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WHEREVER THEY MAY BE
© 1972, The
Beate Klarsfeld Foundation
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husband about his police activities in France (where
he has been given the death sentence). Moritz makes it known that he refuses to
see us. Peggy insists that Frau Moritz take the names of the visitors. I give
mine – Serge Klarsfeld. "Oh nein!" She brings her hand before her
face as if to shield herself from the reality of my name and my presence.
Finally she admits us to the parlor. Moritz enters, solid, stocky, his blue
eyes cold and crafty. He says aggressively to Peggy: "I know your writings very
well. I read your articles. Like you, I am a leftist. In 1948 I helped set up
the archives of the VVN in Hamburg; I belong to the DFU [a small extreme-left
peace party affiliated with the Communist Party]; I am a friend of so-and-so
[and indeed Peggy, stupefied, knows so-and-so well]. M. Klarsfeld, I went to
hear your wife in December 1968 at the University of Hamburg, after she slapped
Kiesinger."
At that point I exchanged a glance with Julien and, without
saying a word, we both understood we had the same thought – we had come
upon the ultimate: we were unmasking a Nazi criminal who had fabricated an
innocent identity for himself by agitating among the victims of Nazism. I
understood the reason for his wife's Oh nein. The militant leftist mask
was coming off.
"I have suffered for my involvement in peace. From 1952
to 1956 I served four-and-one-half years in prison, sentenced by the
Bundesgerichtshof of Karlsruhe, accused of spying for East Germany. And my wife
also spent seven months in jail. I was never informed of that death sentence in
Lyon. [This was not true, as Moritz had been interrogated about the Barbie case
on several instances by the German courts.] I did nothing wrong in France.
What's all this about the Basch affair? It's a lie. I wasn't there. I am
innocent."
"If you are innocent, come to France and face trial. Your
sentence will be dropped automatically. You will have a new trial and your
innocence will shine in the light of day."
"Impossible. I have to think
of my family, my job, my reputation. I have problems enough as it is."
"Were you involved with the Jews in France?"
"Never! never! I
was aware that there were some arrests, but I personally had nothing to do with
any of them."
"Do you swear to that?"
"I swear to it, of
course."
Then I showed him photocopies of our documents. He could
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WHEREVER THEY MAY BE
© 1972, The
Beate Klarsfeld Foundation |
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Page 282 |
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