Months after its opening to commercial air traffic, an Air France plane landed at Tegel Airport in the western part of Berlin in the spring of 1960, carrying a Polish young man who had just completed his 27th year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the long border between the two countries, its only problem is that the other side of the Oder\u2013Neisse borderline between Poland and Germany is under the control of East Germany, so the plane option is better than traveling by land between two conflicting parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for Helmut, his problem is that he is in the western part of it. That was how Robert ” the grandfather” at least wished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is no other, the wonder of the German countryside, you have to go first to Berlin, then the train to Bavaria, and from there ask about Schongau, a small town in the region of Weilheim, you will not lose your way to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was told by some German Jews who survived the brutality of the Nazis, during his search for Schongau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A young Polish man working in the tourism sector would like to invest in his own restaurant. This is the cover that will give him freedom of movement, and stay enough time without raising any suspicions about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In order to complete the cover, it is necessary to proceed with it step by step, as the great leaps weaken it, and going from Berlin to Schongau directly means that he is coming to a specific place he knows in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nobody cares about him, but he lived the role perfectly, as if someone was following him, you must prove that you are serious in your investment, he must see you looking and moving from one place to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stayed in Berlin for a few days and hired real estate brokers, who attested to his tireless efforts to open his restaurant here, but there were always obstacles, not enough money, and fierce competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He moved to the countryside, as if on a tourist trip, from one region to another and from one town to another, memorizing their names, moving between them, and asking about his best options, and a week later he heard its name for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The waitress at a caf\u00e9, advised him: Sir, did you go to Schongau? A small town not far from here, I think it is a perfect option for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It fascinated him since his eyes fell on its hills, a natural wonder, a perfect investment opportunity, right here my project will succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staying in a small inn on the outskirts of town, he began looking for a property with the help of a local realtor, and the picture of Helmut never left his mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The town is small, if he is still here, I must meet him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Days passed, without a trace of the target, thinking about getting out of his security shell, I must ask! But how can you ask about a Nazi officer without raising suspicion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make matters worse, the Israeli Mossad announced on May 23, 1960, just four days after his arrival in Schongau, that it had succeeded in kidnapping Adolf Eichmann, a senior Nazi officer hiding in Argentina, implicated in genocide against the Jews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now the fugitive Nazi officers are feeling their necks, as there are those who are after them, in order to achieve justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He thought that he should turn to the Mossad, but no one there would understand, he had no desire for revenge, nor for kidnapping, his goal was very simple, what he wanted was to give Helmut the answer to the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why are you cowards Jews? You know I am going to kill your son, but you do not do anything?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A deep question that needed a deep answer as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sitting in a small cafe owned by an old woman in her seventies, tired of the ravages of war, she lost three of her sons in addition to her husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A picture of Adolf Eichmann fills the small TV screen with the news of his arrest. She screamed at a man in his fifties who had lost his mind from alcohol. He said something that angered her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said in German: Verdammt, ihr Nazis habt das alles verursacht, lasst Eichmann zur H\u00f6lle fahren.*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*Damn you, you Nazis caused all this, let that Eichmann goes to hell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-He shouted at her: What do you say, you old brig!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some men rushed, they led him out of the caf\u00e9, the wine made him completely mad, “He was delirious, madam, excuse him”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Robert’s looks did not leave them, he wanted to see his face, but he could not, the men came out quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-The voice of the old man chasing after the drunk: People like you should be punished, you are involved in everything that happened. Being in a small town does not mean that people cover up for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was silent for a moment, then gathered her nerve, and blew it up: ” Screw you, Helmut.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He didn’t understand a single German word that came out of their lips, but he knew the meaning of Helmut perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His heart throbbed, his body shivered, scattered images of his childhood, extermination camp, tears streaming down, frightening silence, an officer asking, his father’s eyes calling for him, hope, son, a long line of bodies waiting to be burned, guns pushing them, a hand pulling him away from the crematorium, Belle Screaming at him, the camp latrines, a woman soaked in her blood, a man rising over her body, a small wall and a child jumping over it, forests, trees, a cart, his adoptive father, the body of a young man lying in bed with his eyes closed, chanting, Schongau, Helmut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-He looked at the realtor sitting next to him: What just happened?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-The realtor: Leave them, my friend, it is a small town<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Robert: Tell me, the old man looks angry<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-The broker approached him and whispered in his ear: That man, he is a Nazi officer, and no one reports him to the authorities, the town is small and we all know each other, he said something that angered her, she lost her children and her husband because of Hitler’s madness, he is drunk, surely defended Eichmann, forget them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He straightened his seat, then an idea flashed in his head, and he approached him again: How did I not think of him!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Robert: Who do you mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-The realtor: Helmut, owns an empty property directly overlooking the lake, great location, tourists will be impressed, perfect for a restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added: Do you have a problem dealing with him, with what I know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Robert: No, never, this is business, my friend. Business knows no emotions. When can we see real estate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-The realtor: I will arrange a meeting at his house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shivered all night alone in his room, his tears streamed down, memories hit his daggers in his heart, he shivered in pain, the eyes of a child chasing him in her mother’s arms, not knowing what would happen to her, crying for fear of the unknown. And mother pleads Helmut, “please let my daughter, let her live”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We were not perfect, Hitler, but we were human, but you were not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dad, here I am, I lived, despite the executioner’s will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next day, Helmut sat right across from him, without a gun, with a ten-year-old child, playing in the yard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Is he your son? Robert asked him<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Helmut: Yes, his name is Stefan<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Robert: I have no children, but I know how a father loves his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Helmut: He is all I have in this world, I cannot imagine anything happening to him, what a wonderful boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Robert looked at Stefan: Yes, he is a wonderful boy, and so was I.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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