stein in Vienna, Austria, at the end of World War I. Stein recalls his childhood during the economic hardships of the postwar years in Austria, known as the First Republic. He discusses daily life at home and school, his friends and family, and his religious experiences as a Jew in predominately Catholic Vienna. In 1938, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler annexed Austria into the German Reich, installing a National Socialist government in Vienna. As the persecution of Austrian Jews intensified, Stein and his family were forced to emigrate; first to France and Switzerland, then on to America in 1939. Stein was drafted into the United States Army shortly before America enters World War II, in 1941. Through hundreds of letters home to his parents, Stein describes his wartime experiences, from boot camp to his honorable discharge, four years later. In 1943, Stein became a naturalized citizen, changing his name to John Gideon Stewart to commemorate his new life in his new country.

From the description of Memoirs of Hans Stein / John Stewart, 1918-1945 ; bulk (1941-1945) / John Stewart. (James Madison University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 63023750

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