Death in Vienna essays

Death in Vienna essays The holocaust, which took place between 1941 and 1945, refers to the organized genocide of millions of jews in Nazi controlled Europe. An efficient system was established to see through what is known as the final solution. Prior to the end of the war, many Nazis knew of the impending punishment for their crimes angainst humanity and fled. Others were able to effectively cover their tracks and continue to live normal lives indifferent of the atrocities in which they were active participants. A Death in Vienna is a novel about how the crimes of the holocaust reverberate in the modern day. While the holocaust kills approximately 6 million european jews, it did not successfully kill them all. When the war comes to an end many of the survivors are left with no family, in the middle of remote places. Instictively, many of these people decide to return home only to find that other people have come to inhabit their home. Among these people is Max Klein. A talanted violinist, Max manages to survive the holocaust and move back to his home in Vienna. Max lives there for the rest of his life and in his elderly years frequents a coffee shop where he discusses politics with another patron, Henirich Vogel. Klein, however, recognizes Vogel as a commander at a concentration camp who mercilessly killed innocent people. Klein is hurt that vogel is not forced to face repurcussions for his actions. Although Vogel may have commited the crime many years ago, and although vogel is now a changed man, klein is disturbed that such heinous crimes would go unpunished. The effects of the holocaust are not limited to victims themselves but also the desendants of victims. The main character, Gabriel Allon, decides at first to find out who Vogel really is (as his identity has been changed) for max klein. Later, Allon recognizes Vogel from his mothers artwork as the man who had threatened her life and killed her best friends. Allon blam ...