Dieter Schlesakβs haunting novel The Druggist of Auschwitzβbeautifully translated from the German by John Hargravesβis a frighteningly vivid portrayal of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of criminal and victim alike.
Adam, known as βthe last Jew of SchΓ€Γburg,β recounts with disturbing clarity his imprisonment at the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Through Adamβs fictional narrative and excerpts of actual testimony from the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial of 1963β65, we come to learn of the true-life story of Dr. Victor Capesius, who, despite strong friendships with Jews before the war, quickly aided in and profited from their tragedy once the Nazis came to power. Interspersed with historical research and the authorβs face-to-face interviews with survivors, the novel follows Capesius from his assignment as the βsorterβ of new arrivals at Auschwitzβdeciding who will go directly to the gas chamber and who will be used for laborβthrough his life of lavish wealth after the war to his arrest and eventual trial.
Schlesakβs seamless incorporation of factual data and testimonyβwoven into Adamβs dreamlike remembrance of a world turned upside downβmakes The Druggist of Auschwitz a vital and unique addition to our understanding of the Holocaust.
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