Hunting Eichmann (49 page)

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 Born in an industrial: Cesarani, pp. 1–156.
In this biographical summary of Adolf Eichmann before Hungary, I have drawn heavily on the thorough and balanced biography by David Cesarani,
Becoming Eichmann.
Much of the Eichmann historiography paints him as either a deluded madman who was bent on the destruction of the Jews from cradle to grave or, thanks to Hannah Arendt, a sober, passionless desk clerk. Cesarani revealed a more realistic portrait. I also referenced the following sources in completing this summary: "Eichmann Memoirs"; BArch, Sassen Transcripts, 6/110;
The Trial of Adolf Eichmann;
Lawson; Reynolds; Von Lang,
Eichmann Interrogated;
Bukey; Wighton,
Eichmann;
Clarke; Yahil; Mulisch; Arendt; Mendelsohn and Detweiler, vol. 8, pp. 71–93. Any quotes have separate notes.
In Linz: Goldenhagen, pp. 28–29.

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 "the most dangerous enemy": Cesarani, p. 51.
"They are in my hands":
The Trial of Adolf Eichmann,
p. 1589.
"requisite hardness": Von Lang,
Eichmann Interrogated,
p. 157.

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 "The Führer has ordered": Ibid., p. 81.
Eichmann was sent: Ibid., pp. 74–77.
"political solution": Cesarani, p. 115; Hausner, p. 11.
On January 20, 1942: Roseman, pp. 93–157.

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 "the Popes":
The Trial of Adolf Eichmann,
p. 1423.
"They were stealing": "Eichmann Memoirs," p. 14.
He was keen: Ibid., pp. 202–3; Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
Aschenauer, p. 426.

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 While in the mountains: Cesarani, p. 202.
"Otto Eckmann": Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
Aschenauer, p. 426.

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 Wrecked tanks and cars: Spender, pp. 21–33, 77, 217; Ziemke, p. 242; Botting, pp. 94–115.
"It is your own business": Adolf Eichmann, YVS, M.9, File 584a, Interrogation of Rudolf Scheide by Curt L. Ponger.
In late June: Aschenauer, p. 426; Eichmann,
Meine Flucht.
A sea of soldiers: Bischof and Ambrose, pp. 219–37; Pearlman, p. 29.

CHAPTER 4

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 "Have you heard": Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
p. 100.
Only four weeks before: Ibid., pp. 10–14; Pick, pp. 31–98.

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 "SS Major-General Katzmann": Pick, p. 86.
In late July: Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
p. 100.
According to Wiesenthal, he met with Asher Ben-Natan (Arthur Pier), the head of the Haganah and Brichah in Austria in July. However, since Ben-Natan did not arrive in Austria until November—note Pearlman, p. 15—it is impossible that Wiesenthal met with him at this time. Nonetheless, it is clear that Wiesenthal had this information, so I have assumed that he met with one of Ben-Natan's compatriots, Ehud Avriel or Gideon Raphael.
Raphael handed Wiesenthal: Pearlman, p. 14.

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 The name Eichmann: Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
p. 100.
Unbeknownst to Wiesenthal: NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, "Summary of Interrogation Reports from Counter Intelligence War Room, London," November 19, 1945. Specifically, the Allies had already interrogated SD agent Werner Goettsch and Wilhelm Höttl, both of whom knew Eichmann intimately, at this point in July.
"Eichmann!": Wiesenthal,
Justice Not Vengeance,
p. 67.
He could not bear: Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
p. 25.
On July 28: NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, "Summary of Interrogation Reports from Counter Intelligence War Room, London," November 19, 1945; Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
p. 101.

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 Standing in a line: Eichmann, "Meine Gotzen—September 6, 1961," p. 541; Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
Aschenauer, p. 426.
Contrary to the very: NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, "Interrogation of Dieter Wisliceny," December 2, 1946.
In October: Pearlman, p. 30; Wighton,
Eichmann,
p. 227–28; Aschenauer, pp. 426–27.

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 He returned to Ober-Dachstetten: Aschenauer, pp. 426–27.
Two hours before dawn: Conot, pp. 100–105; Maser, p. 187.

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 After a brief introduction:
Trial of German Major War Criminals,
vol. 2, pp. 15–95.

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 "I suppose we'll": Conot, p. 105.
"I declare myself":
Trial of German Major War Criminals,
vol. 2, pp. 96–97; Taylor, p. 166.
"The privilege of opening":
Trial of German Major War Criminals,
vol. 2, pp. 97–98.

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 "Together with":
Trial of German Major War Criminals,
vol. 3, pp. 501–2.
"Yes, Eichmann handed me":
Trial of German Major War Criminals,
vol. 4, pp. 354–73.

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 The CIC had interviewed: Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
p. 102.
By early September: NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, SHAEF Headquarters, Military Intelligence, Adolf Eichmann, September 25, 1945; NA, RG 263, Adolf Eichmann Name File (CIA), The German SD and the Persecution of Jews 1933–44, August 27, 1945; NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, CIC Report on Adolf Eichmann, October 21, 1945.
"urgently wanted at": NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, SHAEF Headquarters, Military Intelligence, Adolf Eichmann, September 25, 1945. "of the highest importance": NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, "Summary of Interrogation Reports from Counter Intelligence War Room, London," November 19, 1945.

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 Yet at the start: U.S. Department of Justice, report, p. 41; Botting, pp. 202–6; Bower, pp. 113–24. For a more detailed analysis of the problems of the investigation of war criminals, see Tom Bower's
Blind Eye to Murder,
which provides an impressive, damning survey. As I note as well, individual investigators were eager to do their jobs, but political leaders lacked the commitment to pursue war criminals beyond the top echelon tried at Nuremberg.
They had been photographed: Overy, p. 32; Bischof and Ambrose, p. 218.
A few days after: NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, CIC Report on Adolf Eichmann, January 10, 1946.
"a desperate type": NA, RG 263, Adolf Eichmann Name File (CIA), "SS Obersturmbannführer Adolf Eichmann," 1946.
At the Ober-Dachstetten camp: BArch, Sassen Transcripts, 6/96, pp. 57–58; Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
Pearlman, pp. 31–33; NA, RG 65, Adolf Eichmann File (IWG FBI), "The Chase That Doomed Eichmann," article by Zwy Aldouby, no source.

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"I have known": Aschenauer, p. 428.
They agreed to hold: BArch, Sassen Transcripts, 6/96, pp. 57–58; Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
Pearlman, pp. 31–33; NA, RG 65, Adolf Eichmann File (IWG FBI), "The Chase That Doomed Eichmann."

CHAPTER 5

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 It was late May: Friedman,
The Hunter,
p. 117.
Near the end: Ibid., pp. 10–98.

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 He joined the Polish: Ibid., pp. 104–55.
"And we're anxious": Ibid., pp. 117–21.

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 Pier explained that: Ibid.; Pearlman, pp. 12–13; Diamant, Manuscript,; Bar-Zohar,
The Avengers,
p. 71.
"This is not": Friedman,
The Hunter,
pp. 117–24; Bar-Zohar,
The Avengers,
p. 76.

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 Five Jewish avengers: OHD, (130)4, Interview with Asher Ben-Natan; Bar-Zohar,
The Avengers,
pp. 59–62; Reynolds, pp. 27–32; ISA, 3017/8-a, Report of Dr. Nagel, n.d.

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 "We are Jews": Bar-Zohar,
The Avengers,
p. 61.
"I swear to you": Reynolds, p. 30.

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 Adolf Eichmann was still: R. Tramer, M. Eggers, and U. Schulze interviews,
IMAE;
O. Lindhorst interview,
IMAE;
Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
BArch, Sassen Transcripts, 6/96.
After escaping: NA, RG 65, Adolf Eichmann File (IWG FBI), "A Woman Recalls a Friend Called Eichmann," article by Fern Eckman, no source; Pearlman, pp. 32–33.

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 At the end: R. Tramer, M. Eggers, and U. Schulze interviews,
IMAE;
Eichmann,
Meine Flucht.
"Are you trying": Ben-Natan, pp. 72–74; Friedman,
The Hunter,
pp. 166–69; Diamant, Manuscript. As with much of the history of the capture of Adolf Eichmann, there are competing versions as to who exactly accomplished what. This is particularly true concerning the early postwar stage, when Friedman, Pier, Simon Wiesenthal, Manus Diamant, and others were operating together. In the case of this conversation with Weisl, Diamant and Friedman both claimed to have attended the interrogation. I studied a number of different accounts and found that Friedman's description of the episode was more convincing and was backed up by Arthur Pier (Asher Ben-Natan).

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Friedman and Pier returned: NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, "Interrogation of Dieter Wisliceny," December 2, 1946; Pearlman, pp. 16–18; Diamant, Manuscript. Handsome and suave: Diamant, Manuscript; Ben-Natan, pp. 72–74.

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 "Thank you": Diamant, Manuscript; Briggs, p. 164.

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 Hundreds of copies: NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, CIC Report on Adolf Eichmann, June 7, 1947.

CHAPTER 6

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 Eichmann wanted to: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht.
The capture and confession: Hoess, p. 174.
One day Eichmann read: BArch, Sassen Transcripts, 6/96; Aschenauer, pp. 429–30; Aharoni and Dietl, p. 47.

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 He began to: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht.
In December 1947: Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
pp. 109–10.
This was a story: NA, RG 263, Adolf Eichmann Name File (CIA), SS Obersturmbannführer SS Adolf Eichmann, Report from Berlin, June 17, 1946.
He had also read: Adolf Eichmann, YVS, M.9, File 584a, Interrogation of Rudolf Scheide by Curt L. Ponger; NA, RG 319, IRR, Adolf Eichmann, CIC Report from Gerald Steiner, December 3, 1946.
If Vera Eichmann succeeded: Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
pp. 109–10.

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 Manus Diamant had told: Diamant,
Geheimauftrag
pp. 228–29.

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 That December: Friedman,
The Hunter,
pp. 176–85.
Follow-up trials: George Ginsburg,
The Nuremberg Trial and International Law
(Amsterdam: Martinus Nijhoff, 1990), p. 267.
There was a scattering: Conot, pp. 516–19; Ashman and Wagman, p. 17.

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 One gloomy wintry: Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
pp. 78–81.
"If you don't hear": "Eichmann in Germany."
The morning of his departure: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
Aschenauer, p. 429.

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 Eichmann's identification card: Goñi, p. 298.
Before leaving: O. Lindhorst interview,
IMAE.
Then Eichmann picked up: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
Aharoni and Dietl, p. 147.
The town was swarming: Aarons and Loftus, p. 40.

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 In February 1945: Meding, p. 50.
"It was a mere": Newton, p. xv; Meding, p. 50.
Peron came from: Goñi, pp. 1–3, 16–17; Rathkolb, p. 192.
After Germany's defeat: Rathkolb, pp. 205–20.

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 "outrage that history": Meding, p. 158.
"lodge like a cyst": Ibid., p. 40; Rein, p. 55.
Led by the head: Meding, pp. 46–54; Goñi, pp. 101–15.
No author can discuss the movement of war criminals to Argentina without referencing Uki Goñi's
The Real Odessa
and Holger Meding's
Flücht vor Nürnberg?
In particular when it comes to Adolf Eichmann, Goñi provides incredible insight into the machinations by which he entered Argentina.
The network would never: Meding, pp. 76–83; Rathkolb, pp. 247–49; Klee, pp. 31–34; Lewy, p. xxiv; Goñi, pp. 229–31; Aarons and Loftus, pp. 30–31.

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 According to a confidential: NA, RG 59, 800.0128/5–1547, "La Vista Report"; Simpson, pp. 185–87; Breitman, pp. 350–420.
However, none of: Goñi, pp. 117, 231–35; Meding, pp. 67–88.

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 Traveling as Ricardo: Eichmann Immigration Card, Direccion Nacional de Migraciones (DNM), Buenos Aires;
Giovanna C
Passenger List, July 1950, DNM; Goñi, pp. 292–317; Eichmann,
Meine Flucht.
During his time: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht.

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 Accompanying him: "Interview with Klaus Eichmann"; Goñi, pp. 299–300.
As the ship steamed: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht.
The month-long journey: Angolina Bascelli, AI.
Eight times the size: Gunther, pp. 170–71; Prendle, pp. 1, 7; Scobie, p. 3.
"the distances": Gunther, p. 171.

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 "Listen": Eichmann,
Meine Flucht.
Name?
Ricardo Klement:
Giovanna C
Passenger List, July 1950, DNM.

CHAPTER 7

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 Carlos Fuldner: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
AGN, Martin Bormann File; AGN, Josef Mengele File.
Buenos Aires was awash: Goñi, p. 166.
Eichmann found that: Newton, pp. 65–69; Rein, p. 171.
The defeat of: Research Notes,
HAE.
"Among all the capitals": Freiwald, p. 169.

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 Like Paris or Rome: "Buenos Aires: Argentina's Melting Pot,"
National Geographic,
November 1967; Posner and Ware, pp. 96–97; Scobie, pp. 166–67; Prendle, pp. 168–70.
Eichmann had 485 pesos: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
AGN, Martin Bormann File; AGN, Josef Mengele File; Eichmann, "Meine Gotzen—September 6, 1961," pp. 452–53; Camarasa, pp. 152–53.

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 On June 30: H. Luehr interview,
IMAE; Clarin,
February 12, 1992; Scobie, p. 17; Meding, p. 217.
"German Company": Camarasa, pp. 152–57; Meding, pp. 215–16.
"gone through difficult": H. Luehr interview,
IMAE.

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 "the uncle of": Aharoni and Dietl, p. 67.
So on the day: Eichmann,
Meine Flucht;
"Interview with Klaus Eichmann"; Lawson.
Flags were flown: Fraser and Navarro, pp. 163–65.
Two days after: "Interview with Klaus Eichmann"; Lawson; Lauryssens, p. 39.

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 "Veronika": Lawson.
As soon as the railways: "Interview with Klaus Eichmann"; Lauryssens, p. 39; Aharoni,
On Life and Death,
p. 118.
"Mrs. Eichmann and her sons": Wiesenthal,
The Murderers Among Us,
pp. 122–23; Israel State Archives, File 3017/8–9, Austrian Police Reports, 1950–54.