A righteous man among the Nazi demons

As historians sift through the archives, more and more forgotten or little-known stories relating to the Second World War emerge. The documents often give us evidence of the abominations and cruelties committed during the conflict. Sometimes, however, they tell us stories that help us regain trust in humanity, or rather in human beings.

The volume " Kersten's list " (Rizzoli, 2024, pp. 416, also e-book) offers us one of these virtuous stories, that of the doctor who treated the head of the SS Heinrich Himmler and who exploited this closeness with one of the most ferocious Nazi leaders to save the lives of thousands of people , including many Jews .

The Finnish Felix Kersten, this is the name of our protagonist, was one of the most famous physiotherapists in Europe before the war. As the author of the volume dedicated to him, the French historian François Kersaudy, tells us, in his studies in Berlin and The Hague he received personalities, industrial magnates and politicians. Until he was contacted in 1939 by Himmler who had been suffering from excruciating abdominal pain for some time which no doctor could soothe. Kersten managed to make the pain go away and from that moment on he became indispensable to the SS commander who wanted him at his side more and more often. During the sessions Kersten found a way to become familiar with the Nazi hierarch and by exploiting his trust and gratitude she was able to intercede on behalf of many people who were detained in the concentration camps of the Third Reich . In the final days of the war, in April 1945, he even managed to convince Himmler not to give the order to destroy the concentration camps, thus avoiding the death of tens of thousands of Jews.

Despite the importance of his action, for many decades Kersten's story was told in silence . There was little evidence of his efforts on behalf of Nazi prisoners. His actions had remained under the radar, conducted without too much fanfare to avoid breaking the bond of trust with Himmler. François Kersaudy has combed through German, Dutch, Danish and Swedish archives for years and has found archives, memoirs, diaries and notes which have allowed him, thanks to rigorous and meticulous work, to tell us about a hero who was modest in appearance and behaviour, grandiose in actions, objectives and results. A hero capable of showing us that we could remain just men even when mixed with demons.