Young Lothar: An Underground Fugitive in Nazi Berlin

by Larry Orbach, Vivien Orbach-Smith

Lothar Orbach, the youngest son of a German Jewish family, was just 14 when the Nazis began rounding up Berlin's Jews. His promising education was aborted; his close-knit family splintered. When the Gestapo came for Orbach's mother on Christmas Eve 1942, they escaped with false papers; his mother found sanctuary with a family of Communists and Orbach – under the assumed identity of Gerhard Peters – entered Berlin's underworld of 'divers'. He scraped a living by hustling pool, cheating in poker and stealing – fighting, literally, to stay alive. Outwardly he became a cagey amoral street thug, inwardly he was a sensitive, romantic boy, devoted son and increasingly religious Jew, clinging to his humanity. In the end, he was betrayed and sent to Auschwitz, on the last transport, in 1944. This singular coming of age story of life in the Berlin underground during WWII is, in essence, a story of hope, even happiness, in the very heart of darkness.

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2017

Reviews

[Magdalena Wajda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning and true story of a young Jew who managed to survive in Berlin during WW2, up until late summer of 1944, by wit, cunnig, vice and help of friends. It seems impossible, but Lothar / Gerhard was not the only one "diver" (Taucher). The book is an ode to youth, willpower, courage verging on bravado.
It's really hard to put down once you start reading, because it's so fascinating.

[Janice Alter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true account of Larry Orbach’s underground experiences in Berlin during World War II is a riveting, hard to put down book. Written with his daughter Vivien Orbach-Smith,the reader is transported to that most horrifying time. While it reads like a novel, this was Larry’s life. It is one of the most important books about the Holocaust, and while many of the described experiences we have heard about before, this story of hiding in plain sight is truly unique. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Klr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book

True story by a young Jewish man who lived in Berlin for most of World War II. He survives along with a network of fellow outlaws by creatively and daringly adapting, lying, and developing unexpected skills. It's an adventure that is surprising, scary, heart-breaking, loving, and that shows both the best and worst of human nature. Valuable for lessons on survival and resistance, while retaining ones humanity.

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting story of a Jew living with false papers in Nazi Berlin. He mostly lived at the margins of society, avoiding those who would ask too many questions.