This week sees the publication of a book that tells the shocking story of one family during the rise of Nazism during the 1930s and the Second World War. Yr Erlid is relevant to Wales as one member of that family, Kate Bosse-Griffiths, fled to Wales and became a Welsh litterateur. Heini Gruffudd, her son, is the author of the book.
Kate Bosse-Griffiths succeeded in fleeing from Germany to the Britain in 1937. She fell in love, married, began writing in Wales and established Cylch Cadwgan whilst the Nazis made life in Germany and Europe hell on Earth. Her family was persecuted. A few tried to become a part of the system, others struggled in spite of the system, and some self-sacrifed in opposition of the system.
The story would have been lost forever if it wasn’t for the thousand and more pages that have been kept by the family; letters, diaries and documents. They give an account of the attacks during Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass), life under the insane regime, details of prison camps, fleeing to Shanghai, suicide, imprisonment and killing. Here is a story of love and hatred, protection and persecution, yearning and terror during the most destructive period in European history. Kate Bosse-Griffiths’ mother was murdered, her aunt committed suicide and the family was persecuted and forced to flee to the four corners of the earth.
After fleeing to Britain, Kate married J Gwyn Griffiths and moved to Wales to live in the Rhondda, Bala and Swansea. She became well-known for her novels and stories, as well as for her interest in archaeology and Egyptology, and for bringing up two sons who would become staunchly patriotic Welshmen. Some of the history was discussed in the documentary programme Y Trên i Ravensbruck, which won two BAFTA Cymru prizes.
Heini Gruffudd is a prolific author of books, a campaigner for Welsh language education and is an authority on the sociology of language. His brother, Robat, established Y Lolfa.
