Excerpt: The Devil's Paradise

Jakob Kuntz spent the morning walking into Neufitschein, to talk to someone at the local Office for Jewish Affairs about bringing Sarah’s parents from Lodz, Poland into Germany. He hated coming to the Office, as it was run by the SchutzStaffel, also known as the SS. That agency was responsible for the internal security of the Reich, and Jews fell into that category because Adolf Hitler considered them to be a security threat. Additionally, meanness seemed to be the only qualification to be an SS member. Reaching the Office, he reached for the door with his right hand, while carrying his hat in his left.
“Good morning,” he called out as he stepped through the door of the tidy little office. A man stepped out from a back room. He pulled at the cuffs of his black SS uniform, straightening his sleeves.
“What can I do for you, Jew?” asked the officer harshly. He spat the last word out as if it were a bite of rotten meat.
“I have come to inquire about my wife’s parents in Lodz, Poland.”
“What about them?”
“With the German forces invading Poland, if they should take Lodz, would it be possible for my wife’s parents to be moved to Germany?”
“The victorious Wehrmacht of the Fatherland will take Lodz!” corrected the officer forcefully. “What is your name? I will look up your file.”
“Kuntz. Jakob Kuntz.” The officer stepped into the back room and sifted through the file cabinet. Jakob, holding his hat in front of him with both hands, anxiously turned the brim of his hat through his fingers.
“Ah,” the officer muttered, and then stepped back into the front room carrying a file folder. “Let us see what your file says about you.” He laid the folder on the desk, opened it, and cursorily flipped through the pages. Coming to the end, he closed the file.
“I see nothing in your file that warrants such extreme measures to be taken.” The officer tapped the file on the desk to straighten the pages, then walked back to the file room and put it away. He returned, the sternness back in his voice.
“It will not be possible to bring any more Jews into Germany. Our great Leader the Fuhrer has decreed that no more Jews will be allowed into the Reich. In fact, all Jews in the Reich will be relocated to the eastern territories as soon as circumstances permit. So, you see, it is clearly impossible for what you ask to be done.”
“There is nothing you can do to help?”
“I will do nothing to help you, Jew.” The officer sat down behind the desk, staring out the window.
“Good day, then,” Jakob said, turning toward the door. He stopped and turned back to the SS officer. “One day, God will hold you to account for your actions,” he warned. The officer snorted his disdain. Jakob stepped out of the office door, but didn’t bother to put his hat on. The law requiring Jews to doff their hats to Germans was too inconvenient when there were so many Germans around. At home in the village, with so few Germans, it wasn’t a problem. I should not have worn my hat today, he thought to himself.
Inside the Office of Jewish Affairs, the officer picked up the telephone and dialed the number for his supervisor.
“Heil, Hitler!” the voice on the other end answered.
“Heil, Hitler!” replied the officer. “Herr Major, this is Lieutenant Kohler in Neufitschein. A security matter that needs your attention has been made known to me.” There was a pause as the voice on the other end spoke. “Yes. Some enemies of the Reich.”