Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black In Nazi Germany

This “extraordinary” memoir of a black man’s coming of age in Nazi Germany is “an entirely engaging story of accomplishment despite adversity.” —Washington Post Book World

In Destined to Witness, Hans Massaquoi has crafted a beautifully rendered memoir—an astonishing true tale of growing up black in Nazi Germany. The son of a prominent African and a German nurse, Hans remained behind with his mother when Hitler came to power, after his father returned to Liberia. Like other German boys, Hans went to school; like other German boys, he swiftly fell under the Fuhrer’s spell. So he was crushed to learn that, as a black child, he was ineligible for the Hitler Youth. His path to a secondary education and an eventual profession was blocked. He now lived in fear that, at any moment, he might hear the Gestapo banging on the door—or Allied bombs falling on his home. Ironic, moving, and deeply human, Massaquoi’s account of this lonely struggle for survival brims with courage and intelligence.

“A cry against racism, a survivor’s tale, a wartime adventure, a coming of age story, and a powerful tribute to a mother’s love.”—New Orleans Times-Picayune

“An incredible tale . . . Exceptional.” —Chicago Sun Times

“Destined to Witness examines a roller coaster of racism from different cultures and continents.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Here is a story rarely lived and even more rarely told. We need this book for a balanced picture of the Holocaust.” —Maya Angelou

“A nuanced, startling memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews

“An engaging story of a young man’s journey through hate, self-enlightenment, intrigue and romance.” —Ebony

© 2024 HarperCollins e-books (Ebook): 9780061856600

Release date

Ebook: May 21, 2024