Legacy of Sorrows (11 page)

In 1985, the news that Kuller was waiting for arrived. It was announced in the German press that Walter Reder was to be released within the next few weeks. Kuller was overjoyed with this news. He even took Gertrude out for a meal to celebrate, much to her surprise. He contacted as many of his closest ex-SS comrades as he could and organised a party to celebrate Reder's release and to plan a reception in his honour in Vienna. He even contacted the Austrian Defence minister Herr Frischenschlager to tell him that the last Austrian prisoner of war, incarcerated in an Italian jail, was about to be released after thirty-four years. Herr Frischenschlager, who had been completely unaware of Reder, or his imprisonment up to this point, promised to meet him with full military honours on his arrival at the airport. His office even informed the Austrian television stations of the event in order to get the greatest publicity. The minister saw this as the dawn of a new era for Austria. The past forgotten and the future lying wide open. The only thing missing in all of this hype was that Kuller conveniently forgot to mention to the minister that Reder was not a prisoner of war but was in fact a convicted war criminal who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a military court in Siena for the massacre of Italian civilians on Monte Sole and Sant' Anna di Stazzema.

Finally, the big day arrived. The Defence minister was in attendance with a military band. The television cameras of Austria's three television stations were ready and waiting for Reder's plane to appear. The ranks of newspaper journalists were waiting to hear from Reder's own lips, the returning war hero, how it felt to be free again.

At last the plane landed and the official delegation, comprising of the Minister of Defence, the Mayor of Munich, the Colonel of Police and the local military Commander all lined up to meet their guest of honour. To the side of the runway, Kuller and his Old Comrades Association stood to attention to receive their distinguished and beloved leader.

The moment Reder appeared at the head of the steps that were covered in red carpet to suit the occasion, the band struck up the Austrian national anthem. Herr Frischenschlager stepped forward to shake Reder's hand and introduced him to the assembled dignitaries, who then followed on behind as Reder inspected his Old Comrades honour guard.

Kuller face was beaming as Reder approached him and warmly shook his hand before embracing him. The television cameras mounted on their mobile platforms captured every word and every moment and transmitted it throughout Austria to the delight of the population. There was even a link-up with RAI Italian television for their early evening news bulletin. Reder was still big news. Even more so now that he had been accepted by the Austrian establishment in the person of the Minister of Defence as a returning war hero. The Catholic Church even presented him with a hunting lodge in the Austrian Alps as a temporary home until he was settled, and it wasn't too long before the Austrian government, on behalf of the Austrian people, gifted him a home of his own. It is interesting to note that it was around this time that Reder rescinded the letter of apology he had written to the municipality of Marzabotto and to the Italian people in general, stating that as a soldier, he had merely done his duty and followed orders, therefore he felt no guilt or remorse.

The feelings of outrage and disbelief in Italy at Reder's rehabilitation and integration into Austrian society sounded loud and clear in the Italian media. It was universally condemned as unprecedented and dangerous for a tried and convicted war criminal to be feted by the Austrian government, people, and media in such an outward display of affection. It was an insult to the Italian people and to the memory of those slain.

Vatican sources in Rome and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Italy and Austria then went into overdrive and were instrumental in bringing to an end the ill feelings generated by the Austrian government's actions.

Chapter 9

I
was
sitting at home with my family and had just finished eating my evening meal and was enjoying my after dinner espresso. I called out to Moreno, ‘Would you switch on the evening news, please.' Moreno picked up the remote control and the screen came to life. It was filled with a newsreader presenting the news of Reder's release and his reception at the airport. The picture then changed from the newsreader in the studio to the airport runway at Vienna.

I sat in shock and watched the screen in silence. Maria came in from the kitchen and sat beside me, holding my hand. Moreno turned the sound up.

The presenter on the ground was describing the scene as Reder inspected his honour guard. I froze as I recognised Kuller shaking his hand and embracing him.

‘It's him, Kuller.' I stood and shouted out aloud. Moreno reached over to the cassette recorder and turned it on to record the events so we could watch it later. ‘He's a little fatter and his hair is greyer, but that is Kuller.'

I stopped talking to take in the scene in front of me. The presenter was interviewing Reder on the runway before he left with his friends.

‘I understand that your Old Comrades Association is arranging a special reception for you, Herr Reder.'

‘Yes they are. It's on Friday night at the Hotel Bristol and I understand that most of my old comrades in arms will be there. I am looking forward to that.'

‘What does it feel like to return to your homeland as a war hero so many years after the war ended?'

‘I served my country and did my duty to the best of my ability and the honours I was presented with then are still relevant today in my eyes.'

In the background, the honour guard was being dismissed and some of them were heading over to where Reder was. I watched transfixed as Kuller appeared over Reder's shoulder. Reder looked round and saw them, then said to the TV presenter, ‘These were my men. They served with me in battle.' He pointed to Kuller ‘This man was my sergeant, Hans Kuller. He also served the Fatherland and did his duty as required.'

The screen changed back to the TV studio and the newsreader with a different news item.

Moreno looked at me, waiting for some reaction from me on seeing Kuller. I was very quiet.
He's too quiet for his own good. I wonder what he's thinking of.

I got up from my seat and reached for my jacket. Without a word, I put it on and left the house. I drove around the city for a while before I eventually stopped outside the hotel where Italo worked. When I walked in, I saw Italo standing at the main doors to the kitchen looking thoughtful. I wondered if he had seen the news bulletin as well.

‘Italo, did you see it?' Italo looked at me for a few moments before saying, ‘We have to talk, Bruno. I'll take my break now and we can go for a coffee down the street.' We walked along together in silence, both of us thinking the same thing, both planning things in our minds. Every so often, our eyes would meet and we both knew.

We sat at a corner table and drank our coffee in silence until I said. ‘Can you get the time off. The reception is being held in two days' time so we would only need three days to do it.'

Italo nodded. ‘You would need to phone in sick for those days, Bruno. We can come up with a definitive plan as we travel to Vienna.'

I asked, ‘Do you still have your gun?

Italo nodded. ‘Do you still have yours, Bruno?'

‘Yes, I've kept it in good condition just in case I ever found out where Kuller was.' I pulled out a railway timetable from my pocket and put it on the table. ‘I picked this up last week. It shows a train leaving early tomorrow morning, and with a change in Austria, it arrives in Vienna at three in the afternoon. Kuller will probably have a room booked at the hotel Bristol where the reception is being held. We can also book a room there by phone or we can hit him before or after the event then leave. What do you think Italo?'

Italo thought for a moment or two. ‘It sounds all right to me, except how do we know Kuller will not be sharing a room with someone else?'

‘We don't. We can ask at the hotel reception what the situation is and change our plan to suit. I'll also tell Maria that we are going fishing for a few days up north. She probably won't believe me, but what can she prove?'

‘Have you thought Bruno how we are going to kill him?'

‘I have a plan forming in my mind. I'll share it later once I've thought it through myself. In the meantime, I think it's better if I go home now, as Maria will be worried about me after seeing the news. I'll see you at the train station tomorrow morning. Oh, by the way, I nearly forgot. We better get dressed as if we are going to the reception. We don't want to stand out from the rest, do we?'

The two friends stood and embraced each other. Italo looked searchingly at me before saying, ‘I know you lost everything on Monte Sole, but I also lost many comrades and people I knew as friends. Don't think you can't trust me to see this through.' I nodded, ‘I trust, you my friend. This has been a long time coming and no matter how it turns out, I know we will see it through together.' We embraced once more and then parted.

When I returned home, I was met by an anxious wife and son. ‘Where have you been?' said Maria.

‘Just driving around trying to get my head straight. I passed by the hotel, saw Italo and arranged a fishing trip over the next couple of days. I think it will do me good just to get away from all this.'

‘Are you planning something stupid Bruno, like going to Vienna and killing Kuller?'

I looked her in the eye and said, ‘It did cross my mind, but what would it achieve now, after all these years?'

‘Promise me on your mother's grave you are not planning something against him.'

I gave a sigh. ‘I promise you on my mother's grave I will not go to Vienna to kill him or anyone else. I just want to get away from all of this for a few days with my best friend.'

This seemed to satisfy Maria. She kissed me on the lips and said, ‘I know you won't break that promise, Bruno. I think a fishing trip is just the thing you need.' She left the room a lot happier than before. I turned to Moreno, who all this time had been studying me. ‘What's wrong, son?'

Moreno said, ‘I know you too well dad, you're going to Vienna to kill him and I want to be there when you do it. I won't say to mum, but I want to go with you.'

‘Moreno, I won't try to fool you. We leave for Vienna tomorrow morning; however, it is impossible to take you with me.'

Moreno scowled, ‘Tell me why.'

‘I need you here to look after your mother in case I don't return. Anyway, you haven't been involved in anything like this before and I can't take the risk of Kuller getting to you first. He's killed enough of my family. This man is a brute, and it will take brutish methods to kill him. He can smell danger.'

Maria came back into the room, saw us both in deep conversation, and asked, ‘What are you two talking about?'

‘I'm trying to convince dad to let me go with him fishing but he said no. He wants to be alone with Italo.' He made a “I know something” face and laughed.

I smiled at him and mouthed ‘Thank you'.

The train proved to be quite crowded that morning. Italo and I moved along the carriages until we found two aisle seats beside each other. With people all around us, it was impossible to discuss anything about our mission. I said to Italo, ‘Let's just spend the time thinking of what's ahead of us and we'll discuss it later.' He agreed.

I settled down for the long trip and began to focus on Kuller.

He will probably be in the company of around one hundred ex-SS comrades. Men who have lived and fought together over a number of years.
We are going to walk into the hotel, kill Kuller and leave again without being noticed. Apart from that, we don't have any idea yet on how to do it
. I shook my head in disbelief at this and looking round I caught Italo smiling at me. ‘Not so easy Bruno, eh?' I smiled back at him.

Our journey was in two parts, as we had to change trains for Vienna once we arrived in Austria. It was around 4pm, later than expected due to maintenance work on the line, when our train pulled into Wien Westbahnhof railway station, the magnificent heart of the Austrian railway system built on two levels. We used the integrated underground system to make our way to Karntner Ring where the hotel Bristol was situated near the State Opera House. In any other circumstances, it would have been a treat to go to the opera together. We were both lovers of Puccini and that night
La Bohème
was being performed.

We had agreed beforehand that because we didn't know what to expect inside the hotel, it wasn't possible to come up with a definite plan of action, so we would just have to react to whatever we saw inside or to any situation that developed. One thing in our favour was that neither Kuller, Reder, nor any of the Old Comrade's Association knew us by sight or by name.

We walked inside the hotel and went up to the reception. Italo, who could speak good German after his years serving them in the hotel trade, booked us in and was handed a key for room 485 on the top floor. He then asked the receptionist for a sheet of hotel paper and a pen and stood to the side of the main desk. He wrote on it ‘Looking forward to seeing you later.' and signed it with a single letter “R”. ‘What's that for?' I asked him.