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Intrigue with Philippe Sands: The Ratline

18 September 2019

Discover dark secrets, deception and a mysterious death.

the ratline launch with Philippe sands and Stephen

Register for free to participate in the live discussion about the podcast

World War Two is a period of history that continues to reveal its shocking secrets. Stories and mysteries seemingly buried in the past continue to make their way to the surface – tales where the most powerful of human emotions take the lead role. No more is this so than with the curious unexplained death of senior Austrian Nazi, Otto Wächter.

At this year’s It’s All Academic Festival, we’re taking a trip into a murky world of deception, love and loss, as uncovered by barrister and writer, Philippe Sands QC. He’s the driving force behind The Ratline, a 10-part podcast, part of the Intrigue series previously broadcast on BBC Radio 4. The Ratline tells the story of the eponymous post-war Nazi escape route out of Europe and tries to uncover the circumstances of Wächter’s death in Rome. It’s part Nazi love story, part noir detective thriller. 

On October 5th, Professor Sands will join Hugh Levinson, the head of BBC Radio Current Affairs and the editor of The Ratline, to discuss the impact of the show – along with questions of justice, impunity and the power of family loyalty. 

Where it all began

Professor Sands is a Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for International Courts and Tribunals at UCL. He acts as counsel before international courts and sits as an arbitrator. He’s also a journalist and writes academic books on international law. His latest book, East West Street: On the Origins of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide, has won multiple international literary awards. 

For Sands, the story of Otto Wächter resonates on a personal level. His grandparents died in the holocaust and many other members of their extended family were also killed by the Nazis. Professor Sands says: “I first came across Otto Wächter while researching East West Street, and could never quite get him out of my head.” 

Otto Wächter, a senior Austrian Nazi, was indicted for mass murder but escaped justice after the war. In April 1949, Wächter arrived at Rome’s Central Station. Supported by the Vatican, he hoped to make a new life for himself and his family in Syria or Argentina on the ex-Nazi escape route known as ‘the ratline’. Three months later he was dead. 

The son he left behind, Horst Wächter, has long believed his father was an unwilling participant in the Nazi regime. He also believes Otto was poisoned in Rome, perhaps after turning down an approach to work for the Soviets. Horst Wächter met Professor Sands while Sands was researching the origins of international criminal law, the two began talking and Sands became fascinated with the story.  

Headshot of Philippe Sands

Uncovering the past

Horst has kept a ‘treasure trove’ of documents and letters from Otto Wächter to his wife, Charlotte. The stories within them are full of romance, the drama of war and, most shockingly perhaps, how normal the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people seemed to the Wächter family at that time. For Sands, these revelations needed more than the written word to bring them to life. He says: “Horst has been hugely generous in giving us access to a unique family archive and the opportunity to explore this in audio for Radio 4 was irresistibly exciting and replete with unexpected discoveries. 

“Making a radio series - a first for me - is entirely different from writing a book, not least for the magic of introducing the human voice directly into the storytelling, a different and exciting way of opening up the audience’s imagination.”

In The Ratline, we hear writer, actor and comedian Stephen Fry voice Otto Wächter, while Hollywood star Laura Linney takes on the role of his wife, Charlotte. The series explores their passionate relationship through their secret correspondence and the events that overwhelmed Wächter – a number of remarkable twists and turns. We learn about ‘the ratline’ and the enigmas that surround them from a host of contributors including Nazi hunters working for the US government and other experts in the field.

Join us on Saturday 5th October 2019 at Cruciform Lecture Theatre 2 from 10am to 11am. Tickets are available for free online, just register to get yours today.