Klaus Barbie – A Meeting With Evil

The 1987 trial of Klaus Barbie, the so-called «Butcher of Lyon», made headlines around the world. Instead of showing remorse for his actions the defendant, a Nazi, matter-of-factly defended them. Barbie, the former chief of the Gestapo, was based at the infamous Hotel Terminus and became known for his brutal actions against the French Resistance, including massacres, deportations, murders and torture. He fled to South America in 1951 and as a die-hard anti-communist helped the CIA and BND in their fight against partisans; it is very likely that he helped hunt down Che Guevara. Despite early protests by Jewish activists, it was only in 1983 that he was arrested by the Bolivian authorities before being extradited to France. Leonhard has assembled this chilling monologue from original recordings of Barbie, and also used research by journalist Peter F Müller. «The swiftly changing emotions Koppelmann exposes his audience to have an unexpectedly strong impact … (he) shows how an average, inconspicuous person can become a criminal.» (Westdeutsche Zeitung)