Escape to Freedom

Prologue 1950's xi PART I: Roots of Evil, Threads of Promise From the Beginning 1962 1 A Land and Its Mysteries 3 2 A Holy Theft 5 3 Wanderers without a Home 10 4 A Mysterious Pilgrim 12 5 Preservation of the Legacy 17 6 A New Homeland 19 7 Dark Secrets 21 8 A People and Their Heritage 24 9 A Son of Jacob 27 10 A Daughter of Israel 30 11 Der Mauer 32 12 Anxious Thoughts 37 13 Frustrated Greed 41 14 KGB Schemes 45 15 Acrid Memories 50 16 Three-Way Search 52 17 Multiple Trails 54 18 Happy Reunion 55 19 Revisited Proposal 60 20 Unpleasant Broodings 62 21 A Quiet Talk of Love 69 22 Somber News 73 23 A Raid at Number 42 74 PART II: Lola Reinhardt Marc May 1962 24 Lonely Decision 83 25 The Deep Call of Life 85 26 Acquaintance of Convenience 88 27 House of Refuge 90 28 Discussion of Options 96 29 A Daring Plan 98 30 Reserved Reunion 104 31 Back on the Hunt 108 32 Neighbors 111 33 Hermann 115 34 Dropping the Net 117 35 A Wet Path toward Freedom 122 36 Section Chief and Secretary 125 37 Underground Trap 127 38 Close Getaway 133 PART III: Ursula Wissen April June 1962 39 Many Fogs 141 40 An Ancient and Sacred Pledge 145 41 Fading Hopes and Fragrances 148 42 Memory of a Smile 150 43 Prayer from a Lonely Heart 153 44 Retreat and Regroup 155 45 Consulate Request 161 46 Brotherhood of the Heart 163 47 Chilly Mountain Walk 167 48 Unexpected Correspondence 172 49 A Community of Friends 175 50 Matthew 5:44 178 PART IV: Joseph Aviz-Rabin July August 1962 51 Joseph ben Eleazar 187 52 Separations 189 53 Call to Wakefulness 193 54 Lonely Resolution 197 55 The Three Communists 199 56 Bavarian Retreat 203 57 The Two Engineers 210 58 A Peculiar Visit 213 50 Preparations USSR 216 60 Preparations DDR 219 61 Bottom Crawlers 222 62 Father and Daughter 227 Part V: Dieder Palachi August 1962 63 Treason and Arrest 237 64 Irate Call 240 65 Contact 244 66 Clandestine Business 245 67 Ladislas Grazinski 249 68 Ancient Words out of the Dark 253 69 A Strange Gathering 254 70 Inquisitive Eyes 257 71 A Supper and Questions 260 72 A Late Call 266 73 Frightful Intrusion 269 74 The Brotherhood of Bialystok 272 75 Prophetic Interview 276 76 Shining Light on Inner Cracks 281 77 Unusual Insight 285 78 Doors of Resistance 288 79 The Second Red Circle 290 80 The Freedom of Ultimate Truth 292 81 Intimacy with the Father 295 82 Next Stage of the Journey 298 83 KGB Revenge 301 84 Husbands and Wives 304 85 Expanding Friendships 305 86 Refuge Penetrated 308 87 Burning the Past's Bridges 310 88 Joseph's Flight 312 89 Help from an Unforeseen Quarter 314 90 Lola and Sabina 316 91 Toward a New Life 319 92 Wrathful Revelation 320 93 Sincerely, Detmold 323 Part VI: E. Brecht September 1962 94 Laying Down the Past 329 95 West-Side Preparations 331 96 Inner Wall to Freedom 333 97 Prayer of Capitulation 335 98 Uneasy Sleep 338 99 Readying for Flight 341 100 Clues Leading West 344 101 Unknown Acquaintance 348 102 Final Peace 351 103 Waiting 356 104 Escape Not over a Wall, But up a Stair 358 105 The Final Piece 361 106 The Mourners 362 107 Chase by Air 364 108 The Signal 365 109 Convergence at the Place of Death 368 110 A Moment of Remembrance 369 111 Final Fury 372 Part VII: Escape to Freedom September December 1962 112 Freedom 377 113 For Love of Hyacinth 380 114 Another Reunion 383 115 The Strange Fate of Gustav von Schmundt 386 116 Hot Baths and Clean Sheets 390 117 Catching Up on the Months and Years 393 118 Kleines Lebenshaus 397 119 The Photographs 403 120 New and Sacred Vows 407 121 The Busy Kitchen 418 122 Chalet Christmas Revisited 422 123 Knotted Strands 428 Author's Note 433 About the Author 435