They are not the Germans we usually talk about when we remember the Nazi era. They are not primarily remembered through deportations, ghettos, or camps, although some who initially escaped would later be caught by the German advance across Europe. They were among those who left Germany while the future was still uncertain: Jews, political opponents, academics, writers, artists, professionals, and others who understood that something fundamental had changed before anyone could

One of the most repeated moral claims of the current moment is that silence is complicity. There is truth in it. Silence can protect abusive institutions, allow lies to become conventional wisdom, and leave vulnerable people standing alone while everyone around them decides that speaking would be inconvenient. History contains more than enough examples of people who recognized what was happening and chose the safety of looking away. The warning exists for a reason. But somewh

If you’re reading this because you’re considering a move abroad, or because you already have and are still processing that decision, I understand why history might become part of the question. It certainly became part of mine. I spent a long time in the historical record before I felt clear about my own decision, looking at what people had done when governments became unstable, institutions weakened, or the political future of a country became frighteningly uncertain. What I