Read the international sensation already translated into 9 languages!
A Brazilian journalist’s investigation unearths the story of a network of people responsible for hiding "The Angel of Death," the infamous Nazi doctor who fled to South America and escaped justice for over thirty years.
Josef Mengele, known worldwide for unimaginably cruel human experiments and for sending thousands of people to the gas chambers at Auschwitz, was a fugitive in South America for thirty-four years after World War II, sought by the Israeli secret service and Nazi hunters. Hidden for half that time in Brazil, Mengele created his own paradise, a life where he could speak German, maintain his beliefs, his friends, and his connection with the homeland. Never caught, he lived out the rest of his days thanks to a small circle of expatriate Europeans willing to help him.
One such person was Austrian ex-pat Liselotte Bossert, who buried Mengele with false documents to keep his true identity hidden even after his death in 1979. When the world finally discovered where the remains of Josef Mengele were in 1985, kindergarten teacher Liselotte was escorted from the São Paulo school without further explanation to the students. One six-year-old, Betina Anton, could not let this mystery go. Decades later as an experienced journalist, Betina decided to investigate, but when she found Liselotte, she could not imagine how deep this case would take her.
Written in Portuguese and English by the author and based on extensive research, including interviews, unpublished documents, and news coverage from that era, Hiding Mengele is a suspenseful narrative not only haunted by the doctor’s horrific experiments, but also by the motivations driving a community to protect one of the most evil people known to mankind.
Read the international sensation already translated into 10 languages!
Unearthing the network that hid the "Angel of Death," the infamous Nazi doctor who escaped justice for more than three decades.
In 1985, Betina Anton watched Brazilian authorities apprehend her kindergarten teacher for allegedly using false documents to bury in secrecy the remains of Josef Mengele, known worldwide for cruel human experiments and for sending thousands to the Auschwitz gas chambers. Decades later, as an experienced journalist disturbed by the mysteries surrounding the departure of Austrian expat Liselotte Bossert, Anton set out to find her and see if the rumors were true. She could not imagine how deeply into Mengele's life-on-the-run her investigation would take her.
Josef Mengele was a fugitive in South America for thirty-four years after World War II, sought by Israeli secret service and Nazi hunters. Hidden for half that time in Brazil, thanks to a small circle of expatriate Europeans, Mengele created his own paradise where he could speak German with new friends, maintain his beliefs, stay one step ahead of the global manhunt, and avoid answering for his crimes.
Translated from the Brazilian Tropical Bavaria edition and based on extensive research, including revelatory interviews and never-before-seen letters and photos, Hiding Mengele is a suspenseful narrative not only haunted by the doctor's horrific actions but also by the motivations driving a community to protect an evil man.