The Nazi Hotel Manager

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Copyright©1993 Evans and Savidge

By Warwick Evans

Interviewer:

Tell me Dieter, how long have you been running the Luftgarten Hotel here in Kowloon?

 

Dieter:

Well, I took over as General ... Ah, General Manager shortly after the end of the last war ... ah, holiday season. Yar , yar.

 

Interviewer:

Now, I understand the Luftgarten is organising a food festival.

 

Dieter:

Yar yar. It's a Hitler bit ... er, er, a little bit like the one we had last year. That was a European festival - this one a pure German fortnight. And if you look around the town, you will see many swastikas ... ah, car stickers advertising the event. Now, all the hotel waiters will be wearing brown shirts ... and jackboots ... er, black boots ... er, black shoes. And also arm-bands ... they will have ... I mean there will also be an army band to play for the entire two weeks.

 

Interviewer:

You have many guests passing through?

 

Dieter:

Through the camp ... the ah, hotel you mean? Yar. There are whole trainloads ... I mean planeloads arriving every day. They are met outside at the front gate by members of my general staff. And then ... hustled ... I mean ah, ushered in and ah ... lined up in the lobby ... and counted to make sure no one has escaped ... ah, I mean, ah, you know ... got lost ... on the way.

 

Interviewer:

How many guests did you deal with last year?

 

Dieter:

Oh God, how many? Well now, I'm sorry, I seem to have a complete mental Dachau ... ah, blackout about the precise number of prison ... er, personnel involved. I'd have to consult my Buchenwald ... er, booking folder. It was around 30,000 or something Himmler ... er, similar. I do remember it was a very large ... um ... concentration ... of people. I don't involve myself personally, you understand.

 

Interviewer:

So who is in charge of the day-to-day handling of these matters?

 

Dieter:

Oh, my right-hand man there is undoubtedly Heinrich. Most efficient! I give him his orders in the morning ... telling him how to deal with the guests ... and at the end of the day I find that he’s usually executed them all.