I first read Gudrun when I was twelve years old. I searched for a copy of this book for ten years. And yet, the story is so clear to me. The tale of Gudrun is more than a mere romantic story of knights and a beautiful princess. What impressed me about this book, even at twelve years old, were the strong female characters. Gudrun's mother, widowed on the day of her daughter's betrowthal, waited ten years to bring justice to those who stole all that was precious to her. The memory of Gudrun, imprisoned and forced by the Queen of Normandy to wash clothes in the icy river, year after year. Never yeilding to the demand that she willingly marry the Prince. Even the young lady in waiting, taken with Gudrun, who fell in love with a Norman and betrayed her Princess gives us insight into the strength and weakness of women.

This book is in danger of becoming totally forgotten. Gudrun is an unique survival in Medieval literature. This epic is the tale of the kidnapped Princess Gudrun whose captors intend for her to marry the Prince of Normandy,although she is already betrothed to King Herdwig. Central to this epic is the titanic contest of wills between the Queen of Normandy and Gudrun. Originally written in High Medieval German, this version of the epic was carefully translated into modern German in the 1920's and was hailed as a triumph.However, the author,novelist and poet Alma Johanna Koenig was deported as a Jew after the takeover of her native Austria and died in 1942 at Minsk Concentration camp. Anthea Bell translated the surviving work into English keeping the Beauty and Poetry of Koenig's work. Although Koeing intended this book for young people, it rings true with all the depth and glory of the Medieval original. This book is not easily avaliable but please find the book, many Libraies have it, and keep alive the legacy of beauty that the Nazis couldn't destroy