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Priestblock 25487: A Memoir of Dachau Paperback – November 5, 2007
Priestblock 25487 tells the gripping true story of one remarkable priest's survival amid the inhuman brutality and torture of a Nazi concentration camp.
In 2004, this important book was made into the award-winning film The Ninth Day. Introduction by Robert Royal. Preface by Cardinal O'Malley of Boston.
Praise for Priestblock 25487
''Stunning... Casts light into dark and previously neglected corners of the horror that was the Third Reich.''
–Richard John Neuhaus
''Fr. Jean Bernard's portrait of survival in a German concentration camp is simple, forceful and vivid and therefore impossible to put down or forget. Priestblock 25487 is a diary of Catholic discipleship under extreme conditions that ranks with the great 20th Century personal testimonies against totalitarian violence.''
–Archbishop Chaput
''Many hundreds of books have been written about German concentration and extermination camps. Of these, Priestblock 25487 is among the very best. Every scholar and student of that dreadful chapter of 20th-century history ought to read and ponder its contents.''
–John Lukacs, author The Hitler of History; and Five Days in London: May 1940
''From the opening scene in a Nazi interrogation room, Priestblock 25487 moves with page-turning urgency as it brings to life a side of history that is too often forgotten. I highly recommend this powerful and inspiring book.''
–Thomas E. Woods, author How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
''In its understated power, this brief book is unforgettable.''
–Michael Novak
''Important... luminous... Moves the reader to compassion and insight.''
–Rachelle Linner, Catholic News Service
''Deeply moving... The suffering of these priests for the sake of the loving God is one of the modern age's glorious mysteries.''
–Fr. George Rutler
''I found this compelling book hard to stop reading.''
–Tim Johnson, Today's Catholic
''Riveting... an important primary source for historians.''
–John Burger, National Catholic Register
''Absorbing... Beautifully written.''
–Erin Ryan, National Catholic Reporter
''A gripping story of heroism and horror that must never be forgotten.''
–First Things
''Should be treated as a meditation, even something to be read again and again... So profound it deserves a wide readership.''
–Barbara Stinson Lee, Intermountain Catholic
''A must-read for Catholics. Provides fresh anecdotal insight into the Vatican's battle against the Nazis... As this first-hand account shows in riveting detail, the mere rumor of clerical opposition on the outside sufficed to intensify suffering on the inside.''
–Daniel Cole, The Wanderer
''A gripping testimony of the brutal treatment Catholic clergy received at the hands of the Nazis.''
–William Donohue, President, Catholic League
''It is dramatic. It is brutally honest. I loved the book and could not put it down.''
–Teresa Tomeo, Ave Maria Radio
''I began reading this book on Friday night and finished the 175 pages in three hours. It was a book I could not put down or stop reading.''
–Rev. Steve Wood, St. John's Evangelical Church
- Print length177 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherIgnatius Press
- Publication dateNovember 5, 2007
- Dimensions5 x 0.75 x 7.25 inches
- ISBN-100972598170
- ISBN-13978-0972598170
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Product details
- Publisher : Ignatius Press (November 5, 2007)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 177 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0972598170
- ISBN-13 : 978-0972598170
- Item Weight : 7.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5 x 0.75 x 7.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #688,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,724 in Christian Church History (Books)
- #3,964 in Religious Leader Biographies
- #6,162 in World War II History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Two examples from the book follow, which some might call spoilers....
The most poignant moment for me was reading about how one of the priests (in a camp full of priests) was able to sneak in a piece of the consecrated Eucharist (Jesus, himself for Catholics, and particularly sacred for a priest). This priest shared a small piece with three of his brother priests there. They each treasured it, longing for the peace this sliver would bring to them, if consumed. Yet, even as they starved, each saved their sliver for the moment they were certain would come for each of them.. when they would be carried on to the transport to take them to the place of their death.
The most shocking of the many shocking stories was about how completely hungry these men were. There is one time when they are carted out to work in a field. Nearby, is a kitchen compost where scraps are dumped daily. The men - priests - watch as pieces of old lettuce or cabbage or a few carrot tops are dumped by kitchen staff. They make their way over to the compost, hoping to score a few of these scraps, but are noticed by a guard. The guard knows what they want, so he laughs and pees on the compost. The evil in that act is shocking, but what's more, these men are so hungry, they eat the scraps anyway. How can any person do that to another person? How?
This book is not for the faint of heart, but it will help the reader to appreciate, particularly in our age of excess, just how very different life was in a German concentration camp.
As a Christian, I found this account to be devastating on many levels - the wholesale defection of a large part of the church establishment in Europe, which of course, I already knew about, but I did not know from any intimate account the evil arrayed against the priests themselves. When a society turns good into evil and evil into good, it allows the powers of Hell to run rampant - a great warning to our present day world. Yes, it could and will happen again. Yes, immense evil can infect a society in only a few short years, and that society will bear no resemblance to what it thought it was before. I admire so much this priest's humility and the honesty that he shared with us that did not spare himself.
Once you pick the book up, don't plan on putting it down until you've finished it. It's as compelling as the first half of Shcharansky's: Fear No Evil.
This book is also inspirational on multiple levels. I would hand it to our servicemen and women who are recovering from battle wounds. He leaves the reader with hope in the face of real evil.
The one thing it's missing is what became of some of his friends and fellow priests. We know that some perished at their tormentors' hands, but others simply vanish at the end of the book.
Given the subject matter, the book is not for the faint of heart. It is not as graphic as it could have been, but it is sufficiently graphic to leave you deeply saddened at the state of humanity in the Nazis. It's on par with the film Schindler's List in its explicit or not so explicit nature when dealing with human perpetrated torture.
When we look back now over seventy years, a book like this reminds us of the descent into darkness and barbarity of the Nazi regime, and hopefully we are encouraged to live our lives in ways that will not permit this to happen again because we live believing that "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1: 5). It is a good addition to the literature of the Holocaust.
Top reviews from other countries
I approached the book with caution, expecting to be torn by harrowing accounts of brutality. It was not so. Yes, Father Bernard describes official and arbitrary acts of sadism, harrassment and inhumanity. He describes physical and mental suffering, but not in-your-face emotionally. He also describes mutual support, the will to live and hope in the most adverse conditions. Father Bernard's integrity, dignity and faith, together with that of his fellow priests, shine through.
Until relatively recently I had only ever heard of Jews in the concentration camps. This book sheds a light on a little-known aspect of history at the time - the Nazis hated priests.
The translator and publisher have taken unwarrented liberties, which would give them 2-3 stars in my book. The translator is American and the style is modern American which, in a couple of places trivialises the situation described. In addition she is inconsistent, using e.g. both `anymore' and 'any more', and uses a narrative form that flips from past tense to present tense, even with a single sentence. I find this extremely irritating. Finally, with regard to the one chapter entitled `Easter Week': the narrative tells of the week before Easter and I do not believe that any priest would call this week by any name but it's proper one: Holy Week.






