Hitler's Silent Partners: Swiss Banks, Nazi Gold, And The Pursuit Of Justice

by Isabel Vincent

Vienna, 1939: "If anything happens to us, I have money in Switzerland." These were among the last words that sixteen-year-old Renie Lang's grandfather said to her before he perished in the Holocaust. Fifty years later, Renee and thousands like her are trying to find their rightful inheritances in Swiss banks -- and the world faces appalling revelations that "neutral" Switzerland acted as secret banker to the Nazis, abetting the German war against the Jewish people. Award-winning journalist Isabel Vincent unravels the labyrinthine story behind the how desperate men and women tried to secure their families' futures by opening bank accounts in Switzerland; how the Nazis laundered, through Swiss banks, gold seized from the treasuries of occupied countries, much of it looted from the Jews; how the demands of international business, Swiss bank secrecy, and greed have conspired to prevent the truth from being disclosed for over half a century and still prevent restitution. Balanced, rigorous, and often heartbreaking, this major work also gives a human face to the a crusading Toronto lawyer; Edgar Bronfman, the passionate head of the World Jewish Congress; a Swiss parliamentarian determined to discover her country's past; and Renie, a survivor waiting in the shadows for some small justice, already a little too late.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Holocaust, World War II

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 1997

About the author

Isabel Vincent (born 1965 in Toronto) is a Canadian investigative journalist who writes for the New York Post, an alumna of the University of Toronto Varsity newspaper, and the author of several books.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Tom Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book couldn't figure out what it was trying to do. It went too deep into the history of one family which was an example of a Jewish family with lost assets. There was too much detail on them and not enough on the history of Switzerland and nazi assets. The book was not well organized. It was still interesting and I didn't hate it, but I was expecting more.n

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book about a sticky subject.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting

[Marc Kirner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book exposes the myth of Swiss neutrality during WWII.

[Tomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Switzerland invented neutrality and has always prided herself on being neutral. Yet this book proves otherwise. Swiss bankers and government officials worked actively with the Nazis to launder gold stolen from Holocaust victims. Hitler allowed Switzerland to remain unconquered in exchange for its service as the banker for the Third Reich. The author focuses on the Swiss, but reminds us that all neutral countries worked with the Nazis. At the end of the book, Vincent notes that recent revelations (1997) showed that banks in the United States and Canada also worked with the Swiss to launder Nazi assets. The book is well-written and researched; I am off to look for more recent information on this topic.
There is a lot of guilt to go around involving WWII...

[Joletta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book very enlightening on showing who was involved with the Nazi's in WWII.

[Harry Moncelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illuminating book