Walter Frankenstein, who recently passed away at the age of 100 in Stockholm, was a living testament to the resilience of Jewish families during the Holocaust. Together with his wife and infant sons, he endured the harrowing years of Nazi Germany, seeking refuge in diverse and often unthinkable locations throughout Berlin – from bombed buildings and vehicles to makeshift havens such as an opera house and subway stations designated as bunkers.
Describing his experience during a 2015 interview with the Jewish Museum Berlin, Frankenstein recalled a day in 1944 when he was confronted by a military policeman seeking to verify his identification. In that moment, he managed to convince the officer, with a fabricated foreign accent, that he was a laborer who had misplaced his documentation. The officer allowed him to go free instead of reporting him, inferring that his search was for deserters rather than Jews.
This incident underlined the precarious conditions faced by Jewish individuals who relied on luck and shifting disguises to evade capture. Richard N. Lutjens Jr., a history professor, noted that escaping the Nazis required constant movement, as many Jews had to frequently change locations due to persistent air raids and the threat of being discovered by neighbors.
Frankenstein was among approximately 1,700 of his comrades—dubbed "human U-boats"—who survived the war. His long life came to a close on April 21, 2025, evoking the stories of countless others who lived in silence and fear yet remained resolute amidst the turmoil of their world.
Describing his experience during a 2015 interview with the Jewish Museum Berlin, Frankenstein recalled a day in 1944 when he was confronted by a military policeman seeking to verify his identification. In that moment, he managed to convince the officer, with a fabricated foreign accent, that he was a laborer who had misplaced his documentation. The officer allowed him to go free instead of reporting him, inferring that his search was for deserters rather than Jews.
This incident underlined the precarious conditions faced by Jewish individuals who relied on luck and shifting disguises to evade capture. Richard N. Lutjens Jr., a history professor, noted that escaping the Nazis required constant movement, as many Jews had to frequently change locations due to persistent air raids and the threat of being discovered by neighbors.
Frankenstein was among approximately 1,700 of his comrades—dubbed "human U-boats"—who survived the war. His long life came to a close on April 21, 2025, evoking the stories of countless others who lived in silence and fear yet remained resolute amidst the turmoil of their world.
