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The Gold Train: The Destruction of the Jews and the Looting of Hungary
The riveting, never-before-told story of one of World War II's most compelling and unresolved mysteries -- the disappearance of the loot on the Hungarian Gold Train In 1944, with the Red Army rapidly closing in, an extraordinary group of fascist ideologues, thieves, civil servants and soldiers jumped onto the "Gold Train" in Budapest and headed west. On that train was carriage after carriage of loot -- gold, gems, cash, furs, carpets -- gleaned from one of the century's most terrible crimes. The destruction of the Hungarian Jews happened late in the war and with a unique bureaucratic efficiency. The officials who meticulously stripped the Jews of their jewelry, gold, silver, furnishings and other possessions before their murder believed that the stolen belongings of exterminated citizens were a major Hungarian state asset and at all costs were to be protected from the advancing Allies. The great Gold Train and the value of its cargo took on a legendary quality even as it steamed out of the station -- hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of assets were on the move, with cunning, desperate or gullible passengers trying to reach an illusory Nazi stronghold in the Alps. The fate of this property has been the subject of fantastic rumors ever since the end of the war and was the basis of a Cold War dispute between east and west. Ronald Zweig's gripping book, The Gold Train , illuminates what happened to the train and explores its journey, which goes on to this day, as legal battles continue over its contents. Drawing on a decade's worth of research into American, Israeli and European archives as well as private papers, eyewitness accounts and other sources, Zweig tells the full story of the Gold Train. He reveals the large cast of players enmeshed in the drama, including corrupt Hungarian and German Nazis, American and French armies, Jewish leaders from Hungary and Palestine, French security forces and international refugee organizations. He examines the myths that have developed around it and places this incredible event within the annals of Holocaust and Cold War history, including its impact on restitution policies through the postwar years to today. An astonishing tale of espionage, betrayal, greed, secrecy and depravity, The Gold Train is real history that rivals the best of John le Carré, Robert Harris and Alan Furst.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2002
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192 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 3, 2017
This book provides a fascinating description of the "fabled" Gold Train that carried the loot from the Jews as the Second World War was drawing to a close. So much has been written about what happened to Jews in Germany and in Poland that some tend to overlook the suffering the Jews in Hungary. The Gold Train symbolizes the suffering. The book is extremely well researched and author has the courage and humility to admit that some of what has been narrated is not necessarily based on verified facts
March 31, 2016
The book was very informative about the history of the Jews in Hungary during and before World War 2. There were a lot of details, maybe too many details, so that the flow of the narrative was often interrupted. It was factual and informative about pre-World War 2 politics as well. I would recommend it to someone who is a serious student of history because of the well-researched facts.
November 16, 2015
Only for true history buffs.
This book is suitable for true historical buffs. Particularly those interested in either the end of WW II concerning the Holocaust or Hungarian history in the same time period.
This book is suitable for true historical buffs. Particularly those interested in either the end of WW II concerning the Holocaust or Hungarian history in the same time period.
May 19, 2014
Given the upsurge in interest in Hollywood with the Jewish belongings looted by Nazi Germany during WWII (The Mercenary Men) I decided to read this book about a less known aspect of the conflict, namely the persecution of the Jewish community within Germany's ally Hungary.
In mid-December 1944, as the Soviet army began to encircle Budapest, a train of 42 wagons left the Hungarian capital. The wagons contained valued possessions - ranging from Persian carpets and fur coats to gold wedding rings and silver religious artifacts - that had been systematically plundered from Hungarian Jewry during the conflict and were bound for a safer location within Austria.
As the Gold Train trundled its way westwards,a journey that would normally take days took weeks,its contents and those in charge of them underwent a series of adventures often bordering on comic as the escorts try to justify their actions,positioning themselves in readiness for the Nazi's ultimate defeat. The train and its contents are attacked by various groups, pilfered from and take on almost mythical characteristics.
Zweig worked as a professor within Tel Aviv university and trawled through countless documentation including personal accounts from survivors and tells the story in a slow methodical,scholarly way befitting the trains journey to Austria. However, he also gives a good insight into the persecution of Jews long before the war began in a crumbling Hungarian empire but also how the Allied powers including Russia, along with various Jewish groups used it as a bargaining chip to further their own political aims afterwards.
Perhaps what is most telling is that whereas very little of the value of the trains contents were ever truly realized (was this due to deceit, fraud and theft or just plain wishful thinking?)and even less is returned to their rightful owners or their heirs, the main architects of this escapade seem to have been allowed to live out their lives in relative comfort. This book gives a sobering insight into genocide but ultimately concludes that sentimental value is far higher than real value because when goods are taken from their natural owners they merely become the sum of their parts and therefore only worth what someone else is willing to pay for them.
Perhaps not a riveting book that will be turned into some Hollywood blockbuster but an interesting one none the less.
In mid-December 1944, as the Soviet army began to encircle Budapest, a train of 42 wagons left the Hungarian capital. The wagons contained valued possessions - ranging from Persian carpets and fur coats to gold wedding rings and silver religious artifacts - that had been systematically plundered from Hungarian Jewry during the conflict and were bound for a safer location within Austria.
As the Gold Train trundled its way westwards,a journey that would normally take days took weeks,its contents and those in charge of them underwent a series of adventures often bordering on comic as the escorts try to justify their actions,positioning themselves in readiness for the Nazi's ultimate defeat. The train and its contents are attacked by various groups, pilfered from and take on almost mythical characteristics.
Zweig worked as a professor within Tel Aviv university and trawled through countless documentation including personal accounts from survivors and tells the story in a slow methodical,scholarly way befitting the trains journey to Austria. However, he also gives a good insight into the persecution of Jews long before the war began in a crumbling Hungarian empire but also how the Allied powers including Russia, along with various Jewish groups used it as a bargaining chip to further their own political aims afterwards.
Perhaps what is most telling is that whereas very little of the value of the trains contents were ever truly realized (was this due to deceit, fraud and theft or just plain wishful thinking?)and even less is returned to their rightful owners or their heirs, the main architects of this escapade seem to have been allowed to live out their lives in relative comfort. This book gives a sobering insight into genocide but ultimately concludes that sentimental value is far higher than real value because when goods are taken from their natural owners they merely become the sum of their parts and therefore only worth what someone else is willing to pay for them.
Perhaps not a riveting book that will be turned into some Hollywood blockbuster but an interesting one none the less.
October 9, 2015
Summary
Read fast to get an overview of Hungarian history. Certainly that was very confusing in itself. The tremendous logistical problems after the war was made evident. Today we do not realize the complete shambles of all of Europe after the war. The horrific crime of so many many many people whose lives were snuffed out like unneeded candles has left a void in the world. 70 years after the war the void is still there. All of the genocides of that century leave an unheralded wound. The book's conclusion tried to emphasize the importance of that loss.
Read fast to get an overview of Hungarian history. Certainly that was very confusing in itself. The tremendous logistical problems after the war was made evident. Today we do not realize the complete shambles of all of Europe after the war. The horrific crime of so many many many people whose lives were snuffed out like unneeded candles has left a void in the world. 70 years after the war the void is still there. All of the genocides of that century leave an unheralded wound. The book's conclusion tried to emphasize the importance of that loss.
July 23, 2011
I liked this book. it was a chilling account of the destruction of peoples lives and and the greed that spurred the whole fiasco. Also the aftermath of how to account for and restitute the people who lost so much
February 14, 2016
Interesting topic, but a slow read. I thought it was going to be more a story and less a history book.
March 4, 2018
Very detailed account.
July 18, 2017
Gold train
A good book from Ronald Zweig. A very interesting and sad read about the Jewish people. I recommend this book and its author.
A good book from Ronald Zweig. A very interesting and sad read about the Jewish people. I recommend this book and its author.
March 2, 2023
It’s an horrific and eye-opening account that gets bogged down in the details of the post-war struggles to control all that was stolen.
June 8, 2012
Pretty dry, but informative book about the theft of assets from Jews in Hungary during World War II.
August 22, 2012
Very good.
October 16, 2015
Interesting, tho very poorly written. Read the Kindle version which contained countless typo's including letters as numbers (try z as 2).
June 15, 2017
Took me such a long time to read this book. So many details. Too many details about Hungary and not about once the Jews were deported! It really focused on the horrible train! Very sad.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews