Camden Public Library is sponsoring a history lecture on the dilemma that German citizens faced in the years leading up to the second world war. David K. Wessel, retired U.S. diplomat, life-long WW2 historian and novelist, will discuss the “Dilemma of Ordinary People in Nazi Germany,” on Sept. 1, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., at the Library.

As Adolph Hitler and his National Socialist German Workers’ Party dismantled the structure of the Weimar Republic, ordinary Germans experienced the systematic destruction of their fledgling democracy, according to Wessel, in a news release. One by one, they lost fundamental rights such as engaging in civil debate, voting in free and fair elections, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. 

Everyday people faced a complex and difficult choice on how to respond to the maelstrom of the Nazi takeover of their homeland. Some left, if they had the means and opportunity. Those who remained fell into a variety of categories – Nazi supporters, active resisters, willing collaborators, or political bystanders. Wessel's lecture includes the various choices made by members of his own extended family.

He will also outline how journalists and historians have, over the past nine decades, viewed the degree to which everyday Germans were involved in the atrocities that were perpetrated in their name. He’ll address questions that historians are still debating: How much did they know? What could they do about it? What did they do?

After his formal presentation, Wessel will be signing copies of his historical novel, Choosing Sides, which deals with how one ordinary family (his own) was torn apart by Hitler’s Germany.

The event is free and open to the public with no need to pre-register. For any additional information, contact the presenter at davidkwesselauthor@gmail.com, or Camden Public Library’s Program Director Julia Sagaser at (207) 236-3440.