Loyalty and disloyalty, joy and terror, a tale of extremes
A Novel Unearthed: Revolving Around Deception, Power, and the Price of Truth.
Hear me out, but beware, this book is not intended as a covert operation for Western intelligence to absolve one's own wrongdoings.
German author Hartmut König has penned a thrilling political novel. Though Kafkaesque in nature, he emphasizes it's not just about blame; he seeks understanding. He delves deeper, having more knowledge than the authors of 'The Trial' or '1984' could have anticipated. He reveals the sordid history of an ideology inspired by noble intentions - the one that emerged in 1917 with grand promises, captivating millions, offering freedom from oppression, exploitation, disenfranchisement, and servitude. A model that ultimately failed to live up to its promise: the actually implemented socialism on one-sixth of the earth.
Unlike Kafka or Orwell, König isn't competing; he's digging for explanations. He delves into the dark corners of the movement, knowing more as a contemporary than the writers of the 1920s or the English in Spain did among the international fighters against Franco. Hartmut König, born in 1947, is familiar with the monstrous show trials in the Soviet Union of the 1930s and late 1940s/early 1950s in Eastern Europe, about structures, mechanisms, and people. His understanding comes from survivors who broke their silence decades later, victims and perpetrators alike, and thanks to research done in opened archives in the 1990s.
The former journalist and deputy culture minister of the GDR delves into the ugly side of communism, focusing on its anti-Semitic tinged trial against Rudolf Slánský and comrades in 1952 in Prague, as well as other show trials against high-ranking communist officials in post-war Europe. These trials were expressions of paranoia and repression, fueled by Western propaganda.
König focuses on the 1952 trial in Prague, the one in Budapest against László Rajk three years earlier, and the one in Sofia against Traicho Kostov. He also explores the attempted trial in Warsaw against Władysław Gomułka and the brutal purges led by Enver Hoxha in Albania. Everything followed the same pattern, largely due to NKVD chief Lavrentiy Beria. Yet, König also notes other strings being pulled.
In the 1970s, König served as editor-in-chief of "World Students News," published in Prague by the International Student Union. Even behind the Iron Curtain, he says, people weren't dumb, blind, or clueless. On a chilly January day in 1974, as "Rudé právo," the central organ of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, announced the death of the disgraced KPC functionary Josef Smrkovský, König wanted to enjoy a "Staropramen" when an older man approached him, weighed down by a heavy heart:
"Joseph didn't deserve that... As if he hadn't been a hero during the Nazi occupation, a great hope afterward. But betrayed by Stalin and his Prague followers. Arrested, wrongly convicted. Released after Stalin's death, but not restored to his rightful place."
Half a century later, König reflects on that episode, eager to uncover the truth behind Josef Smrkovský's fate and those of his comrades. He examines historical accounts, shedding light not only on mistrust and denunciation within the communist movement but also on a targeted misinformation campaign by Western services - the CIA's 1948 secret operation "Splinter Factor." This operation set off a spiral of paranoia and repression, culminating in large-scale show trials in the socialist camp.
The tragic fate of Oskar Chesilski, a fictional figure whose life story mirrors that of many communist officials in Eastern and Central Europe throughout the 20th century, is the foundation for König's story. The docu-fiction is narrated through a series of testimonies from those involved in Chesilski's case, shedding light on their roles and motivations. The plot moves forward as these characters trade their stories, reporting both truth and lies.
The novel is a page-turner, featuring a thrilling mix of history and fiction. It masterfully blends historical facts with literary imagination, weaving together the fates of real and fictional characters in a tapestry of espionage, propaganda, and betrayal. The tragic fate of Oskar Chesilski must be clarified. Hartmut König has created a gripping narrative, leaving readers questioning who to trust and what really happened in the dark corners of history.
Hartmut König's political thriller, "Stalin, Dulles, and the Gallows in Prague," is a compelling exploration of the complex web of deception and power during the Cold War era. It offers a unique perspective on communist Europe and the role of Western propaganda in shaping events. The novel serves as a chilling reminder of the price of truth and the dangers of fallacious narratives.
Das Neue Berlin, November 2022. 128 pages, hardcover, €14.00.
The novel, "Stalin, Dulles, and the Gallows in Prague," by Hartmut König, delves into the realms of books as a source of entertainment and general-news, exploring the price of truth, politics, and the dark history of communism. Unlike works like 'The Trial' or '1984', König aims to provide more than just accusations; he seeks to offer explanations and understanding, illuminating the connected histories of show trials in post-war Europe, the role of Western propaganda, and the tragically entwined fates of real and fictional characters.
