Love and Terror in the Third Reich: A Tale of Broken Integrity

A set of love letters written between a couple living in Nazi Germany, with present-day analysis and reflection.


What was it like to fall in love in Hitler’s Germany? As the war tore them apart, how did young couples keep love vibrant, care for their children, and relate to the war? The earthy letters of Ernst and Lilo Sommer depict in unforgettable poignancy the collision of their personal dreams with the political and military realities of the Third Reich. They provide a vivid window into the lives of ordinary people in the midst of horrific conflict.

Seventy years later their daughter, Heinke, reflects on this tragedy, while Peter Matheson provides a historical perspective. The encounter between past and present generations provides glimpses of a bygone age, and raises urgent questions for the future.

Peter Matheson is Emeritus Professor at Knox Theological College, Dunedin, New Zealand. A recent book is Argula von Grumbach 1492-1554/7 (Cascade, 2013). Heinke Sommer-Matheson has taught in Germany, Scotland, and New Zealand.