Marian Pretzel (1921–2010)

This book is quite a bit different in tone from most Holocaust memoirs, since Pretzel spent most of his time living a relatively carefree life disguised as a Pole. An art student before the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Pretzel discovered he could use his talents and training to produce excellent forged documents.

For himself and his friends, he had identity cards made, listing them as workers for the Germans so they didn't have to worry about being picked up and shipped off to Germany, as well as ration cards so they didn't have to worry about food. They sold more forged ration cards to support themselves. Much of the book is about Pretzel's various schemes to outwit the Nazis and keep himself and other Jews (sometimes even people he didn't know) out of trouble. There was a great deal of sniggering behind the Germans' backs. It all makes for a relatively upbeat tale -- although it is still about the Holocaust and thus no bed of roses. Pretzel was the sole survivor of his family.

I Googled his name and found out he died in 2010. It always makes me sad to hear of a Holocaust survivor's death. A bonus: famous Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal gets a cameo appearance in the book; he helped Pretzel escape from the ghetto.… (más)