In celebration of his 100th birthday on August 9, 2009 - the complete biography of a courageous man.
Adam von Trott zu Solz stood side-by-side with Stauffenberg at the centre of the conspiracy of July 20. As a man of great civil courage, he had been extremely critical of the Nazi regime from the very beginning. In 1940, he accepted a position in the Foreign Office - with the intention of overthrowing Hitler. Working as a member of the Kreisau circle, Trott became involved with programmatic designs for the future and, whilst travelling abroad, sought support for the plan to overthrow the regime. On August 26th 1944, at the age of 35, Adam von Trott was executed in Berlin-Plötzensee.
During his short but intense life, Trott met people of most various backgrounds and was continuously concerned with the pressing social and political questions of his time. He was a descendant of an old line of Hessian peerage and of John Jay, one of the founding fathers of America. He studied as a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford and Beijing and he made optimum use of his many contacts and opportunities.
One of the main issues in Trott`s life was the question of the scope of action that was possible to take under the National Socialist dictatorship. In an attempt to assert himself without conforming, he sought to find a solution by offering active resistance from within the system.
Benigna von Krusenstjern presents the first comprehensive biography of Trott zu Solz, based upon the study of many hitherto unknown sources. In this vivid and comprehensible work, she opens up a new perspective on Adam von Trott`s way of thinking and actions.
Adam von Trott zu Solz, born on August 9, 1909 in Potsdam, executed on August 26, 1944 in Berlin Plötzensee, was a lawyer, diplomat and one of the most important resistance fighters against National Socialism.
The Authoress
Benigna von Krusenstjern, born in 1947, historian specialising in the 17th and 20th centuries. Began her career as an editor for international politics at the German Society for Foreign Affairs, then gained many years of experience as a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for History. Publications include works on the topic of Ego-documents as historical sources.
Rights sold:
English world: Cambridge Scholar Publishing
