Tom Bower - Klaus Barbie: The Butcher of Lyons

Klaus Barbie

The Butcher of Lyons

Tom Bower

GLOSSARY

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For fifty years Klaus Barbie has worked for governments both officially and unofficially. He has served both democracy and dictatorship. The governments which hired him for his skills were never disappointed. Manipulation, interrogation, extraction, torture and murder were the services he offered, and they were purchased in the full knowledge that Barbie had considerable experience of his trade. Invariably, it is the same kind of politicians and officials as those who hired him, who now pay sanctimonious homage in mighty-sounding phrases to the cause of justice. Yet, since the end of the Second World War, they have, both implicitly and explicitly, protected him.

The return of Klaus Barbie to France on 5 February 1983 to be tried for his wartime crimes was the victorious culmination of an extraordinary campaign by Serge and Beate Klarsfeld against sceptical, lethargic and downright hostile government officials and politicians. With enormous effort, Serge Klarsfeld discovered many vital documents and eyewitnesses which revealed Barbies miserable career and which convinced governments finally that his continued freedom insulted too many people and ideals. Beate Klarsfeld devoted months, despite discomfort and hardship, to protest against what they both saw as the immorality of protecting a notorious criminal. Whether the course of justice will reward that effort remains to be seen. In writing this book, I am very grateful for all the help they have given me.

My investigation of the postwar treatment of Nazi war criminals began in 1978, when Christopher Capron, then editor of BBC Televisions Panorama programme, encouraged me to pursue what proved to be an unexplored area. The result has been several programmes on the subject which have been shown in more than twenty-five countries. He is now the head of the BBCs Current Affairs group and generously gave me permission to pursue this present saga. With equal goodwill, George Carey, then editor of Panorama, allowed me the time and gave me the necessary support to make two programmes about Barbie. The second (first broadcast in July 1983), revealing his American connections, was reported by Margaret Jay. She gave me important help and good advice. To all three, and to many other colleagues in Lime Grove, I am very indebted.

This type of book cannot be written without the friendship, help and unqualified generosity of many people. It is their professionalism and enthusiasm which has made this report possible. Foremost is Bob Fink in Washington, whose extraordinarily meticulous research has won him not only my gratitude but the respect of many American officials and former US intelligence agents. In France, I owe a special debt to Janet Thorpe; in Germany to Stefan Aust; in South America to Peter McFarren and Jan Rocha; in London to Caroline Wolfe and Isobelle Daudy, who helped me full time on all aspects of the project.

Others who helped me at various stages are David Bernouw at the Dutch Institute for War Documents, Hero Buss, Phillipe Daudy, Professor James Dunkerley, Jean-Claude Gallo, Elke Gerdener, Dr Josef Henke at the Federal archives in Koblenz, Dr M. Koenigsberg, Fred Kufferman, John Loftus, Henri Nogueres, David Pryce-Jones, Marcel Ruby, Jacques de la Rue, Fay Sharman, Daniel Simon at the Berlin Document Center, Tulla Skari, Lucien Steinberg, Paul Tarr, and Dr Hans Umbreit at the Federal archives in Freiburg. A special thanks also to Chris Bates who rapidly taught me the delights of a word processor.

More than two hundred people were interviewed in the course of research for this book. I am grateful to all those who are quoted, but also to those who have had to remain anonymous. Much of the material in this book has come either from classified government archives or from government officials who wanted an authoritative version told, but could not be quoted. I am naturally very grateful to them all. The editing and production of the book was managed at record speed thanks to the hard work and skill of my editors.