What was the setting of The Book Thief based on?

The Book Thief is based on the world of Nazi Germany during World War II, as researched by the book's author, Markus Zuzak. Much of the novel takes place in the town of Molching, Germany, where the main character, a young girl named Liesel, is sent to live with foster parents after her father is accused of being a communist. Molching is a fictional setting, but a town called Olching in Germany, which was near...

The Book Thief is based on the world of Nazi Germany during World War II, as researched by the book's author, Markus Zuzak. Much of the novel takes place in the town of Molching, Germany, where the main character, a young girl named Liesel, is sent to live with foster parents after her father is accused of being a communist. Molching is a fictional setting, but a town called Olching in Germany, which was near the Dachau concentration camp, may be the place Zuzak had in mind. The story adheres to the real situation in Germany at the time: persecution of Jews and communists, hunger, heavy Allied bombing of German cities, and severe penalties for even small acts of kindness to those deemed enemies of the state.