Posted on

Night and Fog

Five years ago, I wrote a blog by the same name. It was back in the days when I purposely limited my blogs to no more than five or six hundred words (my Millennial friends told me this was the “norm”). I’ve re-read some of those blogs and frankly, I’m embarrassed. First, my writing style has evolved (and hopefully, improved). Second, I could have added so much more interesting information had I not listened to my friends. Another difference between then and now is the number of images we used. Our blogs today use as many images as I can find that add value to the story. In the past, one or two images made it into the story. I guess this is what you call progress. So, I’ve decided to re-write some of the more popular blogs and expand both the story as well as images. I hope you enjoy this one (again).

Exterior view of Nuremberg prison and the wing that housed Nazi war criminals during the Nuremberg trial. Note the covered walkway (white) leading from the prison wing to the Palace of Justice and courtroom. Prisoners walked through the covered path to and from the daily court proceedings. This wing was destroyed. Photo by anonymous (c. 1946).
Exterior view of Nuremberg prison and the wing that housed Nazi war criminals during the Nuremberg trial. Note the covered walkway (white) leading from the prison wing to the Palace of Justice and courtroom. Prisoners walked through the covered path to and from the daily court proceedings. This wing was destroyed. Photo by anonymous (c. 1946).
The former prison wing that housed the Nuremberg defendants was destroyed and only white plaster is a reminder of the wing in a preserved part of the central prison building. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).
The former prison wing that housed the Nuremberg defendants was destroyed and only white plaster is a reminder of the wing in a preserved part of the central prison building. Photo by anonymous (date unknown).

Read More Night and Fog

Posted on

The Rasputin of the Abwehr

Throughout history, con men have preyed on unsuspecting victims. Like a chameleon (or a good salesperson), they can change their colors at a drop of a dime and gain the confidence of whomever they have targeted as a “mark.” These people range from the sinister (e.g., Rasputin) all the way to those lovable “grifters,” Paul Newman and Robert Redford in the movie, The Sting.

Grigori Rasputin. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). PD-Russian Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.
Grigori Rasputin. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). PD-Russian Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Today’s blog centers around a Catholic priest who was employed by the Abwehr (German military intelligence) for the purpose of infiltrating, betraying, and ultimately, destroying French Resistance networks. Unlike Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916) who ingratiated himself into the Russian Tsar’s family for status and power, Abbé Robert Alesch (1906-1949) sold his services to the Nazis for money, art, and a life of luxury. Normally, confidence scheme targets give up their money or jewelry. Many of Alesch’s victims gave up their lives.

Robert Alesch. Photo by anonymous (date unknown). Prologue – Quarterly of the National Archive; Volume 26, No. 1 – Spring 1994.
Robert Alesch. Photo by anonymous (c. 1948). Prologue – Quarterly of the National Archive; Volume 26, No. 1 – Spring 1994.

Read More The Rasputin of the Abwehr