Near the Danube Bridge

A Story of Faith, Courage, and Endurance

By: Catherine Allen-Walters

Narrated by: Charlie Brogan

1st place winner of the Pencraft Book Awards for best audio book in 2024!

Kalman Hartig (1930-2021) was born into an affluent family in the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He was exposed to music, art, and literature at a young age. After joining the American Seventh-day Adventist movement that had been sweeping through war-torn Europe, he discovered how difficult life would be living in what would become communist Yugoslavia while adhering to his religious beliefs. He was sentenced to two years hard labor for being a conscientious objector. He drew from his knowledge of Bible stories and classical music works to preserve his sanity and his life. After surviving the cruelty of the labor camps, he naively believed that he had proved his faith to God. Little did he know what new challenges lay ahead. His wife, Hermina (Minka) Kirchner, experienced her own war horrors as a child. Kalman and Minka and their children escaped the communist regime. Together they struggled, loved, and healed.

©2024 Elisabeth Hartig Lentulo (P)2024 Elisabeth Hartig Lentulo

A story of conscience over cruelty

This book came out during a time when we see rising totalitarianism again in the West manifesting as an impulse on both the so-called Left and Right of the political spectrum toward restricting the expression of personal and religious conscience and free speech, all the while cloaked in the rhetoric of protecting and promoting the greater good.

We see a major land war once again erupting between nation-states on the European continent. That’s not unusual, considering human history, but it’s all the more worrisome since we had imagined we had moved beyond all that for the at least the past 35 years.

So, it’s good we read a story to recall a time not all that long ago when Classic Liberal sentiments regarding freedom of religion and of expression were set aside by utopianism and reductionist politics. It’s a human story that speaks to the struggle to hold one’s head up under trying circumstances.

I found the narration to be smooth and easy to follow

A Story of Sacrifice, Struggle and Despair

“From Suffering to Freedom: The Kalman Hartig Story” is a moving account of the life of Kalman Hartig, who survived the horrors of the communist labor camps in Yugoslavia, sustained by his faith and love of music. The narration is captivating, with a deep, empathetic voice that conveys the emotional intensity of the Hartig family's most difficult moments and hopes. The narrator manages to perfectly balance tragedy and resilience, making this audiobook an immersive and moving experience. Without a doubt, a well-deserved winner of the Pencraft Book Award 2024.

Near the Danube Bridge was a great read

I really enjoyed the story of the family. I love their story of how they developed their relationship with God.

Perseverance in times of war

This moving audiobook narrates the life of Kalman Hartig, a man born in the former Yugoslavia who, after joining the Seventh-day Adventist movement, faces a difficult decision: to be a conscientious objector in a communist regime. Sentenced to hard labor, his faith and his love of classical music help him survive. Together with his wife, also scarred by the war, they struggle to escape the regime and rebuild their lives. The emotionally charged narrative is delivered by a deep voice that highlights the inner struggles of the characters. An inspiring testimony of faith and resistance.

A True Story that Touches the heart!

A story of strong faith, hope, resilience and love in the midst of tyranny, Near The Danube Bridge, brings us face to face with the reality of what happened under a communist, atheist regime in what was known as Yugoslavia. Kalman Hartig, a Seventh-Day Adventist, was sentenced to two years of hard labour, enduring severe inhumane torture and constant hunger. We understand from his experience, the strong faith he had in God and his constant trust in God who gave him the strength to survive. Kalman Hartig with his wife Hermina and their children eventually escape the communist regime and we enjoy listening to their experiences. A beautiful true story, that touches your inner emotions and provokes you at all levels.
Narration by Charlie Brogan was amazing. His voice is very clear with great charisma keeping the listener so attentive. The pace of narration was perfect with well-timed pauses.
Definitely recommended!

A story of faith, courage and endurance.

In “Near the Danube Bridge” narrates the life of Kalman Hartig, a man born into a well-to-do family in Yugoslavia, who faces enormous adversity for his religious faith during a time of war and communist oppression. After being sentenced to hard labor for his conscientious objection, Hartig clings to his beliefs and art to survive. Together with his wife Hermina and their children, they escape the communist regime, facing new challenges in their struggle for freedom. The narrator, in a clear and emotive voice, powerfully conveys the struggles and hope that marked this family's life. A moving story of faith, resilience and overcoming.

Her narrator's vocal performance is deep and emotional, capturing the tension and hope of the story effectively. An audiobook that I enjoyed very much.

Engaging storyline!

It must have been incredibly challenging for the authors to weave together this narrative given that is was written after almost all of the people mentioned had passed. But they did a great job conveying the intensity of religious persecution in Europe during WW2 and afterwards and the audio book narrator conveyed it well!

A story marked by war and pain

“Near the Danube Bridge” is a moving narrative of faith, courage, and endurance, recounting the life of Kalman Hartig, a man who grew up in pre-Communist Yugoslavia, and how he faced the brutality of the labor camps for being a conscientious objector, following his religious beliefs. The audiobook highlights his struggle to stand firm in his faith while surviving the most extreme adversity, as well as his family's painful journey to escape the communist regime. Throughout his story, Kalman and his wife Minka, also scarred by the horror of war as a child, face grief, loss and hope together.

The narration by Charlie Brogan is deeply moving, capturing the essence of the characters' emotions and inner struggles. The narrator's voice conveys the anguish, resilience and unwavering love that defines this story, immersing the listener in the intensity of each experience recounted.

Near the Danube Bridge: A Story of Faith, Courage

This audiobook recounts the life of Kalman Hartig, a man who lived under the Communist regime in Yugoslavia, struggling to maintain his faith and values despite extreme hardship. Sentenced to hard labor for his conscientious objection, he finds strength in the Bible and classical music. After surviving the concentration camps, he faces new challenges with his wife Hermina and their children, escaping together from the communist regime. The narrative, charged with emotion and reflection, is delivered with great conviction by the narrator, who captures the suffering and hope of the story.

This book is a moving testimony to human resilience in the face of adversity.