The Journey of the Evidence

This flow follows the physical movement of Luther’s documents from an archive in Berlin toward Charlotte’s planned border crossing.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Case Left Behind

A Case Left Behind The Return Flight Luther returns to Berlin from Zürich carrying a locked doctor’s case. He abandons it rather than risk keeping it while hiding from the Gestapo. A Hidden Cache The case enters airport lost property and remains unclaimed. Its ordinary status protects it until March realizes Luther needed luggage for the return journey.

The Airport Search

The Airport Search A Request for Help March asks Friedman to search items left on the Zürich flight. The airport official recognizes the political danger but agrees to help for his own reasons. A Case Recovered A mute worker finds the old leather case. March retrieves it before the Gestapo can secure it, making the case’s contents the center of the pursuit.

The Papers Unpacked

The Papers Unpacked A Documentary Cache March and Charlotte discover affidavits, conference papers, schedules, and evidence from camps. The case contains a record assembled over years by officials who feared future exposure. A New Objective The task changes from locating Luther to preserving and publishing his documents. Their weight is political, not financial.

A Border Plan

A Border Plan Separate Routes March and Charlotte plan to travel independently toward Waldshut. She will carry the documents under a false identity, while March hopes to follow later. A Window of Opportunity They aim to cross during the Führertag ceremony, when border guards may be distracted by the broadcast. The plan depends on timing and a plausible wedding story.

Hidden in the Car

Hidden in the Car A Second Cache Before leaving, March hides additional papers beneath the dashboard of his Volkswagen. He creates a second path for the evidence in case Charlotte is stopped. The Pursuit Finds It The Gestapo eventually discovers the concealed papers after March is arrested. The documents remain contested even as the state tries to destroy them.

Monday night, April 13

Saturday afternoon, April 18

Saturday afternoon, April 18

Sunday morning, April 19

Sunday morning, April 19