L. Feuchtwanger’s novel depicts the life of the cultured and educated Oppenmann family in Germany during 1932–1933. One brother is a writer, the second is the head of the family furniture firm, the third is a Doctor of Medical Sciences. Even before Hitler comes to power, anti-Semitism begins to grow actively in Germany.
“Oppermann’s Family” is a story about how the life of a prosperous, law-abiding family collides with the first manifestations of intolerance—adults face the first problems at work, and their Jewish children face problems at school. Today you are an ordinary German, a citizen of your beloved country, bringing benefit to people, running a business, saving lives, paying taxes, contributing to the development of the country; and tomorrow you’re already an enemy of the people—cursed Jew, dirt and nothingness, guilty of all worldly troubles. A harsh division occurs between “ordinary Germans” and “Germans of Jewish origin.” The latter, according to people with Nazi views, had no right to exist.
The book is divided into three parts: “Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow,” which describe a certain period of time.