Germany with Oberammergau
In 1633, with the plague ravaging Europe, the people of Oberammergau, Germany made a promise to God: spare our village, and we will honor you by performing a play about the passion of Christ every 10 years. The village was spared, and the citizens of Oberammergau haves kept their promise, performing the passion play every decade for almost 400 years.
This tour combines a performance of the Passion Play with a tour of the highlights of Germany. To keep costs down, we will use carefully selected B&B's and small guest houses, each clean, comfortable and loaded with character and charm. All have private, en-suite facilities, but may not have the guest services or amenities of a typical hotel.
This tour combines a performance of the Passion Play with a tour of the highlights of Germany. To keep costs down, we will use carefully selected B&B's and small guest houses, each clean, comfortable and loaded with character and charm. All have private, en-suite facilities, but may not have the guest services or amenities of a typical hotel.
The tour will start July 8, 2010 in Munich, Germany and end on July 21, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. You would need to leave the US on July 7, 2010 to arrive in Munich on the morning of July 8. You will need to arrive in Munich airport before noon on July 8 to in order to meet your guide for transportation to our first hotel in the city center. Departure from Berlin can be any time on July 21.
The tour is 13 nights, 14 days, and the cost is $3450 per person, based on double occupancy. A deposit of $500 per person is due at the time of booking; a second payment of $500 is due by August 31, 2009. The balance is due 60 days prior to the trip departure date (ie, May 8, 2010).
Price includes: accommodations in comfortable, characteristic B&Bs and guest houses, all in central locations and with private bathrooms; all ground transportation from arrival in Munich to departure from Berlin; breakfast each morning; other meals as indicated in the itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner); entry and tour of all sights mentioned in the itinerary; category 1 seats for the Passion Play; the services of your Hand Crafted guide, who also acts as driver, interpreter, and window on European culture and history.
Not included: airfare to and from Europe; meals not shown in the itinerary; free time sightseeing admissions or transportation.
The tour is 13 nights, 14 days, and the cost is $3450 per person, based on double occupancy. A deposit of $500 per person is due at the time of booking; a second payment of $500 is due by August 31, 2009. The balance is due 60 days prior to the trip departure date (ie, May 8, 2010).
Price includes: accommodations in comfortable, characteristic B&Bs and guest houses, all in central locations and with private bathrooms; all ground transportation from arrival in Munich to departure from Berlin; breakfast each morning; other meals as indicated in the itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner); entry and tour of all sights mentioned in the itinerary; category 1 seats for the Passion Play; the services of your Hand Crafted guide, who also acts as driver, interpreter, and window on European culture and history.
Not included: airfare to and from Europe; meals not shown in the itinerary; free time sightseeing admissions or transportation.
Day 1: Arrive in Munich, Germany, where you'll be met by your Hand Crafted guide. After arrival and a chance to clean up, we'll take an orientation walk to learn about the history of Germany and Munich. We'll visit the Cathedral and see the Glockenspiel on the New Town Hall before we have dinner in one of the local beer halls (D).
Day 2: Munich. We'll start with a tour of the Old Art Gallery, home to masterpieces from the 14th- to 18th-centuries. Afternoon free to explore the Central Park-like English Garden, or one of Munich's many other museums (B).
Day 3: We depart Munich this morning and head into the Bavarian Alps. We'll tour King Ludwig's Linderhof Castle, then drive to Oberammergau, where we settle into our hotel in the village center (B, D).
Day 4: Passion Play (B, L, D).
Day 5: From Oberammergau we'll drive to St. Peter, in the heart of the Black Forest. Along the way we'll stop in Lindau, an island village on Lake Constance (B, D).
Day 6: We'll explore the heart of the Black Forest today, stopping to visit a clock museum. Afterwards we'll tour an open air museum, with a collection of old farmhouses that exhibit the dress, crafts and traditions of the Black Forest (B).
Day 7: Today we travel from the Black Forest to Rothenburg, on the Romantic Road. This is one of the best preserved walled villages in Germany. We'll see an altarpiece carved by a man known as the 'Michelangelo of Wood,' and take a historic walk through the village with the night watchman (B, D).
Day 8: Departing Rothenburg, we'll drive to a small wine village on the Mosel River. Along the way we'll stop along the busy Rhine River, where we'll board a boat to cruise past a handful of castles and the legendary Lorelei (B, D).
Day 9: We'll visit an 800-year old castle still owned by the family that built it, and taste wine at one of the local wineries. Late afternoon back in our village for relaxing (B).
Day 10: From the Mosel we go east to Dresden to see how the city, once considered the Baroque gem of Europe, has recovered from the ashes of WWII. We'll visit the rebuilt Church of Our Lady, and explore the historic core (B, D).
Day 11: Day trip along the Elbe to Meissen, home to some of the most beautiful porcelain in Europe. We'll visit the factory and see a demonstration of how the porcelain is made, then return to Dresden for the afternoon. Chance to visit one of the museums, or tour the Opera (B).
Day 12: On to Berlin. After our arrival, we'll take an orientation drive and walk, including a visit to what remains of the Wall, and to Checkpoint Charlie (B, D).
Day 13: We'll tour the Pergamon Museum, which houses a huge Roman altar, a Roman city gate, and ancient Babylon's Processional Way and Ishtar Gate. Afterwards we'll wander along the historic Unter den Linden avenue and see the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (B, D).
Day 14: Tour over after breakfast. Transportation to the airport for anyone departing today, or stay on your own in Berlin.
Day 2: Munich. We'll start with a tour of the Old Art Gallery, home to masterpieces from the 14th- to 18th-centuries. Afternoon free to explore the Central Park-like English Garden, or one of Munich's many other museums (B).
Day 3: We depart Munich this morning and head into the Bavarian Alps. We'll tour King Ludwig's Linderhof Castle, then drive to Oberammergau, where we settle into our hotel in the village center (B, D).
Day 4: Passion Play (B, L, D).
Day 5: From Oberammergau we'll drive to St. Peter, in the heart of the Black Forest. Along the way we'll stop in Lindau, an island village on Lake Constance (B, D).
Day 6: We'll explore the heart of the Black Forest today, stopping to visit a clock museum. Afterwards we'll tour an open air museum, with a collection of old farmhouses that exhibit the dress, crafts and traditions of the Black Forest (B).
Day 7: Today we travel from the Black Forest to Rothenburg, on the Romantic Road. This is one of the best preserved walled villages in Germany. We'll see an altarpiece carved by a man known as the 'Michelangelo of Wood,' and take a historic walk through the village with the night watchman (B, D).
Day 8: Departing Rothenburg, we'll drive to a small wine village on the Mosel River. Along the way we'll stop along the busy Rhine River, where we'll board a boat to cruise past a handful of castles and the legendary Lorelei (B, D).
Day 9: We'll visit an 800-year old castle still owned by the family that built it, and taste wine at one of the local wineries. Late afternoon back in our village for relaxing (B).
Day 10: From the Mosel we go east to Dresden to see how the city, once considered the Baroque gem of Europe, has recovered from the ashes of WWII. We'll visit the rebuilt Church of Our Lady, and explore the historic core (B, D).
Day 11: Day trip along the Elbe to Meissen, home to some of the most beautiful porcelain in Europe. We'll visit the factory and see a demonstration of how the porcelain is made, then return to Dresden for the afternoon. Chance to visit one of the museums, or tour the Opera (B).
Day 12: On to Berlin. After our arrival, we'll take an orientation drive and walk, including a visit to what remains of the Wall, and to Checkpoint Charlie (B, D).
Day 13: We'll tour the Pergamon Museum, which houses a huge Roman altar, a Roman city gate, and ancient Babylon's Processional Way and Ishtar Gate. Afterwards we'll wander along the historic Unter den Linden avenue and see the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (B, D).
Day 14: Tour over after breakfast. Transportation to the airport for anyone departing today, or stay on your own in Berlin.
Listed below are some recommended books to help get you in the mood and better prepare you for your trip. By no means do I think you should read all of them, but read through the descriptions and pick out a few that grab you.
A Tramp Abroad, by Mark Twain
In this tongue-in-cheek travelogue, Twain and his mysterious traveling companion make their way through Germany and across the Alps into Italy.
All But My Life: A Memoir, by Gerda Weissmann Klein
From her comfortable home in Bielitz (present-day Bielsko) in Poland to her miraculous survival and her liberation by American troops in Volary, Czechoslovakia, in 1945, Gerda takes the reader on a terrifying journey. Gerda’s beautifully written story gives an invaluable message to everyone. It introduces them to last century’s terrible history of devastation and prejudice, yet offers them hope that the effects of hatred can be overcome.
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
One of the most remarkable war novels ever written, AQWF tosses you into the trenches of WWI. By the end you’ll be crouching in the mud, listening nervously for the whistle of an incoming shell, and just maybe have a greater understanding of why Europeans are so fervently anti-war.
Berlin Noir: 3 Novels in one Volume, by Philip Kerr
Available in one paperback volume, these three mysteries make for easier, more enjoyable reading than the typical non-fiction history book, but still manage to give an insightful look into what life was like in Nazi Germany.
Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War, by Sebastien Faulks
Gloomy, brooding novel about the experiences of trench warfare during The Great War (the war to end all wars). By the end you'll understand what it was like to be mired in mud and random body parts for days on end, waiting to be sent over the side into a hail of machine gun fire and almost certain, but always random death. WWI had a greater effect on the young generation than any war before or since, and this helps explain why.
Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
One of the best known books in the world, Anne’s diary gives us a fascinating blend of the daily rigors of life in hiding combined with a voyeuristic view of the thoughts of a teenager coming of age. No one who reads the book can fail to be touched by her spirit, and pained at her loss.
Germany: A New History, by Hagen Schulze
Consciously written for the person with no previous knowledge of German history, Schulze provides an engaging text that traces Germany's roots in the Nomadic tribes up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Throughout the book he links events with what was happening in society, music, theater and art in Germany, as well as placing them in a larger context of events in Europe and the world.
Inside the Third Reich, by Albert Speer
Originally published in German as Erinnerungen ("Recollections"), Inside the Third Reich is the autobiography of Albert Speer, focusing heavily on the years 1933 to 1945. As one of Hitler's closest associates Speer was privy to the intimate details of the government operation, and provides the best portrayal of life within Hitler's inner circle.
Menu Master for Germany, by Marling
A phrasebook devoted to food, and organized like the typical menu. The brilliant part is that it gives you not just a translation, but a description of how the dish is usually prepared.
Saints and Villains, by Denise Giardina
A fictionalized account of the real life and death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who stuck to his convictions regardless of the cost. Bonhoeffer joined the small Protestant movement against the Nazis during the early days of their rise. Arrested and imprisoned for speaking out against the Nazi Party, he was hanged in the final days of the war.
Sophie Scholl & the White Rose, by Jud Newborn
A very readable and engaging account of the White Rose movement, which attempted to rouse the German nation into overthrowing Hitler and the Nazis.
The German Empire: A Short History, by Michael Sturmer
Focused primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, the lively narrative digs into the social, political and economic forces that propelled Germany from a collection of proud and disparate independent regions to an industrial powerhouse tried to conquer the world.
The Haunted Land, by Tina Rosenberg
When any oppressive regime falls, the newly freed people must deal with questions of guilt and punishment. Rosenberg confronts these issues in the minefield of Eastern Europe, where secret police did what they had been taught was right, and where virtually every citizen was an informant.
The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink
How does the post-war generation of Germans deal with the Holocaust? How do people born after the events, innocent of any crimes, relate to a generation that perpetrated, or at least enabled, some of the worst crimes in history?
Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman.
One day he discovers she is a defendant in a trial related to Germany's Nazi past, and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime. Originally published in Switzerland, The Reader is a brief tale about sex, love, and shame in post-war Germany.
The Silent Angel, by Heinrich Böll
Böll's first novel, written in 1950, wasn't published until 1992 because no German publisher at the time would take on the piece. Still reeling in the aftermath of WWII, Germans were unprepared and unwilling to read such a novel, one that hit far too close to their daily reality.
The novel traces the life of Hans Schnitzler, beginning with him as a proud young recruit in the early days of the war, but quickly finding him as a deserter, haunting the streets of a bombed out, post-war Cologne. Beaten and disillusioned, life is a daily struggle for food, water and shelter, but in the midst of despair Hans manages to find love and compassion.
The Tin Drum, by Günter Grass
Günter Grass novel about a boy who, at the age of three, protests the Nazi regime by willing himself to stop growing.
The Warwolf, by Hermann Löns
This novel, originally written in German, details the lives of a small group of farmers drawn into the conflict of the 30 Years War. A frighteningly perceptive look at the effect of long-term warfare on people and society.
The White Rose, by Inge Scholl
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German Resistence, presents a side of Germany and WWII that is not often told.
A Tramp Abroad, by Mark Twain
In this tongue-in-cheek travelogue, Twain and his mysterious traveling companion make their way through Germany and across the Alps into Italy.
All But My Life: A Memoir, by Gerda Weissmann Klein
From her comfortable home in Bielitz (present-day Bielsko) in Poland to her miraculous survival and her liberation by American troops in Volary, Czechoslovakia, in 1945, Gerda takes the reader on a terrifying journey. Gerda’s beautifully written story gives an invaluable message to everyone. It introduces them to last century’s terrible history of devastation and prejudice, yet offers them hope that the effects of hatred can be overcome.
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
One of the most remarkable war novels ever written, AQWF tosses you into the trenches of WWI. By the end you’ll be crouching in the mud, listening nervously for the whistle of an incoming shell, and just maybe have a greater understanding of why Europeans are so fervently anti-war.
Berlin Noir: 3 Novels in one Volume, by Philip Kerr
Available in one paperback volume, these three mysteries make for easier, more enjoyable reading than the typical non-fiction history book, but still manage to give an insightful look into what life was like in Nazi Germany.
Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War, by Sebastien Faulks
Gloomy, brooding novel about the experiences of trench warfare during The Great War (the war to end all wars). By the end you'll understand what it was like to be mired in mud and random body parts for days on end, waiting to be sent over the side into a hail of machine gun fire and almost certain, but always random death. WWI had a greater effect on the young generation than any war before or since, and this helps explain why.
Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
One of the best known books in the world, Anne’s diary gives us a fascinating blend of the daily rigors of life in hiding combined with a voyeuristic view of the thoughts of a teenager coming of age. No one who reads the book can fail to be touched by her spirit, and pained at her loss.
Germany: A New History, by Hagen Schulze
Consciously written for the person with no previous knowledge of German history, Schulze provides an engaging text that traces Germany's roots in the Nomadic tribes up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Throughout the book he links events with what was happening in society, music, theater and art in Germany, as well as placing them in a larger context of events in Europe and the world.
Inside the Third Reich, by Albert Speer
Originally published in German as Erinnerungen ("Recollections"), Inside the Third Reich is the autobiography of Albert Speer, focusing heavily on the years 1933 to 1945. As one of Hitler's closest associates Speer was privy to the intimate details of the government operation, and provides the best portrayal of life within Hitler's inner circle.
Menu Master for Germany, by Marling
A phrasebook devoted to food, and organized like the typical menu. The brilliant part is that it gives you not just a translation, but a description of how the dish is usually prepared.
Saints and Villains, by Denise Giardina
A fictionalized account of the real life and death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who stuck to his convictions regardless of the cost. Bonhoeffer joined the small Protestant movement against the Nazis during the early days of their rise. Arrested and imprisoned for speaking out against the Nazi Party, he was hanged in the final days of the war.
Sophie Scholl & the White Rose, by Jud Newborn
A very readable and engaging account of the White Rose movement, which attempted to rouse the German nation into overthrowing Hitler and the Nazis.
The German Empire: A Short History, by Michael Sturmer
Focused primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, the lively narrative digs into the social, political and economic forces that propelled Germany from a collection of proud and disparate independent regions to an industrial powerhouse tried to conquer the world.
The Haunted Land, by Tina Rosenberg
When any oppressive regime falls, the newly freed people must deal with questions of guilt and punishment. Rosenberg confronts these issues in the minefield of Eastern Europe, where secret police did what they had been taught was right, and where virtually every citizen was an informant.
The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink
How does the post-war generation of Germans deal with the Holocaust? How do people born after the events, innocent of any crimes, relate to a generation that perpetrated, or at least enabled, some of the worst crimes in history?
Michael Berg is 15 when he begins a long, obsessive affair with Hanna, an enigmatic older woman.
One day he discovers she is a defendant in a trial related to Germany's Nazi past, and it soon becomes clear that she is guilty of an unspeakable crime. Originally published in Switzerland, The Reader is a brief tale about sex, love, and shame in post-war Germany.
The Silent Angel, by Heinrich Böll
Böll's first novel, written in 1950, wasn't published until 1992 because no German publisher at the time would take on the piece. Still reeling in the aftermath of WWII, Germans were unprepared and unwilling to read such a novel, one that hit far too close to their daily reality.
The novel traces the life of Hans Schnitzler, beginning with him as a proud young recruit in the early days of the war, but quickly finding him as a deserter, haunting the streets of a bombed out, post-war Cologne. Beaten and disillusioned, life is a daily struggle for food, water and shelter, but in the midst of despair Hans manages to find love and compassion.
The Tin Drum, by Günter Grass
Günter Grass novel about a boy who, at the age of three, protests the Nazi regime by willing himself to stop growing.
The Warwolf, by Hermann Löns
This novel, originally written in German, details the lives of a small group of farmers drawn into the conflict of the 30 Years War. A frighteningly perceptive look at the effect of long-term warfare on people and society.
The White Rose, by Inge Scholl
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German Resistence, presents a side of Germany and WWII that is not often told.
Listed below are some recommended movies to help get you in the mood and better prepare you for your trip. By no means do I think you should watch all of them, but read through the descriptions and pick out a few that grab you.
Immortal Beloved, with Gary Oldman
Amongst Beethoven's many love affairs, there was one woman he referred to as his 'immortal beloved.' Nobody is quite sure who she was. Set against this mystery a series of flashbacks brings to life the tragic, stormy personality of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Cabaret, Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Gray
A Berlin night club is the focal point for this story that involves an American, an Englishman, and a German as they swirl through the morally decadent, frenetic, and emotionally charged months leading up to WWII. Outside the world is plunging into darkness, but inside the club the show goes on. If you liked the recent smash musical Chicago, you’ll love Cabaret. Winner of eight Academy Awards.
Far Away So Close, directed by Wim Wenders
The sequel to the 1987 masterpiece Wings of Desire, this time taking place in post-Cold War Berlin.
Judgement at Nuremberg, all star cast includes Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, William Shatner, and Maximillian Schell
A stark and realistic film about one of the most pivotal events of modern times, the post-war trial of citizens and soldiers for crimes against humanity.
Lives of Others
When a member of the East German secret police is assigned to monitor the subversive activities of a couple, he becomes involved in their lives more than he intended.
Swing Kids
Great music and dancing set the scene in pre-war WWII Germany in a story that brilliantly demonstrates how ordinary, normal people can be lured into supporting a monstrous government. In most movies Nazi officials and the Gestapo are portrayed as two-dimensional stereotypes, absurd buffoons who are mocked behind their backs. Swing Kids presents the frightening reality of a friendly, smiling character, who gradually indoctrinates and manipulates those around him until there is no escape.
The Marriage of Maria Braun, Veronika Voss, Lola
A masterpiece trilogy from director Rainer Fassbinder, the stories symbolizes the experience of post-WWII Germany, as it emerges from the ashes and battles to reinvent itself.
The Tin Drum
Based on the Günter Grass novel about a boy who, at the age of three, protests the Nazi regime by willing himself to stop growing. Academy Award winner in 1979.
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German Resistance, presents a side of Germany and WWII that is not often told.
Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl
Forced by the Nazi’s to make propaganda films for the Third Reich, the young Riefenstahl produced powerful, groundbreaking films that today still rank as cinematic masterpieces despite the themes. This is her greatest film, a record of the Nazi rally at Nuremberg with Hitler pumping up 200,000 screaming fans. Popular and well respected prior to the war, Riefenstahl did her work too well and suffered for it. She was essentially blacklisted after the war and never made films again.
Wings of Desire, directed by Wim Wenders
This is a tear jerker with great scenes of a divided Berlin. Clad in dark overcoats, angels observe the city’s inhabitants and listen to their thoughts, from worn and weary to young and hopeful. Hollywood remade it as City of Angels with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan, but that film is a pale shadow of the original. Also see Wender’s sequel, Faraway So Close.
Schindler’s List, with Liam Neison, Ralf Fiennes
Spielburg’s haunting look at the true story of Oscar Schindler, an ordinary German business man who took extraordinary risks to save Jews from the extermination camps.
Immortal Beloved, with Gary Oldman
Amongst Beethoven's many love affairs, there was one woman he referred to as his 'immortal beloved.' Nobody is quite sure who she was. Set against this mystery a series of flashbacks brings to life the tragic, stormy personality of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Cabaret, Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Gray
A Berlin night club is the focal point for this story that involves an American, an Englishman, and a German as they swirl through the morally decadent, frenetic, and emotionally charged months leading up to WWII. Outside the world is plunging into darkness, but inside the club the show goes on. If you liked the recent smash musical Chicago, you’ll love Cabaret. Winner of eight Academy Awards.
Far Away So Close, directed by Wim Wenders
The sequel to the 1987 masterpiece Wings of Desire, this time taking place in post-Cold War Berlin.
Judgement at Nuremberg, all star cast includes Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, William Shatner, and Maximillian Schell
A stark and realistic film about one of the most pivotal events of modern times, the post-war trial of citizens and soldiers for crimes against humanity.
Lives of Others
When a member of the East German secret police is assigned to monitor the subversive activities of a couple, he becomes involved in their lives more than he intended.
Swing Kids
Great music and dancing set the scene in pre-war WWII Germany in a story that brilliantly demonstrates how ordinary, normal people can be lured into supporting a monstrous government. In most movies Nazi officials and the Gestapo are portrayed as two-dimensional stereotypes, absurd buffoons who are mocked behind their backs. Swing Kids presents the frightening reality of a friendly, smiling character, who gradually indoctrinates and manipulates those around him until there is no escape.
The Marriage of Maria Braun, Veronika Voss, Lola
A masterpiece trilogy from director Rainer Fassbinder, the stories symbolizes the experience of post-WWII Germany, as it emerges from the ashes and battles to reinvent itself.
The Tin Drum
Based on the Günter Grass novel about a boy who, at the age of three, protests the Nazi regime by willing himself to stop growing. Academy Award winner in 1979.
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
The true story of Sophie Scholl, a member of the German Resistance, presents a side of Germany and WWII that is not often told.
Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl
Forced by the Nazi’s to make propaganda films for the Third Reich, the young Riefenstahl produced powerful, groundbreaking films that today still rank as cinematic masterpieces despite the themes. This is her greatest film, a record of the Nazi rally at Nuremberg with Hitler pumping up 200,000 screaming fans. Popular and well respected prior to the war, Riefenstahl did her work too well and suffered for it. She was essentially blacklisted after the war and never made films again.
Wings of Desire, directed by Wim Wenders
This is a tear jerker with great scenes of a divided Berlin. Clad in dark overcoats, angels observe the city’s inhabitants and listen to their thoughts, from worn and weary to young and hopeful. Hollywood remade it as City of Angels with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan, but that film is a pale shadow of the original. Also see Wender’s sequel, Faraway So Close.
Schindler’s List, with Liam Neison, Ralf Fiennes
Spielburg’s haunting look at the true story of Oscar Schindler, an ordinary German business man who took extraordinary risks to save Jews from the extermination camps.