Gilbers, Harald, (Germania: A Novel of Nazi Berlin [hc, Thomas Dunne Books, 2020] 978-1250246936
International · Fiction author
Harald Gilbers
Harald Gilbers (born 1969 in Moers, Germany) – worked as television director and freelance theater director before turning to writing thrillers. He is best-known for his 9-volume (so far) series featuring Richard Oppenheimer, a Jewish detective on the Berlin police force, who keeps solving murders throughout the Nazi era and into the 1950s. His Jewish identity is primarily secular rather than religious. Ultimately, his identification is defined by his persistence—maintaining his humanity and professional integrity in a world that has officially classified him as “sub-human.” How is it possible for him to continue working? Through a precarious, coerced arrangement with the SS. His “protection” and ability to investigate are based on these key plot points:
Expertise Over Ideology: Before the Nuremberg Laws, Oppenheimer was a star detective in the Berlin police (Kripo). When a serial killer begins targeting high-ranking Nazis or posing a PR threat to the Party, the SS realizes their “Aryan” detectives lack the specific skills to solve the case.
The “Honorary” Protection: He is pulled from a “Judenhaus” (a crowded house for Jews) by SS Hauptsturmführer Vogler. Vogler acts as his handler, providing him with a temporary reprieve from deportation as long as he is useful.
A “Ghost” Investigator: Oppenheimer has to work in the shadows. He cannot officially arrest anyone or carry a weapon. He investigates the clues, and the SS takes the credit for his findings.
The Mixed-Marriage Shield: His survival is also tethered to his “privileged” status because his wife, Lisa, is an Aryan. While this didn’t stop the Nazis from stripping his rights, it provided a thin layer of bureaucratic protection that the SS exploited to keep him in Berlin.
Essentially, his life is the bargaining chip. If he fails to solve a case, he and his wife face immediate deportation to a concentration camp. After the War, he continues working in Cold War Berlin based on his acknowledged professional excellence.
As of 2026, only the first volume in the series, Germania, has been translated into English, though others have been translated into French and Italian. [Google/AI]