Barbara Yelin's Graphic Novel 'Irmina' Explores Nazi-Era Complicity
Barbara Yelin's graphic novel 'Irmina,' published in Italy by Rizzoli Lizard, tells the story of a young German student in 1930s London who befriends Howard Green, one of the first Black students at Oxford. Their relationship unfolds against the rise of Nazism and fascist violence in England. Returning to Germany, Irmina becomes complicit in the Nazi regime, reflecting on the passive acceptance of ordinary Germans. The book features a historical essay by Alexander Korb of the University of Leicester. Yelin's expressive, painterly style enhances the narrative, which examines moral responsibility and the normalization of atrocity.
Key facts
- Barbara Yelin is the author of 'Irmina'.
- The graphic novel is published in Italy by Rizzoli Lizard.
- The story is set in the 1930s.
- Irmina Fräulein is a German student in London.
- Howard Green is a Black student at Oxford.
- The book addresses the complicity of ordinary Germans in the Nazi regime.
- Alexander Korb, a history professor at the University of Leicester, wrote the historical appendix.
- The book has 288 pages and costs €25.00.
Entities
Artists
- Barbara Yelin
Institutions
- Rizzoli Lizard
- University of Leicester
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Oxford
- Italy