Jun. 3, 1969

SW/cg

Mr Mark Goulden

W.H. Allen & Co LTD

43 Essex Street, Strand

London WC2

England

Dear Mr Goulden,

Through Mr Ronsac I received your letter of May 27 for which I thank you very much and I am very happy that you will be the publisher for the British edition of my book.

I have read your letter with interest and I want to express clearly, that The Sunflower is a personal experience of mine, which I have written down perhaps to get rid of it as with the time I started to doubt myself about my attitude at that time.

If this does not come out clearly then it is the fault of the book – or perhaps it might also be a mistake of the translation or interpretation as I have written the manuscript in German. All the contributors I contacted up to now have understood it as a personal experience.

There is one survivor of that time, living in Tel Aviv, he is an engineer who had been in the same camp but unfortunately not in the same barrack. He knew all about this event and when I met him after the war, we discussed this matter again.

The dialogues of course are reconstructed – they are not to be taken verbally but the sense and direction of the dialogues are true.

Arthur was a man of high intelligence, he was a writer who quite often had no sense for reality when he had to face a problem and Josek, whose name I do not remember, was a very religious man. He might have been a rabbi but I rather think he was a businessman with an extended religious knowledge.

However that may be the described situation comports all characteristics of that period and should give an answer to all, who our days call for forgiveness– it should answer them that their claim is addressed to the wrong direction as the real an actual addressees who could forgive are dead and we are not their substitute to forgive in their name.

Here starts the origin of the conflict in the conception between Jews and gentiles and this conflict situation is the actual background of the divergation [sic] of opinions between Jews and gentiles regarding the duty to forgive or not.

I hope to have explained my point of view.

I will be in London around October as I am working on a new project, treating events in England but on a complete different field even it plays in war-times.

I will be very happy to meet you on this occasion and I am looking forward to it.

Yours sincerely,

Simon Wiesenthal, Dipl. Ing.

Jul. 2, 1969

Mr Mark Goulden

W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd.

43, Essex Street, Strand

London , W.C. 2

Dear Mr Goulden,

Back in Vienna I would like to express my joy to have known you personally. I am sure now that “The Sunflower” lies in good hands. After all it is for me not only a book. I wrote but an experience I have been accompanied by for more than two dozen years, and which often I remember.

Now I have read your publisher’s note.1Note 1 : The text was eventually published as one of the commentaries in the 1970 English edition of the book. I had it translated into German to understand your words precisely, and I want to tell you that I was truly impressed by it. But nevertheless I take the liberty to make some observations in addition, because I think that we both want the same thing: we would like the import of the “Sunflower” to remain in the hearts of the readers.

Therefore I would preserve myself to set up generalizations and collectivisms. Thus doing how could we distinguish ourselves from those we oppose?

I would like to tell you that I did not always hold the view I hold nowadays. In the first two years after the War I had been shaken between collectivism and justice. Having lost my whole family and having escaped by chance the massacre, for me everyone who spoke German was suspicious. But then I reached the conviction that collectivisms are a weapon of dictatorship to subjugate men.

Collectivisms made it impossible for the Nazis to see or find good Jews.

Then I remembered something of the Bible, something that has a meaning for hundreds of millions of men.

The Bible has been analyzed several thousands of times by scholars and philosophers of religion and nothing accidental could be found in its import. The thesis against collective sin is established firmly in the Bible, particularly in the narration about Sodom and Gomorrha: Abraham contends with God and conjures Him not to destroy the cities, where maybe one-hundred or twenty or ten righteous live.

After all there are thousands of men who were helped by Germans to survive. The Naziss ruled also in the name of these Germans, and certainly against their will. But for cowardice or for the lack of will to resist nobody can or must be condemned, let alone the young generation for the sins of their elders.

Therefore – I tell you quite frankly – I was rather unhappy to find the terms “Nazi” and “German” equalized in your publisher’s note. They must not be.

Another thing yet: I, who brought before justice more than 1100 Nazis, – I, who dedicated a quarter of a century to the prosecution of those who killed innocent human beings, – I had innumerable conversations with young Germans who were ashamed that the German name had been spoiled; they were deeply afflicted. I cannot, must not, and do not want to obstruct their way into their life by making them guilty with others.

That has nothing to do with the 9 millions of former Nazis.

Still in the concentration camps, I made some drawings from the death-block, and I published them at the first anniversary of my liberation from the camp.2Note 2 : Simon Wiesenthal, KZ Mauthausen: Bild und Wort. Vienna-Linz: Ibis Verlag 1946 As a motto I travestied the words of Jesus Christ: “Oh, Lord, don’t forgive them, because they knew what they did”, referring to the Nazis.

So may I ask you to take these my – and if you reconsider the matter, certainly also your – thoughts into your publisher’s note und [and] to alter the respective parts in accordance with the “Sunflower” how I wrote it.

Your note will not sustain loss by doing thus, its important will remain the same.

Other two details: I am speaking about eleven millions of human beings who were killed, among them six millions of Jews. The problem must not be reduced to a mere problem between Jews and Nazis.

As to the refusals of the theologians, this probably concerns only England, and that should be made clear.

Let me also remark that in my book “The Murderers Among Us” and in numerous articles, radio- and TV-interviews I gave my views on the Nazis problem. People know that I do not feel any vengefulness and that I am against any collective guilt. Also the personalities I approached for their comments have known my views on the subject and complied with my request, even not knowing me personally. I am sure none of the authors – or very few – would have answered had I equalized Nazis and Germans in my book.

That is an obligation for me I want to observe, and I want you to know that.

Approaching the authors I heeded to let them understand without any doubt that their answers were addressed to me. The manuscripts dispatched by OPERA MUNDI in different languages bore my name as the sender, and not that of OPERA MUNDI. Therefore I think it would be preferable to correct the respective passage in your note in a way to make clear that it has been my personal request. I hope you understand this.

I am sure that you accept my words amicably – as surely they were intended. I would like to underline again how glad I was to make your acquaintance.

I am sure that this our book will be vastly read in the English-speaking countries, thanks to your effort. Therefore I want to express my gratitude in advance.

Yours very sincerely

(Simon Wiesenthal)