Media Essay
Cookbook created in the Ravensbrück camp
Cookbooks were created and recipes recorded under the most dire of circumstances—in hiding or secretly in camps and ghettos by people who were starving or suffering from malnutrition. This page comes from a cookbook Eva Ostwalt created while imprisoned in the Ravensbrück camp.
First page of Eva Ostwalt's cookbook
Eva Ostwalt was born in Cologne, Germany, to Jewish parents. She had two younger sisters, Kate and Trude. In 1927, Eva moved with her daughter, Heidemarie, and non-Jewish husband to Dresden. Eva and Karl later divorced, and Eva received custody of Heidemarie. Mother and daughter moved to Merano, Italy. When Eva’s passport expired in 1938, she had to return to Germany. Believing that Heidemarie would be safer with her father, Eva gave custody back to Karl in Dresden. Eva returned to Cologne, where both she and her mother Else were eventually caught by the SS. Else was sent to Auschwitz, where she was killed. Eva was sent to Ravensbrück in 1943.
Near the end of the war, she was forced on a death march, from which she escaped. Eva eventually returned to Dresden to find her daughter. She arrived to find the town in ruin from air raids, and learned that Heidemarie had died from the attacks.
This page comes from a cookbook Eva created while imprisoned in Ravensbrück.
Item ViewPage of recipes from Eva Ostwalt's cookbook
Eva Ostwalt was born in Cologne, Germany, to Jewish parents. She had two younger sisters, Kate and Trude. In 1927, Eva moved with her daughter, Heidemarie, and non-Jewish husband to Dresden. Eva and Karl later divorced, and Eva received custody of Heidemarie. Mother and daughter moved to Merano, Italy. When Eva’s passport expired in 1938, she had to return to Germany. Believing that Heidemarie would be safer with her father, Eva gave custody back to Karl in Dresden. Eva returned to Cologne, where both she and her mother Else were eventually caught by the SS. Else was sent to Auschwitz, where she was killed. Eva was sent to Ravensbrück in 1943.
Near the end of the war, she was forced on a death march, from which she escaped. Eva eventually returned to Dresden to find her daughter. She arrived to find the town in ruin from air raids, and learned that Heidemarie had died from the attacks.
This page comes from a cookbook Eva created while imprisoned in Ravensbrück.
Item ViewRecipes from Eva Ostwalt's cookbook
Eva Ostwalt was born in Cologne, Germany, to Jewish parents. She had two younger sisters, Kate and Trude. In 1927, Eva moved with her daughter, Heidemarie, and non-Jewish husband to Dresden. Eva and Karl later divorced, and Eva received custody of Heidemarie. Mother and daughter moved to Merano, Italy. When Eva’s passport expired in 1938, she had to return to Germany. Believing that Heidemarie would be safer with her father, Eva gave custody back to Karl in Dresden. Eva returned to Cologne, where both she and her mother Else were eventually caught by the SS. Else was sent to Auschwitz, where she was killed. Eva was sent to Ravensbrück in 1943.
Near the end of the war, she was forced on a death march, from which she escaped. Eva eventually returned to Dresden to find her daughter. She arrived to find the town in ruin from air raids, and learned that Heidemarie had died from the attacks.
This page comes from a cookbook Eva created while imprisoned in Ravensbrück.
Item View![Exterior view of barracks at the Ravensbrueck concentration camp. [LCID: 15010]](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/images/thumb/d1010ea9-9567-475e-80af-14abc4c118df.jpg)