Deutsches Requiem ( German , ” German Requiem “) is a short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges . It was published in 1949 along with numerous other stories in the book El aleph . This is the story of a Nazi after World War II , who has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity . The story stands out for its unique narrative style and its various references to literature and military history .
Plot
Taking place in Nuremberg after World War II, the story is told from the perspective of Otto Dietrich zur Linde , former deputy director of a concentration camp sentenced to death shortly before his execution. The narrative is divided into three distinct parts: the history of Linde’s ancestors and their formation, the years after the amputation of his leg and his disturbing view of the future of humanity. During the first part, the reader learns of the militaristic past of Linde’s relatives and of the many influences of his youth, including Johannes Brahms and Arthur Schopenhauer . In the second, the reader knows that Linde became deputy director of a concentration camp after being shot in Tilsit . During this time, he confesses to having tortured David Jerusalem, a Jewish poet of whom he almost had pity. The latter part describes the apocalyptic vision by which Linde justifies both his actions and those of the Third Reich.