By Helena Smrcek

Writing my newest book requires a lot of research. I’ve decided to change genres to dual-timeline historical fiction—which isn’t an easy feat. I’ve been contemplating this shift for a while and wrote two novellas to try it on, and I fell in love. Reading through historical books, archival records, personal journals, and letters that survived the decades—I’m in awe.

Of course, WWII isn’t a new topic for me. Our grade seven history teacher diligently followed the curriculum and taught us the facts, although I do admit that some of them were slightly one-sided. Yet, our generation got the gist of things ingrained into our minds.

While watching black-and-white documentaries, I was startled by the realization that the time that passed from the end of WWII to the year of my birth is the same length as the time that separates us today from 9/11. I do remember the events of 9/11. Vividly. I also remember the events that followed. My husband and I felt it was right to take our kids to Ground Zero three times over the years. Neither of us thought that such tragedy and the loss of so many lives should ever be forgotten.

This May, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory in Europe. I think back to my grandparents, who lived through those terrible years of WWII. Were their feelings comparable to our Ground Zero experiences? As horrible as 9/11 was, and please, do understand me that I have no wish to diminish its significance, nor the tragedy of every single life lost—this unimaginable attack happened in one day.

WWII lasted 2,194 days. Imagine that—two thousand, one hundred, ninety-four days of evil. Add in the terrible 79 months of Hitler’s reign before the onset of the awful war to a grand 4,598 days of tyranny. Most historians estimate 11 to 17 million civilians and prisoners were killed by the Nazis, depending on the inclusion of various categories and broader wartime actions, including the six million Jews. My mind fails to comprehend this.

The question that haunted me for years was: How was this even possible? And then, I took my daughter on a trip to Berlin. We had visited museums and significant landmarks—and chalk it up to my novelist’s mind—I still felt the lingering darkness. One of the most impactful places was The Bunker. Naturally not the Fuhrer’s bunker, that location isn’t advertised by tour guides, although ours took us to an unassuming parking lot, stating that we were standing on top of it.

The designers of The Bunker Museum wrestled with the same question and attempted to answer it through documents, photographs, archival footage, and a series of interactive exhibits.

And let me tell you, it all started off really well. A leader promising a better life. Prosperity, respect, and deserved prominence amongst the peoples of Europe and the world alike. I was stunned by the reels of enthusiastic rally participants, the flag-waving crowds lined up to get a glimpse of the motorcade, and the fanatics saluting their leader delivering fiery speeches.

Had no one seen the writing on the wall? Of course, some raised questions in the administration. But those were swiftly replaced. The generals and advisors who failed to align with the new direction of the German government—gone.

I remember standing over the window placed in the pavement of the Bebelplatz (known in 1933 as Opernplatz) in front of Humboldt University and listening to our guide explain the Die Bücherverbrennung—the book burning. Who could envision standing around a bonfire fed by the works of such literary giants as Erich Maria Remarque, Heinrich Heine, Thomas Mann, Bertold Brecht, Ernest Hemingway, and Jack London, among many others?

Chills still run through my arms as I write this, for to control one’s mind is to control their ideas and future decisions. I’m not naïve in thinking that our current influx of reporting and news isn’t somewhat censored. Still, I hope we’ll be able to keep checks and balances in place to preserve our freedom of speech and expression. For what comes at the heels of a burning book is fear.

What does history teach us about that? Once the powers at be gain control of what’s seen, said, listened to, or shared and are able to impose penalties for dissidence, fear takes hold of the nations. Hoards of our young people live in a state of perpetual anxiety, and many live in fear—but perhaps the fear I’m talking about is of a different kind.

The fear I had tasted in The Bunker exhibits was the fear of extinction. It started with books and a specific ethnic group of people. And then, it rapidly grew out of control, swallowing anyone subscribing to a different ideology, anyone not agreeing with the main line of governance, anyone helping those who disagree, anyone standing up for what’s good and decent, and anyone trying to save the life of those condemned to extinction.

It had been said countless times—never again. But what checks and balances exist in our world today to prevent a dictator from following the same course? We think we’ve evolved, become sophisticated, literate, and are masters of technology, but do we understand our world?

I’m inspired by the heroes of the past, and I don’t mean the famous superheroes, although Stan Lee, the creator of Marvel Comics, was Jewish. Born Stanley Martin Lieber in 1922 to Jewish immigrants in New York City. His Jewish heritage influenced much of his work.

The real heroes of WWII, who are slowly fading from our collective memory, were men and women who stood their ground and opposed evil, no matter the cost. To learn about their actions, heroism, and self-sacrifice isn’t only a lesson in history but an honor. It amazes me that each action, be it big or small, contributed to the outcome of the war and ultimately to our lives today—the freedom and abundance we often take for granted.

My prayer today is that their bravery and sacrifice won’t be forgotten and that in preserving their memories, we grow in understanding that evil is still around us. Until the day Jesus comes, we’re tasked to make disciples. To tell them about God’s love, goodness, and mercy. To take care of the orphans and widows, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds. To be a force for good, and to resist evil. To love our neighbor as ourselves—for all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Photo Credits

WWII Photo by Emily Schultz on Unsplash

Ground Zero Photo by David Vives on Unsplash

The Bunker Museum photo by  Shir

About the author…
Helena Smrcek, a journalist, author, and screenplay writer, believes in the power of a well-told story. Her readers can expect a captivating page-turner, filled with thrilling suspense, and heartwarming romance.

She started in publishing as a high school student, freelancing for her local newspaper. Her journalism carrier took off in 1999. Within three years Helena accumulated over 100 by-lines and interviewed Ann Graham Lotz, Carol Lewis, Cec Murphey, Kelita and others. Her stories, many of them covers, have been published in Canada, USA, Bermuda, New Zealand, and Australia. In 2002 she accepted a position at Listen Up TV, a current affairs program.

Helena became a founding member of Write!Canada, and The Word Guild, a Canadian national association of writers and editors. She is a graduate of Jerry Jenkin’s Craftsman Class, Act One, Donald Maass’ Fire in Fiction, Writer’s Police Academy, and several mentoring programs.

She regularly attends writers’ conferences and is a past or current member of such organizations as Word Weavers, American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, Toast Masters International, Boni, The Writer’s Guild, and others. Helena loves to participate in NaNoWriMo and hosts a writers’ group.

As an entrepreneur, she is familiar with marketing, branding, and social media. She has volunteered with YMCA, mentoring new Canadians pursuing their business dreams, and was an active member of her local Chamber of Commerce.

When not at her keyboard, Helena loves listening to audio books. Working on her hobby farm, and traveling. She lives in the Waterloo Region, Ontario, with her husband, two adult children, two dogs, several cats, and her favorite goat, Rosie.