Background[]
"Ludwig Vogel" was an alias used by Erich Radek. Vogel was supposedly born in 1925 and conscripted into the Wehrmacht in 1944. In reality, Erich Radek was born in 1917 and joined the Nazi Party in 1937 and the Schutzstaffel in 1938.
Key Events[]
Ludwig Vogel[]
Max Klein believed that he had seen Vogel in the uniform of a Schutzstaffel senior officer at Auschwitz in 1942.
Ludwig Vogel was an active supporter of the Austrian National Party and had practically financed by himself the campaign of unacknowledged son to be the chancellor of Austria.
Gabriel went to the coffeehouse and waited for Vogel to appear. Vogel arrived and offered Gabriel a drink which Gabriel politely declined. As both were leaving the coffeehouse, Vogel referred to Klein.
Erich Radek[]
When Gabriel visited Yad Vashem, a curator told him that he had probably located Erich Radek.
Radek ordered two attempts on Gabriel's life.
Uzi Navot and other office agents captured Radek at his home in Vienna. They forced him into a car and drove him almost to the Czech border. They transferred him to a van driven by Chiara Zolli. She transported Radek across the border where Gabriel Allon joined her in the van. They crossed into Poland and drove to Auschwitz.
Gabriel and Radek walked and Radek explained how procedures worked at the death camp. He agreed to go to Israel rather than have the truth about his being son's identity revealed. Gabriel visited Radek once in prison; they discussed Gabriel's mother.
Radek testified publicly about his wartime activities.