Hostages of the SS
April 1945. 139 special prisoners and prisoners of kin of the SS are transported into the Alps. The prisoners could be used as bargaining chips in negotiations with the Allies. During the journey they experience six days between liberty and death.
A Journey into the Unknown
After the botched assassination attempt on Hitler the SS arrests the family members of the plotters as "prisoners of kin", among them Fey von Hassell Pirzio-Biroli. Together with other prominent special prisoners and prisoners of war like Kurt von Schuschnigg, Pastor Martin Niemöller, and Lt. "Jimmy" James they are gathered in Dachau concentration camp in April 1945, their fate unclear. The SS plans to break through to the south, into the so-called "alpine redoubt". On April 26th they are transported to the Reichenau camp near Innsbruck. The plan of the SS remains unclear. The uncertainty whether they will be used as a bargaining chip or simply liquidated far from the front becomes increasingly unbearable. . . . As the convoy crosses the Alps the hostages are faced with the fateful decision: flee or trust in an uncertain rescue.
On a Razor's Edge
On April 28th, 1945 the convoy reaches the town of Niederdorf where the hostages force their stay by mixing with the townsfolk. The SS-Sturmführer try in vain to contact their superiors. This loss of control makes the SS increasingly unpredictable and the prisoners' situation even more precarious. Oberst von Bonin, himself a prisoner, manages to place a call for help to the Wehrmacht High Command in Bozen. They are now alerted to the hostages' plight and ready to prevent a bloodbath. The unique situation arises that a company of Wehrmacht soldiers and the SS unit face off in Niederdorf, weapons drawn. The SS is forced to withdraw, and the prisoners are brought to the nearby Lake Prags Hotel. On May 4th, 1945 the US army reaches the hotel, yet the fate of family members remains uncertain.
