Known as the "Jewish James Bond," Simon Wiesenthal is credited with bringing 1,100 Nazis war criminals to justice, including a role in the capture of Adolph Eichmann, the architect of The Final Solution. The survivor of numerous concentration camps was adamant in his commitment to speak for the 6 million dead Jews.
He refused to quit -- even when he and his family were threatened.
As portrayed by Tom Dugan, the writer and star of the riveting one-man show Wiesenthal, off-Broadway at the Acorn Theater, Weisenthal did not fight for vengeance but justice. In addition to Jewish Holocaust victims, he also spoke for the murdered Soviets, Poles, Gypsies, homosexuals and Jehovah's Witnesses.
The former architect was relentless in his refusal to be sidelined by bureaucratic indifference, the Cold War and ongoing anti-Semitism. His life's work was a promise to the 6 million: "I did not forget you."
Persistence and passion were his guiding stars. But far from a lecture on the Holocaust, Wiesenthal is a remarkable platform to present a compassionate man who understood that statistics blur horror; individual stories demand our attention.
In the guise of welcoming a group of Americans to his office on his retirement day, the 95-year begins his remembrance. With humor, an occasional joke, a hopeful note and a recount of cruelty "beyond the power of imagination," we learn about his life, coming to respect and admire the heroic Wiesenthal.
Just after the war, he cofounded The Jewish Historical Documentation Center in Linz, Austria, to gather information and testimony for future war crimes and help refugees locate lost relatives. Per Wiesenthal, Austrians killed half of all Jewish victims, though Austria was loath to prosecute its war criminals or address its national role in the Holocaust.
He moved the center to Vienna in 1961, just down the street from members of Eichmann's family, waiting for any nugget of information that could deliver Adolph Eichmann to justice.
Rather than track Nazis himself, Wiesenthal meticulously pieced together data and information from a vast network of friends, colleagues and sympathizers, including German war veterans, appalled by what they had witnessed.
Wiesenthal understood that though the Nazis lost the war, their ideology, like their freedom, remained. He was also instrumental in destroying the much-used argument "I was just following orders," citing two German officers who refused to carry out death sentences. Blind obedience to authority is vicious, he reminds us. We have choices. And he chose to stay and fight.
High on Wiesenthal's most-wanted list was Franz Stangl, the commandant of the Treblinka and Sobibor concentration camps in Poland. Located in Brazil, Stangl was sent to West Germany for imprisonment in 1967. He also aided in the capture of Franz Murer, "The Butcher of Wilno" and Erich Rajakowitsch, in charge of the death transports in Holland. Another high-priority case was Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo officer who arrested Anne Frank. Dutch neo-Nazis were discrediting the authenticity of her diary until Wiesenthal located Silberbauer, then a police inspector in Austria, in 1963, who confessed to her capture.
Wiesenthal wrote several books on his exploits, including The Murderers Among Us and Every Day Remembrance Day.
Dugan's 90-minute play is heartfelt, deeply moving and compelling; he makes history come alive. The 53-year-old actor nails Wiesenthal's Austrian dialect, elderly mannerisms and mischievous charm. His extraordinary performance pays tribute to one man's lifelong crusade for justice and tolerance. Wiesenthal should be required viewing for all.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.