In the final days of World War II, as the Red Army advanced on Berlin and the Third Reich teetered on the edge of total military collapse, Adolf Hitler famously shot himself in his bunker. A wave of suicides would followhigh-ranking Nazi officials such as Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Philipp Bouhler, and Martin Bormann killed themselves before being captured by Allied forces. Many war criminals, however, managed to escape. As many as 9,000 Nazi officers and collaborators found refuge in South America; the majority fled to Argentina, which had maintained a close relationship with Nazi Germany.
Among those who evaded capture was Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi SS lieutenant colonel who masterminded the identification, assembly, and transportation of European Jews to Auschwitz and other concentration camps. After the fall of the Third Reich, Eichmann, who had come to be known as the architect of the Nazi genocide, was apprehended, but escaped from a detention camp and went into hiding in Austria. An Austrian-born bishop, Alois Hudal, helped Eichmann obtain falsified identity documents issued by the Vatican, enabling him to get an Argentine visa and an International Red Cross passport. (Hudal eventually admitted to abetting Nazi war criminals.) In the years following the war, Argentine President Juan Pern, a longtime admirer of Hitlers and other fascist regimes, had established a network of so-called ratlinesescape routesthrough ports in Spain and Italy to smuggle thousands of former SS officers and Nazi Party members out of Europe.
As the Nuremberg Trials brought Nazi war criminals to justice in 1945 and 1946, Eichmann lay in wait. In 1950, a fugitive who had assumed the alias of Richard Klement boarded a steamship to Buenos Aires. He would establish a middle-class lifestyle in the suburbs of the city with his wife and children, working at a Mercedes-Benz factory.
The thrilling story of how it all came crashing down is told in Randall Christophers new animated documentary, The Driver Is Red. A Holocaust survivor who was living in Buenos Aires became suspicious about his daughters new boyfriend and his family. Armed with surreptitious photographs of Klement, the father alerted Israeli intelligence, and Eichmanns identity was confirmed beyond reasonable doubt. Mossad Special Agent Zvi Aharoni was sent to Buenos Aires to orchestrate an illegal surveillance and abduction scheme, Operation Finale. Eichmann was apprehended in 1960 and smuggled to Israel, where he would finally face justice. He was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity and was executed in Jerusalem in 1962.
Christophers film noirinspired animation depicts the dramatic story of Eichmanns capture. The actor Mark Pinter, reading from Aharonis book about the historic Nazi manhunt, lends the late Aharonis voice. The first words Adolf Eichmann uttered to me were, I have already resigned myself to my fate, wrote Aharoni, a German-born Jew who escaped with his mother and brother on one of the last trains out of Germany before World War II.
Christopher told me he made the film because he grew up largely ignorant of the Holocaust. This is an alarming trend. A recent survey found that 22 percent of Millennials admitted to not having heard of the Holocaust, while 41 percent of Americans and 66 percent of Millennials said they don't know about Auschwitz.
In my opinion, we simply must make a deliberate, dedicated effort to know the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaustthe most catastrophic event in human history, Christopher said. The filmmaker believes it is especially important to study Weimar Germany, because these events sprang from a democratic society with values and culture not much different from what we have today in the West.
People simply didnt recognize that certain decisions and policiesthough maybe not so terrible in themselvesopen the door for more dangerous scenarios, Christopher continued. Nobody was voting for World War II when they voted for Hitler. But in voting for Hitler to do things like get rid of the communists and to bypass a dysfunctional Parliament, they also voted in favor of a situation where World War II and the Holocaust would be a possibility.
Christopher believes that if the U.S. Congress remains dysfunctional and unable to work together, this might pave the way for a similar autocratic leadersomething once considered unthinkable in America.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
Original post:
Capturing the Architect of the Holocaust - The Atlantic
- Demolition of Mary Miss's art at Des Moines Art Center paused - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- AIANY and ASLANY announce transportation and infrastructure awards - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Termites are nature's architects, building well-ventilated nests - Earth.com - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- JSA/MIXdesign share its work for the Queens Museum and champion participatory design processes - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- County okays agreement with architect for renovation county office building - WspyNews - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- hiroyuki ito architects' tenjincho place is a curving slice of nature in tokyo - Designboom - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- An international competition seeks to find a design team for Helsinki's New Museum of Architecture and Design - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Coachella debuts its 2024 art installations by Morag Myerscough, HANNAH, and Nebbia - The Architect's Newspaper - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- New University of Mississippi Architect Contributes to 1000 Projects and Counting The Local Voice - The Local Voice - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Similar, but not the same: How qualifying as an architect differs between the US and UK - Building Design - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Charles E. Dagit Jr., award-winning architect, civic leader, and champion sailor, has died at 80 - The Philadelphia Inquirer - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Renowned architect to visit Stuckeman to juror student design competition - Penn State University - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Architects win citation for Raleigh County Sheriff's Office Headquarters design - MSN - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Trial begins for man accused of throwing Des Moines architect over a railing to his death in 2016 - KCCI Des Moines - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- 'It will be breathtaking,' Notre Dame's chief architect says; iconic cathedral reopens Dec. 8 - Detroit Catholic - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- The reflection of a city in motion. West Bund Orbit by Wutopia Lab | The Strength of Architecture | From 1998 - Metalocus - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- The best new metal songs this week: April 12 2024 - Louder - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Architecture and the Right to Housing - Canadian Architect - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Architect Tipton Housewright Says Too Much Parking is 'Bad Urban Design' - CandysDirt.com - CandysDirt.com - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- Why architects sorely need a new approach to resourcing projects - Architect's Journal - April 17th, 2024 [April 17th, 2024]
- former textile workshop transforms into modern machiya residence in kyoto - Designboom - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- MoDus Architects wraps school in tartan pattern for "warmth and familiarity" - Dezeen - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Architect Eyal Weizman on Mapping Israel's Genocidal Campaign - Democracy Now! - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Aural Art Show Brings Aestheticism to Architects - PantherNOW - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- 125 Greenwich Street by Rafael Violy Architects catches fire in Manhattan while under construction - The Architect's Newspaper - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Barcelona Architects Association visit the Spotify Camp Nou works - FC Barcelona - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Disagree Better Architects, Not Arsonists - National Governors Association - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Construction Underway for Music Venue in Midtown Sacramento - San Francisco YIMBY - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- House of Reclaimed Gold / OutOfTheBox I Eco-Architects - ArchDaily - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Baracco+Wright Architects realizes a light-filled back building - The Architect's Newspaper - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- HMC Architects is one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2 - Fast Company - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- AE Works Announces Strategic Acquisition of WTW Architects, a Pillar in Pittsburgh's Architectural Legacy - StreetInsider.com - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- DINGWALL Streams ARCHITECTS' Bassist Ripping Through "Doomsday" - GearGods - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Exclusive: Connie Booth, One of the Chief Architects of PlayStation's First-Party Studio System, Is Joining EA - IGN - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Bookstore in the Blast Furnace / hyperSity architects - ArchDaily - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- The Dalmore Luminary Series 2024 Edition revealed - Wallpaper* - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- MAD Architects' Forthcoming Lishui Airport: a White-Feathered Bird Ready to Soar - Archilovers.com - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Neon surprises await in this Cologne home by DIIIP architects - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Count down to Architect'24, the ASEAN's largest building technology exposition - Nation Thailand - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- foster + partners designs 'the star,' a hollywood tower wrapped in spiraling gardens - Designboom - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Kasper architects + associates Inc. seeks DDRB approval for facade renovation of Downtown office | Jax Daily Record - Jacksonville Daily Record - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Fernando Lara looks beyond famed architects to uncover deeper themes throughout history | Penn Today - Penn Today - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Photographing the BEM - The shared learning building (BEM) at cole Polytechnique - World-Architects - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Among the Clouds Art Center / Yuan Architects - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- The Most Talented Landscape Architects in Arizona - Iconic Life - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Gallery of MVRDV, Orange Architects, and LOLA Unveil WrtZ Masterplan in the Netherlands - 2 - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- MVRDV, Orange Architects, and LOLA Unveil WrtZ Masterplan in the Netherlands - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Why Architects Should Watch "Perfect Days by Wim Wenders - Archilovers.com - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Croxatto and Opazo Architects front Chilean home with rotated terrace - Dezeen - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Exploring the Legacy of Modernist Landscape Architect Dan Kiley - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Rethinking Marketing? The Rise of Narrative Architects | by Meir Amarin | Jan, 2024 - Medium - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Check Out This Ultra-Luxe Half-Floor Residence At One Thousand Museum By Zaha Hadid Architects Asking $8.5 Million - PROFILE Miami - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- 16 Materials Every Architect Needs to Know (And Where to Learn About Them) - ArchDaily - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Holcim and Zaha Hadid Architects team up to print circular bridge - Global Construction Review - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- MSG withdraws its application to build a Sphere in London - The Architect's Newspaper - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Kooo Architects designs rural hotel to blend with village in China - Dezeen - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Deep-finned colonnade frames home extension by Will Gamble Architects - Dezeen - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Designer and Architect Neri Oxman Accused of Plagiarism - Hyperallergic - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- With 'Hand and Machine,' architects revert to analogue forms of expression - STIRworld - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Ontario landscape architects seek legislative update for profession - qpbriefing.com - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Paying Tribute to the Influential Architects We Have Lost in 2023 - ArchDaily - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Five international work opportunities for architects and designers - Dezeen - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Architects OMA reinvent the art museum in Buffalo - The Globe and Mail - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Architect Shigeru Ban of Japan visits Maui to offer sustainable housing option in wake of wildfire - Maui Now - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- James Gunn shares photo of some of the DCU architects - Batman-News - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- MAD architects' nanhai art center in china emerges from the lake like endless ripple of water - Designboom - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- MAD Architects imagines Nanhai Art Center like "a continuous wave of water" in Foshan city - World Architecture Community - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Preliminary Application for 1581 University Avenue in Central Berkeley - San Francisco YIMBY - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Kapoor named new CEO of DMR Architects - ROI-NJ.com - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Kadre and Lehrer Architects team up for a new transitional housing community in Los Angeles - Archinect - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- sa Hjort Architects completes blocky home on Sweden's southern coast - Dezeen - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings - Trend Hunter - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Architects recommend awnings for temperature control, design accents - Palm Beach Daily News - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Vote for US Building of the Year 2023 - - World-Architects - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Client Solution Architects Achieves ISO Recertification for IT, InfoSec, Quality Management Systems; Tim Spadafore ... - ExecutiveBiz - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- The Multiple Facets of the Architect: Exploring the Works of lvaro Siza Vieira - ArchDaily - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Meet the American Institute of Architects' First Black Woman President - The Story Exchange - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Civic Architects and VDNDP "embrace imperfections" for university retrofit - Dezeen - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Architect Coke Florance Remembered for Influencing Nation's Capital and Colleagues - CoStar Group - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Five international work opportunities for architects and designers - MSN - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]