Upon its premiere, The Deputy stirred up more controversy and caused greater repercussions than any other postwar work. Based on Rolf Hochhuth's research into the Vatican activities during World War II, the play's treatment of Pope Pius XII — the "deputy" of Christ on earth — and the Church during the Nazi persecution of the Jews made it the object of impassioned praise and violent denunciation. It is a powerful, shocking work that casts a penetrating eye on the role that supposed moral leaders must play in times of great humanitarian crises.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"The outstanding, burning, controversial drama of... [the] postwar years." -- New Yorker
"Extraordinary... A devastating experience." -- San Francisco Chronicle
"A cry from the mind as well as the heart... Its ambition is deeper, its scope wider, its ferocity more sustained than those of any other play written since the war." -- New Leader
"Quite possibly the most important Christian document to develop from the abysmal tragedy of World War II... It brings home with the sharpness of a scalpel, as no history, no film, and no news report can do, the utter horror of the Nazis' 'final solution'... No one who reads this will fail to be stirred by it." -- Los Angeles Times
"Shattering... powerful impact... one of the scarring moral parables of our age." -- New York Post
"Immense scope and power... Nothing has been produced since the war to set beside its profundity, its compassion, its understanding." -- London Daily Mail
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Book Description
"Fierce and compelling... A remorseless, furious J'accuse." -- New York Times
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
"The Deputy" is stunning and still relevant, despite the acidic reviews you might find here contesting the pertinence of this play. It's more than probable the negative ratings in regards to this piece belong to the pious who, instead of looking at the objective facts, hide behind their own grandiose illusions regarding the dogmas into which they have been indoctrinated.
Afterall, is there any historical doubt that Pope Pius XII did not publicly condemn the wholesale slaughter of Jews by the Nazi regime? I haven't seen any document stating otherwise. Sure, he made blanket condemnations pronounced in the garb of generalities, but that's not what Hochhuth's play addresses. It's a simple question we must ask: should, as some consider, the highest moral authority on the planet straddle the fence in an attempt not to offend anyone, or should we expect a public condemnation of evil on such a grand scale? This, in my view, and in sum, is the dilemma the play poses to each reader.
9 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Scott Ross
Format:Paperback
It may be difficult to imagine how one would stage this play effectively: it's length is prohibitive and it moves around from location to location, each described in great, novelistic detail by the playwright, and utterly impractical in a theatrical context. But it's a riveting, rigorously intelligent and utterly damning take of Pius's unforgivable reticense regarding the Holocaust. What with the Vatican's continued talk of canonizing Pius -- in spite of its much-ballyhooed (by the Vatican only) talk of repentence for centuries of murderous anti-Semitism -- this is a timely play and should be read widely.
By Ann Lackey
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Reader beware. THE DEPUTY is not history or literature. It is
Soviet-style propaganda--fiction presented under the guise of
history with the intent to mislead and misrepresent. This play
entrapped many-readers and historians alike. Its power proved so
great that it is an historic event of the 20th century.
I avoided THE DEPUTY when researching its antidote & counterpoint,
THE GLORY OF THE OLIVE.[...].Getting facts to achieve true
historical perspective and understanding proved an imperative goal.
Having achieved that, I can now address a portion from my second project,
THE PIUS PREDICAMENT, and a major problem arising from THE DEPUTY.
It intrigues me that no one has noticed Pius has become a scapegoat for
the guilt of the Holocaust. Consider the following:
1)Aside from the Resistance and courageous individuals, FDR,
Churchill,the Protestant churches, the Jewish religious groups
did little or nothing. Check #4 below.
2)Thanks to Pius' leadership, silent or spoken, 80% of the
Roman Jews never reached the gas chambers.
The problem is THE DEPUTY lacks historical perspective. How so? Hochhuth
took a post-war issue and made it a war-issue. True, the Holocaust
happened during the War and rumors abounded. Yet it was post-war, because....
1) the War was the prime focus.
2) the Holocaust was an effect of the war.
3) the Holocaust was secretly enforced.
4) the Holocaust was officially known in late 1942 near the war's end.
Pius was able to marshal support in Rome because he had the religious leverage
with the many institutions; it coincided with his (4) knowledge of the Holocaust
from his inquiries with FDR and the German occupation & plans to seize Jews in Rome.
For a quick, reliable resource, I recommend Dr. Marchione's paperback,
Did Pope Pius XII Help the Jews?.
Don't miss David Dalin's
The Myth of Hitler's Pope: Pope Pius XII And His Secret War Against Nazi Germany
and Kurzman's
A Special Mission: Hitler's Secret Plot to Seize the Vatican and Kidnap Pope Pius XII.
Happy reading--
Soviet-style propaganda--fiction presented under the guise of
history with the intent to mislead and misrepresent. This play
entrapped many-readers and historians alike. Its power proved so
great that it is an historic event of the 20th century.
I avoided THE DEPUTY when researching its antidote & counterpoint,
THE GLORY OF THE OLIVE.[...].Getting facts to achieve true
historical perspective and understanding proved an imperative goal.
Having achieved that, I can now address a portion from my second project,
THE PIUS PREDICAMENT, and a major problem arising from THE DEPUTY.
It intrigues me that no one has noticed Pius has become a scapegoat for
the guilt of the Holocaust. Consider the following:
1)Aside from the Resistance and courageous individuals, FDR,
Churchill,the Protestant churches, the Jewish religious groups
did little or nothing. Check #4 below.
2)Thanks to Pius' leadership, silent or spoken, 80% of the
Roman Jews never reached the gas chambers.
The problem is THE DEPUTY lacks historical perspective. How so? Hochhuth
took a post-war issue and made it a war-issue. True, the Holocaust
happened during the War and rumors abounded. Yet it was post-war, because....
1) the War was the prime focus.
2) the Holocaust was an effect of the war.
3) the Holocaust was secretly enforced.
4) the Holocaust was officially known in late 1942 near the war's end.
Pius was able to marshal support in Rome because he had the religious leverage
with the many institutions; it coincided with his (4) knowledge of the Holocaust
from his inquiries with FDR and the German occupation & plans to seize Jews in Rome.
For a quick, reliable resource, I recommend Dr. Marchione's paperback,
Did Pope Pius XII Help the Jews?.
Don't miss David Dalin's
The Myth of Hitler's Pope: Pope Pius XII And His Secret War Against Nazi Germany
and Kurzman's
A Special Mission: Hitler's Secret Plot to Seize the Vatican and Kidnap Pope Pius XII.
Happy reading--
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Catholicism at its darkest hour
Unbelieveable actions in the name of piety! Mans inhumanity to mankind..... A definite pattern for the holocaust and naziism of WWII!
Published 5 months ago by G. Mergener
5.0 out of 5 stars
this book needs to be read by all Christians
There are things I knew about Nazi Germany in general. This book presents the dilema of one man, the the problems his dilema cause to many others. Read more
Published on February 12, 2011 by john fitzgerald
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic
Not all that long ago, Huchhuth's play was a current event, controversial on the international level. Read more
Published on October 16, 2009 by Lloyd Smith
3.0 out of 5 stars
renewed interest
I want to say that as a work of dramatic writing I think the author relies far too much on the personality of Pius XII and not enough on the institutional nature of the Church... Read more
Published on February 23, 2004 by rjanos
1.0 out of 5 stars
Embarrassing, historically obtuse, obsolete
Some works of literature wear well with time, and some do not.
Understandably, The Deputy was quite a red-hot item 40 years ago, when there was a certain frisson in criticizing... Read more
Published on February 3, 2002 by Julianne L. Wiley
1.0 out of 5 stars
Libelous slander
I was tempted to write a long review, pointing out how this play is merely a tissue of lies, using quotes from both Catholic and Jewish sources that prove that Pius XII saved... Read more
Published on August 9, 2001 by Nicholas A. Trandem
3.0 out of 5 stars
Impossible to be unbiased
After reading the play and reading the reviews at this site, I have come to realize that any person connected with the Catholic faith will object to the history behind this play. Read more
Published on March 4, 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars
Denial Adds To Guilt
"The Deputy" is based on documented factual history. In what may be a matter of loyalty to their faith, some Amazon reviewers have claimed that Pope Pius II DID speak... Read more
Published on February 18, 2001
1.0 out of 5 stars
But it's not true
The Deputy is a fair to good play, considered as a piece of drama. There's tension, conflict, and a good denouement. Read more
Published on September 9, 2000 by Amanda McCoy
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Fantastic Deputy
Hocchuth's play is a piece of anti-Catholic fiction. The characters, the speeches, the accusations are fictious. Read more
Published on September 8, 2000 by Bruce Stein
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