The Work I Did by Brunhilde Pomsel

The Work I Did by Brunhilde Pomsel – A Memoir of the Secretary to Goebbels – is her memoir, complemented by an essay by Thore D. Hansen. Without the essay I wouldn’t have given the book 5 stars. I found the memoir fascinating. She made herself appear as if she didn’t know what was happening, that she was apolitical and just a secretary. But if the reader pays attention to her words it is obvious that she was not unaware of what was going on.

Brunhilde Pomsel’s story, through her memoir, is important for 2 reasons. Firstly from a historical perspective as it is an important primary account of what was happening. Secondly as something that can make us aware of what others are saying now, when they are considering themselves “apolitical” and “on the margins”, who can’t change anything. Her words seem very like the ones uttered by the so-called russian opposition today, blaming the war on putin and, ironically, saying that they are not interested in politics.

The essay points out the inconsistencies in her narrative. I noticed them while I was reading, but it was great that these were discussed in the essay, making it easier for all readers, who might not be used in dealing with primary sources, to see this memoir in the wider context. I highly recommend it, it is a short book and significant even today for the reasons I stated above.

The Work I Did by Brunhilde Pomsel

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My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes!
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Year it was published: 2017
Format: Hardcover
Genre(s): Memoir
Pages: 240

About the author: Thore D. Hansen is a German journalist and writer. He grew up in Sankt Peter-Ording, studied political science and sociology in Hamburg and specialized in the analysis of international politics, research on war causes and the work of secret services. Between 1991 and 2010, Hansen worked for numerous daily newspapers and magazines in Germany, Austria and Spain. He was the economic editor for the Internet magazine “Tomorrow”.
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