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Ruth Weiss was born in 1924 to Jewish parents in Fürth near Nuremberg. His father, Richard Löwenthal, lost his job shortly after the beginning of Nazi rule in 1933 and emigrated to South Africa with the help of relatives. In 1936, after the promulgation of the Nuremberg “Race Laws”, the rest of the family, including 11-year-old Ruth, was able to join them in Johannesburg on the last ship with Jewish refugees allowed to dock in South Africa.
Here the family finds a new home (“My heart is in Africa”). Sensitized by her own fate as a Jew and by her participation in the “Independent Cultural Association”, an association of German emigrants, including numerous intellectuals such as writers and artists, the young Ruth Weiss soon developed political understanding and awareness. She has a lifelong friendship with many of these people.
I interviewed Nelson Mandela when he was on the run from the police, shortly before his incarceration. A short time later, I was forced to flee South Africa to avoid imprisonment.
My books are young adult, historical fiction. The past has a long future, as I say in my most famous work, My Sister Sara. In its 12th edition and a set work for seniors in German high schools, has created an incredible amount of discussion and has a loyal following. For the first time, it is now available in English.
