Feb 23, 2012

The Effect of Nazi Persecution on a Family with Welsh Connections











This week sees the publication of a book that tells the shocking story of one family during the rise of Nazism in 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 to 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.

 

Erlid dan law’r Natsïaid a’r Effaith ar un Teulu gyda Chysylltiadau Cymreig
 

Yr wythnos hon cyhoeddir cyfrol sy’n adrodd hanes ysgytwol un teulu yng nghyfnod twf Natsïaeth yn Nhridegau’r ganrif ddiwethaf a chyfnod yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Mae Yr Erlid yn berthnasol i Gymru gan i un o’r teulu sef Kate Bosse-Griffiths ffoi i Gymru a dod yn llenor Cymraeg. Heini Gruffudd, ei mab, yw awdur y gyfrol.

Llwyddodd Kate-Bosse-Griffiths i ffoi o’r Almaen i wledydd Prydain yn 1937. Caru, priodi, cychwyn llenydda yng Nghymru a sefydlu Cylch Cadwgan yn y Rhondda oedd ei hanes pan droes y Natsïaid fywyd pobl yr Almaen ac Ewrop yn uffern. Cafodd ei theulu ei erlid. Ceisiodd rhai fod yn rhan o’r system, roedd eraill yn ymdrechu i fyw er gwaetha’r system, ac eraill yn ei gwrthwynebu’n hunanaberthol.

Ni fyddai’r stori yn bosib ei hadrodd oni bai am y mil a mwy o ddalennau a gadwyd ym meddiant y teulu, yn llythyrau a dyddiaduron, yn ysgrifau a dogfennau. Soniant am ymosodiadau Kristallnacht, bywyd o dan y drefn wallgof, manylion gwersylloedd carchar, ffoi i Shanghai, hunanladdiad, carcharu a lladd. Mae yma hanes o garu a chasáu, gwarchod ac erlid, dyheu a dychryn yn y cyfnod mwyaf dinistriol a welodd Ewrop. Ceir hanes llofruddiaeth mam Kate Bosse-Griffiths, hunanladdiad ei modryb ac erlid y teulu i bob cwr o’r byd.

Ar ôl ffoi i Brydain i fyw, priododd Kate J Gwyn Griffiths a symud i Gymru gan fyw yn y Rhondda, y Bala ac Abertawe. Daeth yn adnabyddus am ei nofelau a’i storïau, yn ogystal ag am ei diddordeb mewn archaeoleg ac Eifftoleg, a magodd ddau o blant yn Gymry pybyr. Trafodwyd peth o’r  hanes yn y rhaglen ddogfen, Y Trên i Ravensbruck a enillodd ddwy o wobrau BAFTA Cymru. 

Mae Heini Gruffudd yn awdur toreth o lyfrau, yn ymgyrchydd dros addysg Gymraeg ac yn awdurdod ar gymdeithaseg iaith. Ei frawd yw Robat Gruffudd, sefydlydd Y Lolfa.



 Y Lolfa Cyf., Talybont, Ceredigion, Cymru SY24 5HE
ffôn 01970 831 902


www.ylolfa.com
c y h o e d d w y r  a c  a r g r a f f w y r