The background of University of Michigan political scientist Michael Traugott’s family will be highlighted in an upcoming exhibition in Berlin, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II.
Launching on June 19, “On the Roof of Himmler’s Guest House: The U.S. Army at Wannsee in 1945” revolves around correspondence and photographs exchanged between Traugott’s father, Fritz Traugott, and his mother, Lucia.
Fritz Traugott, a Jewish German who returned to Germany as an American soldier in 1945, communicated with his spouse nearly every day from the Wannsee villa in Berlin, frequently using stationery from the “Führer’s adjutant’s office,” which he discovered in the Reich Chancellery.
Upon its debut, the exhibition presents a unique and fascinating narrative, encouraging visitors to delve into a crucial moment in history through the personal viewpoint of a soldier who was both a target of Nazi oppression and a key contributor to its downfall. The exhibition will also include an audio tour of the garden, providing an insightful perspective on the experiences of American troops in post-war Germany, as seen through Fritz Traugott’s experiences.
“In my perspective, it’s not entirely a narrative focused on my father,” remarked Michael Traugott, research professor emeritus at the Center for Political Studies at U-M’s Institute for Social Research, who is also a professor emeritus of communication studies and political science.
“I believe he serves as a vessel in this narrative for contemplating the 80th anniversary of the war’s conclusion, reflecting on what transpired then, its implications for current events, and the developments that occurred in the interim.”
Born in Hamburg in 1919, Fritz Traugott was compelled to leave Germany in 1938, seeking refuge in the United States. In an ironic turn, he returned to Germany in July 1945 as a soldier attached to the U.S. Army’s “Mobile Field Interrogation Unit #2.” His unit was accommodated in the Wannsee villa, which had previously served as an SS guesthouse, from July until September 1945.
Lucia Traugott’s children—Michael, Mark, and Kathryn—unearthed all the materials for the exhibition following her death in 2018. The siblings are set to attend the exhibition’s opening, adding a significant dimension to the event for their family.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the Traugotts for their trust and willingness to share,” stated curator Judith Alberth, a research assistant at the House of the Wannsee Conference Memorial and Educational Site. “Fritz Traugott seldom discussed his childhood and youth in Germany or his experiences in the U.S. Army. By examining the valuable sources and compiling them, we can reconstruct a segment of family history. Additional research, conducted in American and German archives, can enrich the narrative—but it will inevitably remain incomplete.”
The special exhibition will be hosted in the garden of the House of the Wannsee Conference Memorial and Educational Site. It is set to commence on June 19, 2025, and continue until June 30, 2026.