Fleeing Through Nazi Germany: A Review of "The Passenger" by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz

Escaping Shadows: A man on the run in Nazi Germany

Title: The Passenger

Author: Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz

Publishing Date: 2021

Publisher: Metropolitan Books

"The Passenger" by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz is an uncannily prescient and gripping novel that immerses readers in the gloomy atmosphere of Nazi Germany as it descends into darkness. Boschwitz takes us on a haunting journey through the depths of Nazi Germany, as experienced through the eyes of Otto Silbermann, a successful Jewish businessman in Berlin. The novel opens on the night of Kristallnacht, the infamous pogrom that marked the Nazis' lethal intent toward Jews. Silbermann's world, once steady and secure, is shattered, and he is forced to confront the terrifying reality of his new existence.

Boschwitz's prose immediately draws us into the palpable tension of the era, skillfully blending historical context with a compelling narrative. The central character, Otto Silbermann, is an ordinary man caught in the jaws of an extraordinary and brutal historical moment. As a Jewish man, his identity is forcibly imposed upon him by the new rulers of the country, forever marked with the ominous "J" on his passport. From this point on, he becomes a fugitive, constantly on the move, desperately seeking a way to survive the relentless persecution.

The central theme of displacement resonates throughout the novel. Silbermann, portrayed with depth and complexity, becomes a man without a home, his once vibrant life now reduced to the stark existence of an on-the-run refugee. He is forced to leave his wife and flee his home, becoming a man on the run, endlessly hopping on and off trains crisscrossing Germany in an attempt to escape the horrors of the Nazi regime. Yet, there is no real destination for him; only desperation and disintegration await him, forever traveling but going nowhere. Silbermann's futile attempts to evade the oppressive forces, constantly fearing that his papers might be checked, create a surreal and claustrophobic atmosphere, akin to an actual nightmare. Boschwitz's vivid descriptions of Silbermann's constant state of anxiety create an intense and claustrophobic atmosphere, drawing us into the character's relentless plight.