Hanns and Rudolf

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Hanns and Rudolf Page 32

by Thomas Harding


  To my awesome daughter, Sam, who found Hanns and Ann’s letters in the storage unit and who kept me company while I tap, tap, tapped away.

  Finally, almost, I would like to thank my darling wife, Debora Harding, who has supported me throughout this project, despite the many journeys away from home, and whose feedback I most appreciate. I love you more.

  Most of all, I want to thank my son, whose pride in this story, and his dad, inspired me to complete this book, when all I wanted was to curl up under the covers and think of him. Thank you, Kadian.

  INDEX

  * * *

  1WCIT (No 1 War Crimes Investigation Team): established, 175–6

  interrogations, 176–82, 189–92, 307–8

  Gaggenau inquiry, 310

  Tilling takes over, 204

  hunt for Simon, 204–19, 313–15

  Nazi hunt intensifies, 228–34

  hunt for Glücks and RH, 234–45, 317–19

  HA leaves, 247

  Abrahams, Karl “Blitz,” 240, 298, 318–19

  Abrahams, Stephen, 319

  Al-Kut, Iraq, 12–13

  Alba, Irene (formerly Höss), 281–5, 281, 302–3

  Alexander, Dr. Alfred (HA’s father), 24, 44

  character, 21

  and HA’s birth, 17

  First World War service, 17, 23–4

  caught up in social unrest, 17–18, 19

  practices from home, 19

  social life, 20, 28, 47–8

  background and family, 20–1, 289

  sets up sanatorium, 24–6, 28

  Jewish identity, 26–8

  increasing affluence, 28, 44–5

  love of detective novels, 293

  at sons’ bar mitzvah, 49, 50

  decides to hang on in Germany despite moves against Jews, 72–6

  awarded Cross of Honor, 76

  visits first grandchild in London, 76

  altercation with Nazi official, 79–80

  becomes refugee in London, 80

  greets HA on his arrival in London, 84

  trip to Isle of Wight with HA, 86

  begins studies to requalify as doctor, 87

  treasures Iron Cross, 297

  stripped of German nationality, 92–3

  mild heart attack, 153

  rebuilds medical practice, 185–6

  health, 188

  death, 276, 280

  Alexander, Ann (née Graetz, HA’s wife), 225

  meets HA, 89–90

  drifts apart from HA, 91

  seeks engagement to HA, 152–3

  HA has photo in jacket pocket, 170

  wartime activities, 187

  HA still reluctant to commit to, 187–8

  HA writes to about Belsen Trial, 312

  chivvies HA about corresponding with her, 219–22

  HA proposes, 224–5

  grandmother’s fate, 316

  marries HA, 248

  birth of family, 276

  and HA’s death, 1–2, 279

  death, 325

  Alexander, Annette (HA’s daughter), 1–2, 276, 279

  Alexander, Bella (HA’s sister), see Sussmann, Bella

  Alexander, Elsie (HA’s sister), see Harding, Elsie

  Alexander, Hanns (HA): appearance, 88

  character, 2–3, 182–3, 308–9

  birth and childhood, 17–28, 44–50

  spends last year of First World War at front, 17

  caught up in social unrest after war, 17–19

  childhood home, 19–20, 20, 230

  childhood pranks, 22–3, 46, 289–90, 292

  Jewish identity, 26–8

  family weekend house, 45–6, 45

  learns to waterski, 45

  education, 46–7

  family social circle, 47–8

  smarts, 47

  cultural and sporting outings, 48

  love of film, 48

  love of fancy dress, 293

  bar mitzvah, 49–50, 50, 293–4

  family troubled by Nazi moves against Jews, 72–6

  forced to move school, 75

  drops out of school, 76

  job in bank, 76–7

  increasing discrimination against leads him into Jewish world, 77–8

  attends game forbidden to Jews, 79, 295

  leaves Germany, 81–4

  exit visa, 81, 295

  arrives in England, 84–6

  family reunited in London, 87

  settles in well in London, 88–9

  disposes of father’s German uniform, 297

  meets Ann, 89–90

  drifts apart from her, 91

  stripped of German nationality, 92–3

  enlists in Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, 93–4, 117–21

  brief spell in France before evacuation, 121–2, 301

  changes name to Howard Hervey Alexander, 122–3, 301

  service at home, 123–4

  officer training, 127

  service on Continent, 128–30, 152–4, 305

  chosen to be part of British war crimes investigation team, 154

  arrives in Brussels, 170–1

  visits Belsen, 171–4

  reunites mother and child, 174, 306

  helps with Belsen interrogations, 175–82

  becomes Nazi hunter, 183–6, 309

  still reluctant to commit to Ann, 187–8

  prepares witness affidavits for Belsen Trial, 188–92

  attends Belsen Trial, 192

  officially sanctioned as Nazi hunter, 193–5

  hunt for Simon, 204–19, 313–15

  proposes to Ann, 224–5

  returns to Nazi hunting, 229–34

  hunt for Glücks and RH, 234–9, 317–18

  arrests RH, 240–5, 318–19

  demobbed, 247

  becomes British citizen, 247

  marries Ann, 248

  later life, 276–9

  ongoing hatred of Germany, 278–9

  owns RH memoirs, 326

  death and funeral, 1–2, 279–80

  family tree, 328

  PHOTOS: as child, 18, 22, 44

  (1946), 225

  (1986), 278

  Alexander, Henny (HA’s mother), 44

  appearance, background and character, 21

  joins husband at front, 17

  return to Berlin, 19

  social life, 20, 28, 47–8

  indulgence with sons, 23, 46

  love of entertaining, 28

  hires more domestic staff, 44

  dressing her sons in fancy dress, 293

  at sons’ bar mitzvah, 50

  argues in favor of emigration, 75

  tries to persuade twins to stay at school, 76

  advises husband to stay in London, 80

  last family member left in Berlin, 83

  sells family clinic and leaves for London, 86

  gets furniture and possessions sent from Germany, 87, 297

  family meet-ups, 89–90

  stripped of German nationality, 92–3

  writes to HA and Paul about Cäcilie, 184–5

  struggles to rebuild life, 186

  husband’s death, 276

  death, 280

  Alexander, Jackie (HA’s daughter), 1–2, 276, 279

  Alexander, John (HA’s nephew), 301, 318

  Alexander, Moses, 27, 290

  Alexander, Paul (HA’s twin brother), 18, 22, 44

  appearance, 88

  birth, 17

  childhood pranks, 22–3, 46, 289–90, 292

  Jewish identity, 28

  education, 46–7

  social life, 47–8, 293

  cultural and sporting outings, 48

  bar mitzvah, 49–50, 50

  forced to move school, 75

  drops out of school, 76

  job as cabinet-maker, 77

  joins progressive Jewish youth group, 78

  attends game forbidden to Jews, 79

  goes to Basel, 80

  HA visits during fligh
t to England, 83, 84

  arrives in London, 87

  apprenticed to interior decorator, 88

  disposes of father’s German uniform, 297

  family meet-ups, 90

  stripped of German nationality, 92–3

  enlists in Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, 117–21

  brief spell in France before evacuation, 121–2, 301

  officer training, 127

  service on Continent, 128–30, 152, 305

  attitude to Ann’s desire to get engaged to HA, 153

  asks sister to help find him a wife, 305

  in charge of POW camp, 184, 225, 309–10

  celebrates HA’s capture of RH, 243–4

  socializes in Hamburg with HA, 246–7

  at HA’s wedding, 248

  later life, 276, 277, 324

  death, 279, 280

  Alexander Torah: origins, 27–8, 290

  Neue Synagogue refuses to accept loan, 90

  used at HA’s bar mitzvah, 49

  sent to England, 87

  loaned to Belsize Square Synagogue, 92, 277

  at HA’s wedding, 248

  HA mends, 325

  still in use, 287

  restoration, 327

  Alexandra Palace, 122, 123

  Allenby, Sir Edmund, 289

  Alsos mission, 304

  Amen, Colonel John, 257–9

  Amman, First Attack on (Battle of Jordan; 1918), 16, 289

  Amtsgruppe D: organization chart, 232

  RH becomes chief of D1, 159–62, 165

  Himmler orders destruction of archive, 196

  members flee, 197–9

  fate of members, 204

  hunt for members, 228–45, 317–19

  Anna (HA’s nanny), 21–2, 83

  anti-Semitism, see Jews

  Arromanches, 129

  Artamanen (Artam) League, 52–3, 55, 57

  atomic weapons, 304

  Auschwitz: RH builds, 97–101

  Höss family life there and villa, 101–5, 110, 139–42, 302

  inmates’ memories, 106–8

  Himmler inspects, 108–10

  euthanasia program, 110–11

  children at, 299–300, escape attempts, 111

  1942 expansion, 137–8

  management of prisoners, 138–9

  camp orchestra, 138–9

  corruption at, 156–9

  RH removed, 158–9

  evacuation to Belsen, 167–8

  war crimes interrogations, 174–82, 189–90, 307–8

  evidence re conditions given at Belsen Trial, 192–3

  death stats, 137, 192–3, 258–9, 268, 310–11, 322

  prisoners burned alive, 268

  RH’s testimony, 268–9

  RH executed at, 272–4

  author’s visit, 281–6, 281

  Auschwitz-Birkenau: plans to build, 109–10

  Final Solution at, 112–16, 131–7, 156–8

  Crematorium II, 115

  selection process, 134, 179–80

  camp orchestra, 139

  extermination of Hungarian Jews, 163–5, 164

  Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, 118, 121

  emblem, 119

  Backhouse, Colonel Thomas, 192

  Bad Oeynhausen, 203

  Baden-Baden, 5–6, 6

  Baer, Richard, 165, 165

  Bankworth, Major, 310

  Baranowski, Hermann, 69–70, 96

  Bayeux, 129–30

  Bednarskiej, Anieli, 298, 303

  Bell, Major P. I., 175

  Bellgardt, Otto, 90

  Belsen, 171, 173

  worsening conditions, 166

  Auschwitz prisoners evacuated to, 168

  ensuing conditions, 168–9

  RH visits, 168–9

  liberation, 152

  HA visits, 171–4

  war crimes interrogations, 174–82, 191–2, 307–8

  transformed into displaced persons’ facility, 222

  Belsen Trial, 191

  plans, 176

  preparations, 188–92

  proceedings and sentences, 192–3, 310–11

  Belsize Square Synagogue, 92, 277

  Berlin: HA’s childhood home, 19–20, 20, 230

  Neue Synagogue, 26, 27, 49, 90, 230

  unrest after First World War, 31

  Sportpalast, 48

  Potsdamerplatz, 51

  night life, 52

  Fasanenstrasse Synagogue, 90

  8 Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse, 112

  Allied bombing, 166

  last days, 169

  war damage, 230

  Berney-Ficklin, Major General Horatio Petrus Mackintosh, 192

  Biderman, Lee Abraham, 107

  Binder, Sybille, 292

  Bing, Cäcilie, 49, 87, 126–7, 126, 184–5, 231, 316

  Birkenau, see Auschwitz-Birkenau

  Bloom, Sidney, 107

  Bodson, Victor, 217, 217, 218, 219

  Bohnera, Karola, 303

  Bormann, Martin, 36

  background, 291

  Kadow murder, 37–8

  sentenced to one year, 38

  visits Dachau, 67

  protects RH after corruption investigation, 158

  ultimate fate, 249, 319

  tried in absentia at Nuremberg, 321

  son’s attitude, 324

  Brahms, Johannes, 5

  Brandenburg Prison, 38–43

  Brecht, Bertolt, 48

  Breitman, Richard, 300

  Bridgeman, Viscount, 304

  Britain: reception of German Jews, 91–2

  German invasion plans and Blitz, 112

  mass internment of refugees, 124–5

  attitude to Final Solution, 149

  war crimes strategy, 151–2, 304

  Brüning, Heinrich, 57

  Brussels, 170–1

  Bruz, France, 121

  Buchenwald, 155–6

  Burger (Nazi), 234

  Buna oil and rubber factory, 299

  Butler, Richard, 318

  Cabaret (film), 52

  Caesar, Joachim: wife, 102

  Camp Tomato, 245, 250–1, 256

  Cang, Joel, 322–3

  Caola, Major, 229, 231–4

  Chamberlain, Neville, 93

  Champion, Major S. E., 175

  Charell, Erik, 292

  Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, 219

  Churchill, Winston, 124, 149

  Cirencester, 123–4

  Clarke, Bernard, 240, 318

  Cologne, 172

  concentration camps: origins, 59

  administrative office coordinating German camps, 70

  Himmler’s corruption investigation, 155–9

  Concentration Camp Inspectorate and its work, 159–62, 165–7

  medical experiments, 160–1

  Himmler orders records destroyed, 196

  war crimes interrogations, 174–82, 189–92, 307–8

  Belsen Trial, 192–3

  hunt for Inspectorate officials, 231–45, 317–19

  Inspectorate organization chart, 232

  see also individual camps by name

  war criminals

  Congregation Habonim, 324

  Cross, Captain William Victor, 236, 240, 317, 318

  Cultural Association of German Jews, 74

  Cyprian, Tadeusz, 267–8

  Dachau, 59, 61–5, 62–3, 66–9, 155

  Dietrich, Marlene, 47

  Dostoevsky, Fyodor, 5

  Draper, Colonel Gerald, 203–4, 245, 324

  Dresden, 269

  Dreyfus, Edmund, 80

  Dubiel, Stanislaw, 303

  East Prussian Volunteer Corps, 290

  Ebert, Friedrich, 18, 31

  Eichengreen, Lucille, 224, 308–9, 315

  Eichmann, Adolf: visits Auschwitz, 104

  and Final Solution, 104, 113, 162–3, 256

  initial absence from list of war criminals, 151

  Morgen tries to initiate criminal proceedin
gs against, 306

  flight abroad, 227, 307

  RH writes character sketch, 263

  Eicke, Theodor, 64–5, 64, 70, 196

  Eimer, Alfred, 267, 270

  Einstein, Albert, 47, 292, 293

  Eisfeld, Walter, 96

  Eisner, Olga and Bruno, 292

  Enabling Act (1933), 72

  Excell, Major Sidney, 201

  Fauler, Frau, 232–3

  Final Solution, see Jews

  First World War (1914–18), 10–16

  armistice, 29

  Foley, Frank, 296

  Forsyth, Frederick, 317

  Fox, Captain Alfred James, 175, 176, 177–82, 192, 310

  Franck, James, 47, 292

  Frank, Hans, 104, 249, 260, 321, 323–4

  Frank, Leonhard, 292

  Frank, Mrs. (“Frankie”), 89

  Frank, Niklas, 323–4

  Frankfurt Trial, 276

  Freikorps: definition, 30–1

  RH’s time with, 30–4

  relationship with government, 38, 291

  Fritzsch, Karl, 114

  Gaggenau, 310

  Gebhardt, Professor, 235

  Genn, Lieutenant Colonel Leo: background and character, 306–7

  takes command of Belsen interrogations, 174–6

  refuses HA permission to hunt down war criminals, 183, 185

  and Gaggenau inquiry, 310

  decides preparations for Belsen Trial are complete, 192

  gives HA permission to hunt down war criminals, 193–4

  returns to England, 204, 313

  German Army: enlistment age, 11

  Dragoon uniforms, 11–12

  Germany: signs First World War armistice, 29

  social and political unrest after First World War, 17–19, 31

  Weimar Republic founded, 33–4

  hyperinflation, 25

  Kapp putsch, 291

  early days of Nazis, 35–6

  golden years of Weimar Republic, 41

  coalition after 1928 election, 42

  political unrest, 48–9

  Nazi rise to power, 56–7

  1930 elections, 57, 58

  Hitler appointed Chancellor, 59

  Nazi consolidation of power, 72

  British Field Security Sections, 236

  Gilbert, Gustave, 254–6, 260, 320

  Gluckman, Mrs. (Jewish émigré), 92

  Glücks, Aloise, 235–6

  Glücks, Richard, 96

  appearance and character, 96–7, 160

  ignores RH’s requests for extra men to build Auschwitz, 99

  visits Auschwitz, 104, 111

  criticizes RH for not delegating enough, 105

  authorizes Zyklon B shipment, 147

  initial absence from list of war criminals, 151

  RH to report to at Sachsenhausen, 159–60

  RH’s loathing for, 161

  fear of Himmler, 161–2

  RH persuades to put Kramer in charge of Belsen, 166

  puts RH in charge of escort party to Ravensbrück, 196

  flight, 198

  taken to hospital, 199

 

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