Walter Frankenstein, a remarkable survivor of the Holocaust, has passed away at the age of 100 on April 21 in Stockholm, where he had made his home since 1956. During World War II, he and his family lived in constant fear, navigating the perilous landscape of Nazi-occupied Berlin as part of the group referred to as the "U-boats" — Jews who evaded capture by cunningly hiding in plain sight among the ruins of their city.
For over two years, Frankenstein and his family sought refuge in various nondescript locations, from bombed-out structures to makeshift shelters. They lived like submarines, avoiding detection to survive another day. In an extraordinary moment recounted during an interview with the Jewish Museum Berlin, he vividly remembered a close encounter with a military policeman during a train ride. When asked for identification in 1944, he cleverly adopted a fake foreign accent and claimed to be a laborer who misplaced his papers. Amazingly, the officer, uninterested in hunting down Jews but rather looking for deserters, let him go, allowing him to continue his precarious existence.
Academic Richard N. Lutjens Jr. notes the common plight of these U-boats, emphasizing their frequent need to relocate, often up to a dozen times during the conflict, due to relentless air raids and the ever-present threat of betrayal from neighbors. Out of approximately 6,500 Jewish individuals navigating these treacherous circumstances in Berlin, only around 1,700, including Frankenstein, managed to survive.
Frankenstein's life story not only immortalizes individual bravery but also highlights the complex tapestry of survival that characterized the experiences of Jews during one of history’s darkest periods. His legacy encourages remembrance and acknowledgment of the struggles faced by countless others who endured similar fates yet showed remarkable courage and resilience.
