Hans Kloss in the service of himself – a review of the book “Escape from Festung Breslau”

Andrzej Ziemiański’s style

Loyal warning – Andrzej Ziemiański’s style is not classical writing. Not everyone will like it, some people may even be bothered by it. However, it is difficult to remain neutral towards Ziemiański’s prose. Escape from Festung Breslau is a seemingly classic crime-spy novel, with an action taking place in the last days of the German occupation of Wrocław. This is where the nature of the author comes out. Despite the fact that the whole thing takes place in the historical realities, there is no shortage of absurd humor, incredible events and general narrative, which gives the impression that everything is not entirely “serious”.

Abwehr to the rescue

What is it all about? The main character, an Abwehr officer, is given an impossible task. However, he uses his innate cleverness and sophistication to deal with subsequent difficulties, at the same time taking revenge on his superiors. Of course, there is an extensive plot in the background involving enormous riches. But what distinguishes this story from so many other, very similar stories? Dieter Schielke, the hero, is a pacifist. During his actions, he begins cooperation with Major Marcin Dłużewski, an officer of the Polish intelligence. Both gentlemen establish a relationship inspired by the works of Arthur Conan Doyle. What’s more, they pretend to be these characters in everyday activities, which somewhat disturbed my perception of the novel.

Language mastery

Andrzej Ziemiański climbs here to the heights of using the Polish language fully. It’s been a long time since I had the opportunity to read anything written with such panache and fantasy. Unfortunately, this sometimes detracts from the seriousness of the situation. However, the author cannot be denied mastery in his profession. I think many readers may like this humorous element of the book. For me, however, he was somewhat at odds with the subject and the reality described. Perhaps because we are fed with images of “real” war from childhood, it is so difficult for us to approach it with a grain of salt.

A fictional guide to Wrocław

A huge plus is showing the realities of the besieged city. The knowledge of the topography of former Wrocław is also visible, as well as in-depth research of the topic. In places, we can feel as if we are reading a guide to Breslau from the end of World War II. Descriptions of specific places will also allow readers to discover the places depicted in the novel with joy while walking around the city. Andrzej Ziemiański has certainly done his homework, which can be seen in the subsequent pages of his novel. Personally, however, I missed a map of Wrocław, which would allow people like me, who come from a completely different corner of Poland, to be able to quickly find out exactly where the heroes are.

Good overall

The book is written incredibly intelligently. The author’s passion for history and Wrocław itself is boiling over here. Sometimes, however, the main plot became so intricate, and the characters in the pages of the novel appeared so many that even the brightest reader would have trouble getting it all figured out. The comedy, even grotesque, themes were also a bit bothersome, completely incongruous with the tragic circumstances of the described events, full of destruction and death. This is a light, action-packed sensational novel that will keep people’s attention for longer. Apart from a few shortcomings and not entirely clear decisions of the writer, it is really good.