Inheritance

"Inheritance goes to great lengths to tell remarkable World War II stories of resilience and courage. . . . A meticulous, intimate memoir, Inheritance is about a search for meaning in the past and the process of resurrecting stories that should never be forgotten."

“Inheritance is a heartfelt, urgent message about how the atrocities of the past continue to reverberate in the present. Working with the granddaughter of a 'true believer' in the Nazi Party, Scheidt tells an intricately braided tale of heartache and the inheritance of loss, eloquently capturing the cost of survival and the ache of what's left behind. Scheidt turns a family history into more than dots on a map; from the haunting shrine to a lost cousin to a grandfather's grave, this memoir is both a warning and a message of hope."

“At a time when there are over 120 million people displaced globally by persecution, conflict, and atrocities, Scheidt’s Inheritance compels us to consider the humanity and tears behind all refugee statistics. This is not just a history of the desperate flight of a Jewish family from Nazi-controlled Europe—it’s an enduring story about love, loss, and the unconquerable power of hope.”

“When Charlie Scheidt inherited a trove of papers and letters from his parents, they raised as many questions as they answered. Working with Kat Rohrer, a documentarian whose own grandfather was a Nazi officer, Charlie built on this inheritance, inviting readers into his family to educate readers on the sacrifices, suffering, resilience, and contributions of refugee families. They are a blessing.”

“Scheidt’s Inheritance offers powerful insights into the lasting multigenerational psychological effects of the Holocaust. It is a product of an incisive intellect and a compassionate heart, embracing grief and mourning not with resentment, but with the aim of understanding and preventing further tragedies.”

“Inheritance gives a human face to the story of seeking refuge from violence. As the world faces the largest crisis of forced displacement in its history, this book should be required reading. It reminds the reader that every refugee, past and present, is only seeking what we all deserve: love, safety, and a life free from persecution.”

“In Inheritance, Charlie Scheidt and Kat Rohrer creatively weave together threads from the lives of past generations with contemporary stories of research and discovery. What emerges is a fascinating narrative that provides vital documentation of a history that must not be forgotten now or for generations to come.”

"A remarkable, powerful tribute to family, to Holocaust studies, and to humanity. This work holds extraordinary meaning, not only for one family’s survival and legacy, but for society’s collective obligations toward one another and the world to ensure 'Never Again!' The courage to remember and share is inspiring in ways that ripple outward as a beacon to us all. This brilliant contribution to the world deserves to be read, taught, and cherished widely for generations to come."

“Charlie Scheidt’s captivating story of piecing together his family’s escape from Nazi Germany casts the Holocaust as a global history of refugees. In our world of millions of refugees, Inheritance reminds us of the urgency of standing with those targeted by violent states today in their struggle to find refuge.”

“A treasure trove of private letters, intimate memories, and decades of deep research in half a dozen countries brought into being Charlie Scheidt’s beautifully written story of a German-Jewish family before, during, and after the Holocaust. A touching, honest, and meaningful book, filled with empathy, Inheritance is a unique history of the twentieth century that combines the personal and the political as it has rarely been accomplished before.”

“Remembering is a challenge: it requires time, demands taking winding paths, and confronts unforeseen emotions. It can also have a healing effect. While it can never close the gaps violently torn by history, it can make them tangible. Inheritance bears witness to this—it is a touching and impressive story about Charlie Scheidt's family, but also about his own journey of remembrance.”

“Inheritance is a remarkable achievement. Combining rigorous and painstaking historical research with profound empathy, sensibility, and wit, Scheidt vividly reconstructs the lives, struggles, losses, and survivals of one family during the Holocaust. Inheritance masterfully weaves their unique stories into broader tapestry of millions of lives lost, saved, and transformed. The result is a book that anyone interested in the Holocaust—or families—will want to read.”

"Meticulously researched, with prose as beautiful as it is moving, Inheritance is a masterpiece. What was a story of displacement and sorrow in the shadow of the Holocaust, marked by whispered names and time cut short, becomes a story of regeneration and joy as the descendants of survivors find each other and rebuild their family. In the end, Scheidt finds a new part of himself hidden in plain sight, weaving archival research with personal revelation into the broader story of a family who refused to be erased."

Foreword By James Waller
Family Tree
Prologue 
 

1 The Armoire 
2 Jewish and German: The Scheidts 
3 : Germans Who Happened to Be Jewish: The Ballins
4 An Imperfect Reprieve
5 Rubble and Embers 
6 A Fateful Miscalculation 
7 “Mein Lieber Bruder” 
8 “The End of Everything” 
9 “Caught in a Mousetrap on a Powder Keg” 
10 Nowhere to Turn, No One to Trust 
11 A Fragile Silence 
12 Making Sense of the Present 
In Memoriam 
 

Afterword 
Acknowledgments 
Notes 
Sources 
Index