THE true story of a German couple who sheltered a Jewish man during World War II — and at war’s end convinced him the Nazis had won — is the subject of a play which premieres in Sydney this week.
In about 2003, Australian playwright Timothy Daly stumbled on a reference to the story in a German book. Its “demonic audacity” captured his imagination.
The couple had hidden the Jew during the Holocaust, during which time they realised he had certain skills and they could profit by exploiting them.
At war’s end, the couple told the Jew he would have to stay hidden because Hitler had triumphed and he would be in danger if he were at large. This way they kept the man working while they used him to make a living for themselves.
Despite travelling to Munich to track down clues, Daly never discovered the Jewish man’s identity. He did discover that the couple went to trial, although he did not find the transcript and doesn’t know whether they were jailed.
Would the Jewish man have been the only one to have such an experience?
Read the article by Elizabeth Fortescue, Arts Editor in The Daily Telegraph.