PDF Summary:The Escape Artist, by Jonathan Freedland

In The Escape Artist, Jonathan Freedland recounts Rudolf Vrba's extraordinary odyssey to escape the horrors of Auschwitz and reveal the brutal truth about the concentration camp's purpose. Defying death and despair, Vrba memorizes harrowing details of the Nazi's calculated campaign of genocide. His daring flight allows him to produce the "Auschwitz Report," sharing shocking revelations that provoke sporadic protests and pleas—but are also mired in denial and indifference by world leaders.

After the war, Vrba's unwavering commitment persists. He delivers courtroom testimony against Nazi war criminals and confronts those who deny the Holocaust. A champion of memory and justice, Vrba spends a lifetime navigating the traumas wrought by his unforgettable experiences.

(continued)...

They sought sanctuary within the general populace of Poland and Slovakia.

Fleeing occupied Poland was perilous and resulted in considerable hardship. The pair trekked through forests and countryside, still covered in snow even in April, living off the scraps of food they had stashed in the bunker and what little they could forage from fields. Their vigilance was unyielding, always wary of the threat of discovery not just by German patrols but also by the local Polish population, who, lured by Nazi rewards, could betray those in flight, making every act of kindness a potential risk. Fred and Walter found themselves seeking refuge in the modest home of a local villager to avoid being apprehended. Fred's proficiency in Polish and higher-quality garments from Canada enabled them to convincingly pose as prisoners from the Soviet Union to their captors. As he entered the unknown area, the inhabitants showed a comparable degree of wariness, albeit with less hostility. The pair reached Milówka, a town located near the Slovak frontier, where they met individuals ready to assist them in completing their journey, all due to the kindness of those who often provided them with nourishment along the way. Walter revealed his escape from Auschwitz after successfully evading capture for ten days.

The circulation of the Vrba-Wetzler Report had a considerable impact on subsequent events.

Rudi and Fred made a daring escape with the intention of exposing the true nature of Auschwitz globally. After achieving that impressive accomplishment, they faced the new challenge of making their voices heard. Enduring the horrors of Auschwitz required a level of resilience that was of a completely different scale. Securing backing from representatives who were expected to be allies, such as members of the Slovak Jewish council, posed a completely different challenge. Freedland depicts a grim truth where the disclosures from Vrba and Wetzler were not just ignored but actively suppressed, because the appalling realities they exposed were overwhelming for those who came to know of them.

The fundamental discoveries and their comprehensive arrangement

The story emerged in a hidden room at a home for aging Jewish people in Zilina, after a series of bold escapes. Based on the memories of two individuals who risked it all to gather intelligence they believed was crucial in stopping the unyielding carnage. It would also be supplemented by the testimony of two would-be escapees – one of whom had seen the arrivals of transports from Hungary – who were captured, beaten, and tortured before they too somehow made it to freedom.

The Slovak Jewish Council meticulously documented individual accounts with remarkable precision.

Upon their arrival in Slovakia, Rudi and Fred concentrated on initiating contact with the remnants of the Jewish community. They sought the expertise of Dr. Pollack, a renowned physician, and were subsequently connected with Oskar Krasnansky, a key member of the ÚZ, whose background in chemical engineering enabled him to grasp the significance of the data they presented. He thoroughly examined the details of their stories, seeking inconsistencies by interviewing them individually. Upon meticulous scrutiny, he found that the timelines matched perfectly, including the concurrence of specific dates. Krasnansky guaranteed the individuals who had escaped that his account would concentrate exclusively on documenting factual historical occurrences, without incorporating any speculative components. He argued that the report's trustworthiness would depend solely on an accurate chronicle of past occurrences, steering clear of any forecasts or cautions.

The story describes the process of choosing victims and the vast scale of the extermination campaign, which included the employment of facilities for gassing and incineration.

Krasnansky's detailed approach reflected the same level of complexity and precision that was apparent in the thorough preparations Fred and Rudi made for their getaway. He meticulously documented their verbal accounts and synthesized this data into a detailed chronicle known as the Auschwitz Report. The book's narrative was crafted in a straightforward style, reflecting the protagonist's usual method of recounting occurrences, even those that were most unforeseen. The narrative sought to provide a comprehensive account, detailing the chronology of the camp, the methods of extermination, the different sections of Birkenau, and the importance of compelled labor. The book also pinpointed Rudolf Höss as the individual who oversaw Auschwitz.

The report revealed the imminent threat to Hungary's Jewish community and tallied the fatalities by country.

The report was distinguished by its comprehensive nature and the incorporation of extensive statistical data. Rudi diligently noted the count of newcomers at Auschwitz, pinpointing the handful chosen from every group for forced labor, and deducted that number from the total of new inmates. Using his mathematical skills and adopting a cautious approach grounded in the crematoria's highest operational limit, he inferred a figure he believed to be extremely precise, representing the minimum number of fatalities at Auschwitz starting in 1942: around 1,765,000. He also provided an in-depth description, using the camp's classification method for inmates, of the prisoners' origins: 600,000 Poles moved by train, 100,000 Dutch, 45,000 Greeks, and 30,000 individuals of Jewish descent from Slovakia, among many others.

The Allied forces and the international community successfully obtained the communication.

It was unclear how Rudi's account of his escape from Auschwitz, shared in the confines of a basement room, would ever make its way to the attention of world leaders such as a prime minister or president. They succeeded in infiltrating the heart of the opposing forces, occasionally extending their reach even deeper.

Associates situated across Geneva, Istanbul, and London took action to inform governments and global entities.

Krasnansky knew the dangers of relying on a sole messenger to handle a document as sensitive as the Auschwitz report. Informants and espionage agents were omnipresent. He chose to take voluntary redundancy and disseminated multiple versions of the document through a range of channels, aiming to guarantee that at least one copy would be delivered to its intended destination. Couriers would clandestinely carry certain copies, and diplomats were relied upon to safeguard their passage across international borders, vigilantly preventing any capture by the Nazi regime. The selected sites consistently offered the greatest probability of establishing contact with Allied forces. It was of paramount importance that the report was delivered to individuals possessing the authority to implement its recommendations.

He faced opposition and criticism from the leaders of the Hungarian Jewish community when he sought their involvement.

In April of 1944, Kasztner found himself profoundly impacted by a report he obtained. He opted to keep the truth hidden from the broader Jewish population. This pivotal decision was partly shaped by attempts to initiate dialogue with Adolf Eichmann, the SS commander who played a central role in the methodical extermination of Hungary's Jewish community. Kasztner, along with the leaders of the Jewish Council, maintained a hopeful outlook that through negotiations, they could strike a deal with the Nazis to rescue a portion of the Jewish population, their hope being reinforced by a misleading cessation of deportations in Slovakia, a result of discussions that included bribery two years earlier. Additional factors were in play. Certain individuals chose not to spread the information in order to maintain stability and prevent widespread panic. Some individuals struggled to acknowledge the clearly evident truth.

The event sparked considerable public indignation, leading to church services and protests that were prominently featured in Swiss media reports.

Upon its arrival in Switzerland, George Mantello was instrumental in spreading the report, acting informally on behalf of El Salvador. The Swiss press released a series of articles exposing the horrors of Auschwitz after obtaining a summarized translation. Public protests and distinctive spiritual assemblies were ignited in response to Rudi's disclosure about the existence of the concentration camp. Freedland depicts Switzerland as the unique country that managed to break through the wartime information blockade to use the term "Auschwitz."

The details were relayed to Roosevelt, as well as to the head of the UK government and the Vatican, by go-betweens operating in Switzerland and by journalists.

Walter Garrett did more than simply send the report to Swiss media outlets. He also dispatched the information to key leaders of the Allies, including President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, in the hope that these influential individuals would act upon it. The communication was also emphasized using other techniques. Garrett convinced the chief of the Swiss station of America's leading intelligence agency to take action, as the document was concurrently disseminated among British diplomats and representatives of the Vatican.

Public reaction to the report was highly diverse.

The Vrba-Wetzler document, created under dangerous conditions and with considerable personal jeopardy, required immediate and substantial consideration. The book provided a detailed account of the Nazis' systematic efforts to exterminate and raised a warning regarding the urgent danger to Hungary's substantial Jewish community, which constituted the final one of its kind on the European continent. The response from the global community was noticeably muted. People in positions of power exercised caution in their actions, influenced by a combination of fear, indifference, or strategic considerations, without consideration of their Jewish heritage.

Denial and Suppression

Rudi correctly understood that many in Europe had not yet fully comprehended the magnitude or the complete consequences of the atrocities carried out at Auschwitz, which were part of the Nazi's systematic plan to eradicate the Jewish population. He was caught off guard by the steadfast indifference of the individuals who were already aware. Despite its ambitious objectives, the account provided by Vrba and Wetzler met with only modest achievements. Simply knowing about a crime doesn't always mean one has the resolve to intervene and prevent it.

Kasztner's collaboration with the Nazis, driven by personal gain, along with the Hungarian Jewish leadership's lack of action,

Upon discovering the horrors of Auschwitz through a report and a direct conversation with Adolf Eichmann, Kasztner decided to withhold this information, apparently aiming to bargain with Nazi officials to rescue some Jews, even though he was aware that saving all was unfeasible. He negotiated a deal that safeguarded certain Jews, while sadly, the ones not selected encountered jeopardized well-being. The 1,684 passengers on Kaszner's train ultimately reached their destination unharmed in the Swiss territory. The imprecise comprehension of what 'Auschwitz' and 'deportation' entailed might have hindered the relocation of numerous Hungarian Jews to that camp.

The Allies' reaction to the horrors was influenced by skepticism, biases directed towards Jews, and strategic considerations.

Upon receiving the report, the commanders of the Allied forces chose to react in a way that was least disruptive. Churchill and Eden, despite the compelling appeals from Chaim Weizmann and Moshe Shertok, who sought to govern the yet-to-be-established state of Israel, did not order the Royal Air Force to attack the Auschwitz extermination camp or its associated transport routes that brought prisoners to the camp. Their American counterparts displayed even less zeal. For a considerable period after the hostilities, proponents of the coalition forces maintained that their inaction was exclusively because they were not informed, claiming that they would have taken measures had they known the true situation. Freedland reveals the inaccuracy of this presumption. Before the Vrba-Wetzler Report came to light, London and Washington had already received details about Auschwitz, but often this information was downplayed, seen as exaggerated, or ignored amidst the numerous other issues of the wartime period.

Pope Pius XII's lukewarm response exemplified the church's reluctance to act.

The Pope's message to Horthy was filled solely with expressions of humanitarian concern regarding the gathering at the monastery. The specific group targeted for extermination, notably the Jewish people, went unmentioned. The message avoided specifying the exact fates of individuals transported to Auschwitz, but rather issued a broad call for the cessation of agony and hardship. That this cautious, almost cryptic message was released after a meeting in which a papal envoy had been stunned into a faint by the description of hundreds of dead Catholic priests underlined the Vatican’s reluctance to confront a moral issue on which, in the years to come, it would have much to answer.

Helena consistently employs denial to cope with her difficulties, a theme that persists throughout the narrative.

While employed as a secretary in Budapest, Georg Klein encountered a disturbing event that brought to light the details described in the report by Vrba and Wetzler. Klein, unsettled by what he had witnessed, quickly alerted his family and friends, who greeted his cautions with doubt. The people who heard Klein's description of the Auschwitz report were just as incredulous as the prisoners from the Czech family camp. Individuals found it challenging to embrace the understanding presented by their senses and reasoning. Rudi was acquainted with a person by the name of Czeslaw Mordowicz, who had ties to Auschwitz. After aiding in their escape, he was captured and transported to Auschwitz, where he made efforts to alert his fellow prisoners, urging them to resist or escape. They rejected his assertions as being overly far-fetched to believe and eventually coerced him into withdrawing his claims.

Efforts were made to halt the deportations.

The Vrba-Wetzler document indeed had a profound effect. Freedland meticulously observes that, although it surfaced belatedly, the document acted as an impetus that spurred specific individuals in positions of power to undertake substantial measures. The breadth of that action was admittedly limited. A handful of individuals, cognizant of the catastrophic outcomes linked to Auschwitz, were instrumental in saving around 200,000 people from the deadly extermination mechanism established in occupied Poland.

The collective focused on heightening awareness and offering assistance to the Jewish community in Hungary.

The situation escalated when Mordowicz and Rosin joined the ranks of those who had managed to escape following the documentation of the report. They had directly observed the intensifying forced removal of Hungarian Jews. The complex, now operating at peak efficiency thanks to the recently constructed incline and the extra railway track Rudi had earlier observed, served as a relentless location for extermination. The group referred to as the Working Group concentrated on heightening awareness, offering assistance, and fortifying the at-risk Jewish community in Hungary.

The account of Auschwitz was pivotal in sparking protests and drawing the attention of Swiss news organizations.

Mantello and Garrett were instrumental in bringing the term "Auschwitz" to the attention of the wider public. Church leaders held commemorative services to pay tribute to the victims of the Nazi regime, while newspapers gave front-page coverage to the harrowing truths of the concentration camps. Thousands of people filled the streets of Switzerland, displaying placards that demanded an end to the violence. Rudolf Vrba participated in subversive activities within the Slovakian highlands, considering it a preliminary phase.

The Auschwitz Report's revelations prompted numerous religious and political leaders to urgently petition Horthy.

More than a month had passed since Rudi and Fred had delivered their testimony to Kasztner, but he had not used it to issue a public statement or alert Hungary's Jews to their imminent fate. He kept the Auschwitz Report to himself. His reasons were complex and would have been hard for Rudi to comprehend at the time, but they included the belief that Kasztner was negotiating with Eichmann in good faith, that he could somehow secure the lives of some Jews if not all by promising their good behaviour. The leader of Hungary felt the need to act when the Swedish monarch and the American Secretary of State intensified their appeals and personal communications.

Efforts to stop deportations in Budapest saw some success, but this was not the case in other parts of Hungary.

Horthy consented to cease the mandatory relocations originating from Budapest. He focused his efforts exclusively on the main city, timing his involvement to coincide with the expected downfall of the German forces. People continued to be uprooted from small towns and the countryside, all converging on the same grim endpoint: the Auschwitz concentration camp. The decision was driven by political convenience rather than empathy, and it failed to prevent the many individuals who, throughout the summer months, unknowingly embarked on train journeys that would lead to their demise.

Rudolf Vrba's subsequent years and enduring impact

Upon departing from Auschwitz, Rudi embarked on a life marked by remarkable bravery and significant achievements. Freedland portrays Vrba's steadfast dedication to pursuing justice, taking legal measures against war crimes, and challenging those who deny the Holocaust. He also portrays the struggle within himself as he contends with the lasting effects and consequences that arise from his past experiences. Rudi, the protagonist of the book, continually found ways to elude the clutches of death and despair, choosing instead to seize and relish life.

A Life Marked by Loss and Resiliency

His early years were defined by his bravery, yet those in positions of power subsequently showed a disregard for his bold revelations. He chose to concentrate on the positive aspects of his situation instead of confronting his challenges.

Struggles with survivor's guilt, paranoia, failed relationships, and political disillusionment ensue following the turmoil of the conflict.

Rudi's post-war years were marked by distress and hardship, despite his extraordinary courage playing a crucial role in his liberation from Auschwitz and safeguarding numerous other lives. He struggled with a feeling of guilt for surviving, haunted by the recollections of those who did not make it and by his consciousness of his own constraints, all that was irretrievable even though he himself had escaped. He moved to Canada, carrying the weight of his past experiences. He longed for a fresh beginning yet found himself perpetually bound by the past. His initial union ultimately collapsed due to the strain jealousy and paranoia placed on his close relationships. His growing disenchantment with the political sphere intensified when the hopeful prospects he had imagined, supported by his leftist comrades, fell apart due to the oppressive measures of the Stalinist regime targeting Jews, which solidified his opposition to communism.

He found a new purpose by engaging in scientific research and committed himself to safeguarding the remembrance of the Holocaust.

During times of distress and upheaval, Rudi sought solace in his deep engagement with scientific endeavors. His fascination with the cell, with the micro-processes of how life itself was maintained, consumed him. No matter how much he concentrated on his research, his past inevitably caught up with him. He spent many years examining how brain cells react metabolically under stress. He initiated his scientific inquiries in Prague before relocating to London, where his research at times unsettlingly reflected his past traumas in Auschwitz. Rudi's investigation required him to end the lives of the mice in his care, using a technique that evoked memories of the SS, but he opted for liquid nitrogen rather than crematoria. He continued his unwavering pursuit to hold those accountable for crimes against humanity, extending his efforts beyond the confines of the laboratory. He delivered detailed evidence during trials of war crimes in Germany, using his exceptional recollection to describe occurrences at Auschwitz that the judiciary could not have comprehended without his help.

Battling intense sorrow and self-blame after the loss of his daughter

Rudi was engulfed by a deep and intense sorrow following the passing of his daughter, Helena. His grief over her death at the tender age of thirty in 1982 was profound, and it was a state of mourning he would never fully escape. He and his family, along with certain individuals in Papua New Guinea, felt a deep sense of accountability for failing to fulfill their duties, which he thought contributed to the tragic loss of his daughter. His quest for solace remained unsuccessful, even after reconnecting with his former spouse, Gerta. He found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that Helena, whose maternal grandparents endured the atrocities of Hitler's rule, would take her own life years later, viewing it as a further victim of the Nazi's murderous crusade that continued to claim lives through the ages.

During his last years, Robin found peace and happiness.

Rudi ultimately discovered personal contentment with his second wife Robin, who shared his involvement in scientific research. After tying the knot in 1975, they established their home and began their life together in Vancouver. He found satisfaction in enhancing her career by taking charge of their home life, which marked a departure from the traditional roles he once embraced. Robin harbored a curiosity for the topic that her husband deemed uninteresting. The number 44070, originating from Auschwitz, had evolved into a personal joke, a term of affection they both cherished. Upon witnessing her spouse's appearance in the significant film, Shoah, Robin was profoundly moved by the enormity of his achievement; it was uncommon for someone who had endured what Rudi had to live on and recount their experiences.

The struggle for recognition and the attainment of justice

Rudi escaped from Auschwitz aiming to warn humanity, but his pressing caution was initially mostly ignored. He appeared to have escaped one type of imprisonment, yet he became ensnared once again by doubt and indifference. As time passed, new opportunities arose, leading to a change in perceptions. As Rudi grew older, he often recounted his life's narrative to various groups and perhaps began to witness the initial phases of justice emerging through historical acknowledgment.

He initiated a lawsuit against IG Farben and provided evidence during trials concerning atrocities during the war in Germany.

Rudi consistently stood firm in his dedication to confronting Holocaust deniers. Working alongside the renowned Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in Vienna, he tracked down ex-Nazi officers who had fled Europe and, like Rudi, had found refuge in Canada. His fixation was particularly intense on the heads of the Hlinka regime in Slovakia, who had zealously coordinated the transportation that led him to Auschwitz. He harbored deep resentment toward the accomplices who had settled carefreely across the ocean in their new homes, seemingly unconcerned with the years of bloodshed they had provoked. His endeavors brought him a significant level of success. In 1963, he began legal proceedings on his own against Otto Graf, an SS officer associated with Kanada's management, accusing him of the murder of several Jewish people while Rudi was detained at the camp. In 1971, Graf was apprehended by the authorities in Vienna; however, he faced charges only for an offense that was still prosecutable under the stringent statute of limitations of the Austrian legal system. Rudi provided essential evidence in 1973 that led to Graf's conviction; however, he did not suffer any consequences because, according to the court's ruling, the statute of limitations for prosecution had lapsed.

In Canada, his personal testimony stood as a firm rebuttal to those who refute the Holocaust, offering proof to counter Zündel's claims.

After moving to Vancouver, Rudi was deeply troubled by the rise of a new form of fascism in Europe and North America, one that sought not to imitate the horrors committed by Hitler but to completely reject that they ever happened.

Practical Tips

• You can deepen your understanding of historical events by creating a personal reflection journal where you write about how the struggles and resilience shown in these narratives relate to challenges in your own life. For example, after learning about the hardships faced by individuals during historical events, reflect on a time you faced adversity and how you overcame it, drawing parallels to the perseverance and resourcefulness demonstrated in the past.
• Enhance empathy and awareness by volunteering with organizations that support marginalized communities, as this can provide a firsthand perspective on the impact of discrimination and displacement. By working with refugees or those who have experienced homelessness, you gain a deeper appreciation for the human stories behind historical and current events, fostering a personal connection to the broader themes of resilience and survival.
• Foster historical preservation by starting a digital storytelling project where you collect and share local survivor stories, ensuring that personal accounts of struggle and triumph are not forgotten. This could involve interviewing community elders or collaborating with local history groups to create a multimedia archive that highlights the importance of remembering and learning from the past.