The Willeke Family and the Story of the Chinese Dragon Robe

By Audrone Barunas Willeke

How did a middle class German family come to own a precious Chinese dragon robe and how did this robe migrate to the United States to hang in a house in Northern California? By attempting to answer these questions, this family story gives a personal perspective on the last 150 years of German history. It follows the changing fortunes of the Willeke family from the end of the 19th century to the present, explaining why around 1900 three Willeke brothers left their small town of K?nigslutter to travel to China, Japan, and the Philippines. By tracing the history of this family and its Chinese robe, we can see how individual members participated in German colonial efforts and in World War I, how they lived through the Nazi regime and World War II, and how they fared as immigrants in the United States. Their children and grandchildren, born in America and integrated in this culture, have inherited not only the robe from their ancestors, but also their spirit of openness and adventure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1543056768
• ISBN13: 9781543056761
• Release Date: March 2017
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 186 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.4" x 5.5"