Catherine Allen-Walters Inspires with Historical Masterpiece Near the Danube Bridge

Exploring Balkan History Through Extraordinary Lives

Catherine Allen-Walters shares insights into crafting Near the Danube Bridge, blending historical accuracy, personal experiences, and cultural exploration to bring forgotten Balkan stories to life with heart and humanity.

Catherine Allen-Walters is a literary force to be reckoned with—a writer whose words illuminate the uncharted corners of human experience and history. A decorated author with accolades including first place at the International Impact Book Awards and the Bronze Medal at the Global Books Awards, Catherine has consistently demonstrated a rare mastery of bringing humanity to life through the written word. Her works delve deep into the fabric of culture, history, and identity, weaving narratives that resonate with readers and leave a lasting imprint.

In her extraordinary book Near the Danube Bridge, Catherine encapsulates the poignant, untold story of Kalman Hartig, tracing his journey through the harrowing complexities of mid-20th century Balkan history. As a classically trained violinist and academic with a profound understanding of the humanities, Catherine brings a unique lens to her work. Her musical expertise lends a particularly evocative dimension to Kalman’s portrayal, while her meticulous research uncovers the social upheavals and cultural traditions that shaped a family’s fate.

Through unparalleled sensitivity and skill, Catherine balances historical fidelity with storytelling finesse, connecting the injustices of the past to the pressing global challenges of today. Her storytelling not only highlights the resilience of the human spirit but aims to bridge gaps in historical understanding, offering readers a window into a world too often overlooked. This powerful interview with Catherine Allen-Walters will take you into the heart of her creative process, illustrating the passion and purpose behind her brilliant work.

What inspired you to write “Near the Danube Bridge,” and how did you approach researching such a complex historical period? 

Elisabeth asked me to write the story of her father the day after Russia invaded Ukraine. I answered yes right away not knowing where the project would take me. I’d recently completed a master’s degree in Humanities and loved researching and writing. Since childhood I’ve been fascinated with ethnicities, cultures, and religions. I began by viewing two DVDs Elisabeth gave me – recordings of her father, Kalman, speaking to a Seventh-day Adventist congregation about his incarceration and time in labor camps. I listened intently and watched his demonstrations and movements while he described specific moments of torment and suffering. I listened to him play hymns on his violin. Because of my own accomplishments as a professional violinist, I could tell he’d been a master of the instrument, and I could also tell that his injuries incurred during his imprisonment had affected specific techniques. While listening to his stories through his Serbian/German accent, I could feel his pain. He provided the greatest inspiration to write his story, but I didn’t have enough information about the rest of his life. I asked Elisabeth to begin interviewing family members and searching for more information so I could create narratives of the journeys of Kalman and his future wife, Minka. More inspiration came when Elisabeth found her father’s diary and all the letters he’d written to his mother during his incarceration. It was an amazing and moving experience for me. I put my heart into the entire process. I read several books and peer reviewed articles about the complex history of the Balkans in the 20^th century. It was essential to understand the traditions of the Balkan peoples and the social upheavals in which these families’ stories were rooted. 

How has your background as a violinist influenced your portrayal of Kalman’s musical aspirations in the book? 

Because I am a classically trained musician and have performed many of the major works of the great composers, I was familiar with the specific training and practice of the instruments and music that permeated the Hartig family’s lives. When I was told that Kalman withdrew into his music in times of crisis throughout his childhood and adulthood, I drew upon my own similar experiences. Because of his physical injuries received in the labor camps, Kalman couldn’t achieve his dream of becoming a professional musician like many of his siblings did. Still, he had lifelong joy playing hymns in church for his friends and teaching children how to play. 

What challenges did you face in balancing historical accuracy with storytelling in this novel? 

My challenge was weaving the narrative around world events that were happening at the time. For example, I wanted readers to think about how someone opening a newspaper in Yugoslavia would react to the news about when the United States was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. I embraced the challenge of telling the story of Yugoslavia with historical accuracy so that readers might ponder how the people from the Balkans experienced WWII horrors just like others did around the world. Their experiences haven’t often been included in accounts of European history. Telling it in story form through the eyes of Kalman and the others makes it easier for people to learn about a part of the world they wouldn’t regularly seek out. 

How do you think Kalman’s story resonates with modern readers, particularly in the context of current global refugee crises? 

My hope was that readers would realize injustices and persecutions happen all the time around the globe in every country. It’s a never-ending problem of monumental significance to relationships between countries. The Holocaust remains probably the greatest example of injustice that has ever happened; however, there are injustices that have been forgotten or have rarely been written about such as the Pančevo Massacre. Its victims should never be forgotten just as Holocaust victims and other victims of war events and crimes should never be forgotten. Modern readers of nonfiction, religionists, and students of history will realize, if they don’t already, the horror and persecution that took place in the Balkans. Kalman’s experience exposes some of that.

Can you share more about the process of developing Minka’s character and her role in Kalman’s journey? 

My process began with using Minka’s daughter Elisabeth’s memories of her mother while the family lived in Germany as refugees throughout Elisabeth’s childhood. In addition, Minka’s one living sister related her own accounts of the five sisters’ childhoods during WWII in the former Yugoslavia. Therapies and psychiatry have become more available to those who suffer from trauma and PTSD. It was non-existent for Kalman and Minka. They had to navigate it together. As I wrote their story and shaped their characters, I called on Elisabeth to validate whether my descriptions and dialogue were accurate to their relationship. 

What message or takeaway do you hope readers will gain from reading “Near the Danube Bridge”?

Many readers will be able to relate to some of Kalman’s experiences and challenges. His character was initially shaped by a religious mother who taught him to be strict and uncompromising. This lent itself to his being judgmental. Because of a life filled with personal and family struggles, he was eventually transformed into seeing the good in others. My hope is that readers may also take an interest in the rich and complex history of the Balkan region. So many of the wars and atrocities that took place in the 1990s were predicated by earlier social upheavals, many of which are reflected in Kalman’s story.