Marbella’s Nazis

La Ultima Condesa Nazi - Editorial Espasa

La Ultima Condesa Nazi - Editorial Espasa.

DID you know that Malaga was a safe haven and hiding spot for the Nazis following the Second World War? I didn’t.
I’ve been coming to Marbella since 1965, lived here since 1981 and yet had no inclining of this until I started to read a novel written by local author Viruca Yebra.
‘The last Nazi Countess’ is her second book to be published and follows the life of a German aristocrat, Clotilde von Havel who was married to a commander in the the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany. When her husband dies at the end of the Second World War Clotilde finds herself destitute and fearing for her life.
She flees Germany to save herself from the Russian troops and loses contact with her children in the process. We follow her mission to find her offspring, a place to call home and respite from her Nazi status.
This is a poignant tale which helps us relate to the people who are subjected to the devastating ramifications of wartime and the repercussions for everyone involved, whether directly or indirectly and unfortunately, still all too relevant.
We follow her journey from a devastated post-war Berlin to glitzy New York and then London. She ends up in Marbella roughly at the same time I first started to come on holiday with my parents.
Clotilde came here with family too; specifically, her nephew: a former SS officer and practising Nazi. Together they make a new life for themselves on the Costa del Sol, mingling with many others that also found refuge in Franco’s Spain.
I personally had thought that all the Nazis had fled to South America, but it would seem that as Franco had such a good relationship with Hitler, this was a safe bet, not just to live but also to continue their ideology. Although there are ‘Nazi’ settlements along many of Spain’s coasts, Malaga was a big favourite for obvious reasons such as the excellent weather and delicious food, but also because there are so many great places to hide and is close enough to Africa if they needed to make a quite get away.
This is the first novel I’ve read in Spanish since University and I’m loving the experience, particularly as I haven’t had to consult the dictionary yet! Viruca Yebra writes with a fast pace to keep you intrigued and with such insight that you can relate to each character on a very personal level. Unsurprisingly there is much more to this author than the two books published to date: she’s also an accomplished journalist, previously with the ABC national newspaper and Delegate of the Xunta de Galicia in Madrid. More recently she collaborates with talk shows on Cadena Ser radio and the Gestoria Bocanegra (with her very proud husband).
Please join us tonight on RTV Marbella at 11pm for Marbella Now and my interview with Viruca Yebra to meet the lady behind ‘The Last Nazi Countess’.
The show will be aired again throughout the week and is also available online!
www.nicoleking.es • www.zerohero.es • www.u-n-m.org

Written by

Nicole King

One of Marbella's most glamorous residents, Nicole King offers a taste of the best of what's going on in the Costa del Sol.

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