Secrets of the Dead: Bombing Auschwitz

In April 1944, two prisoners, Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler, miraculously escaped from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and reported the horrific truth to the world for the first time. The documentary film follows their adventurous journey as they tried to convey this information to the Allies. Both Vrba and Wetzler were inmates at Auschwitz-Birkenau and had detailed knowledge of the mass extermination mechanisms. Wetzler, who worked as a registrar, registered the belongings of new arrivals, including clothing and jewelry, and was able to follow conversations of the guards due to his German language skills. After their escape, they reported their findings to the Slovak Jewish Council, which led to a detailed report known as the "Auschwitz Protocols." The report was then sent to the War Refugee Board founded by US President Roosevelt, sparking a heated debate among the Allies about how to prevent the mass murder in Auschwitz. The report revealed that the Nazis were planning to kill 800,000 Hungarian Jews, prompting action to be taken. One option was to bomb the newly built Kosice-Presov railway line leading to Auschwitz or the camp itself. However, the British and Americans deemed a bombing of the camp unacceptable, citing the potential loss of innocent lives.