[National Socialism] Travel diary of Christina Brandt Corstius-Dwars (1881-?),

With contributions dated “Bressanone 27 Dec. 1937” to “1941 17 mei”, 123 written pages, a number of blank pages, bound in contemporary cloth with metal buttons on the corners of both boards and on the front cover an inlaid relief of a skier, with label of Larcher bookstore on inside back cover, 19.5 x 14 cm.

The writer of the diary (residing in Diepenveen) travels with her husband Henri (painter E. Henri W. Brandt Corstius (1871-?) and their daughter Lia. On the first page she mentions the reason to write the book: to remember the names of towns and people and the titles of books (indeed she comments on a whole variety of books in the diary). About her diary itself she writes below: “Er is in de winkel van Larcher (…) niets anders te krijgen dan dit boek met de skilooper en de Nägel, maar ik heb het gekocht, tevens als herinnering aan Br.” Furthermore their other daughter Els (married to Wim Went, working for “De Moderne Boekhandel”, together had a daughter, Christientje, born on 10 September 1939), and sons Lex and Chri are mentioned. Acquaintances include: the Van de Pol(l)s, Cor Breyer, Mrs. Van Doorninck from Olst-Boxbergen, Tineke Engelhard, mr.J. Beukers, the Widmanns, etc. The family appears to have been very positive about Hitler and his National Socialism. Lia's engagement to the German Mario Gunther, Freiherr von Unterrichter, is made difficult by the war. Henri wears a black shirt on festive occassions. In the diary, Hitler's speeches and positive reactions from the Italians to these are described enthusiastically. Chamberlain and Colijn are called “stupid”. The Anschluss of Austria is applauded (entries 12-14 March 1939): “Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer!”; “Hitler komt in zijn Heimat terug. Hij wordt o.a. in Linz jubelend ontvangen”; “Eens zal Mussolini inzien, dat dit land en deze mensen ook bij Duitschland behooren.” About Hitler's plans for Czechoslovakia she writes: “Alle fatsoenlijke mensen verheugen zich”. The final entries (May 1941) concern personal messages about their sons and daughter Lia. And about the war: “De Engelschen trachten door pamfletten strooien het Duitsche volk te beïnvloeden. Een vrij misselijke en onsportieve manier, lijkt mij”. “Van Lex (in Afrika) niets gehoord sedert mei 1940”. Below the final (and later) note: “1968 in Zeist, Huis ter Heide, Park Rodichem 28”.