No One Knows Their Destiny
The Eckfeld Records: Inside the Dunera Story
Tonia Eckfeld
Clayton, VIC: Monash University Press, 2024
Paperback 272pp RRP $39.99
Reviewer: Neville Taylor, January 2025
The story of Waldemar and Reinhold Eckfeld is incredibly moving and layered with the trauma, resilience, and challenges of those who were displaced by the rise of Nazi power. The hardships they endured on the ‘hellship’ HMT Dunera alone are staggering, but their journey doesn’t stop there. It paints a broader picture of the experiences of many Jewish refugees during WWII, particularly those sent to internment camps in Australia, the emotional toll on families torn apart, and the long road toward integration into a new society.
Tonia’s work, documenting her father's and uncle's experiences, seems to be not just an exploration of their personal histories but also a broader commentary on the historical and social context of that period. The inclusion of Reinhold's letters and his sketches from his time in the internment camp must offer an incredibly personal view into life in an internment camp and the internal battles faced by the internees.
Reinhold's later success as an architect and his persistence in supporting his brother Waldemar speaks volumes about his character, but Waldemar's tragic end is a stark reminder of the lasting trauma and mental health struggles faced by many survivors of such intense, dehumanizing experiences. It’s remarkable how both brothers managed to build new lives after everything they endured, even though their paths diverged so dramatically.
The inclusion of their mother and two sisters joining them in Melbourne in 1949 also adds a layer of reunification and hope to the narrative, even amidst the broader tragedy.
What motivated Tonia to document their story in such depth? It must have been a labour of love, but I can imagine it would also be a way of ensuring that the stories of those who lived through the Holocaust are not forgotten.
The RUSI – Vic Library is most grateful to the publishers for making this work available for review.
