Abstract
Dietrich Bonhoeffer remains a pivotal figure across theological perspectives. With so much already written, debated, and even mythologized about Bonhoeffer, one might wonder what remains to be explored. Yet, in the same month that the feature film Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin premiered nationwide (earning $12 million at the box office), John McCabe’s Dietrich Bonhoeffer—The Last Eight Days: The Untold Story of the Journey to Flossenbürg was released, proving that interest in Bonhoeffer’s life and legacy remains as strong as ever. McCabe’s book unfolds chronologically, covering Bonhoeffer’s last eight days from 1 April to 9 April, 1945. His distinctive approach intertwines the lesser-known experiences of the hostages who shared Bonhoeffer’s last days with the broader historical context of Germany’s collapse. Each chapter situates Bonhoeffer’s experience alongside key wartime developments, including Hitler’s actions and global military movements.
McCabe opens the book on Sunday, 1 April 1945, setting a fast-paced narrative that mirrors the urgency of unfolding historical events. A key focus is Bonhoeffer’s often under-explored relationship with his cellmate, General von Rabenau. McCabe underscores their striking similarities: both held doctorates (Rabenau’s was honorary), both were banned from teaching and publishing, and both were executed within a week of each other. On Monday, 2 April 1945, McCabe broadens the historical scope, exploring Hitler’s deteriorating mental state and the dynamics within the concentration camps. Starting in this chapter and occurring throughout, McCabe reorients the reader to ‘Bonhoeffer’s Germany’ with maps illustrating the crises unfolding across the country (pp. 31, 85, 138, 220, 272). By Tuesday, 3 April 1945, the prisoners prepared for their impending transfer. McCabe introduces Sigmund Rascher, a Nazi doctor notorious for medical experiments on prisoners, who ironically ended up at Buchenwald himself for criminal activity. The stark contrast between Rascher, Bonhoeffer, and Rabenau highlights the unsettling paradox of their shared imprisonment (p. 101).
On Wednesday, 4 April 1945, McCabe introduces additional members of Bonhoeffer’s hostage group, with Vasily Kokorin standing out as the most compelling. Previously mentioned in biographies only as ‘the nephew of the Soviet foreign minister’, Kokorin’s true story is meticulously reconstructed here for the first time in English. By fabricating a family connection to the USSR’s People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Kokorin secured his placement among the VIP hostages, which included Bonhoeffer. As a result, the two formed a friendship, which McCabe explores in depth (pp. 133–36). On Thursday, 5 April 1945, McCabe captures the fragile hope among the hostages that Allied liberation was imminent. However, he resists the common portrayal that Bonhoeffer and his fellow prisoners were executed in the war’s final moments. Instead, he emphasizes that while the war’s end was approaching, it was far from over (p. 171). On Friday, 6 April 1945, McCabe shifts focus to Hugh Falconer, an informant for the Allied forces who, for reasons still unknown, was placed among Bonhoeffer’s VIP hostage group. As McCabe reconstructs the events of the day, he juxtaposes the hostages’ journey with Hitler’s growing paranoia and the relentless Allied advance. By nightfall, the group reached Schönberg, marking a critical stage in their forced relocation. With characteristic attention to detail, McCabe not only recounts the prisoners’ conversations but even reconstructs the schoolroom where they were likely held, immersing the reader in the harsh reality of their captivity.
On Saturday, 7 April 1945, McCabe details the Gestapo’s relentless pursuit of Bonhoeffer. During a series of trials in Berlin, several hostages were sentenced to death—yet, interestingly, Bonhoeffer, whose name was on the list, was the only one not present for the trial. Nevertheless, McCabe tracks the Gestapo’s determined efforts to locate him, reaching all the way to Schönberg (p. 250). Bonhoeffer’s execution was imminent. On Sunday, 8 April 1945, McCabe details Bonhoeffer’s group’s decision to hold a Sunday morning service, with Bonhoeffer leading. McCabe then reconstructs what Bonhoeffer’s indictment likely looked like on that same day. He dispels the widely held notion that Bonhoeffer was interrupted mid-sermon by the Gestapo. Instead, it was likely several hours later when the officers arrived with the fateful words: ‘Prisoner Bonhoeffer—Come with us’. From there, McCabe outlines Bonhoeffer’s likely transfer route—from Schönberg to Cham and then from Cham to Flossenbürg. On Monday, 9 April 1945, Bonhoeffer’s final day, McCabe presents the only remaining account of his last moments. He also provides the transcript from Flossenbürg to Berlin, confirming that the execution orders had been carried out.
McCabe’s book is an outstanding work of biographical history, deserving praise for its rigorous pursuit of new material. Many of the sources and artifacts he examines have only recently come to light, with some documents remaining undiscovered by researchers until as late as 2017. Notably, McCabe corrects several misconceptions in the Bonhoeffer narrative, offering a fresh and necessary perspective. By exploring the people and events surrounding Bonhoeffer, McCabe presents a more nuanced and humanized portrayal than previous works. His Bonhoeffer is neither a saint nor a secular humanist but a World War II hostage, unaware of his impending fate. McCabe’s focus on other hostages and key events helps situate Bonhoeffer in a more relatable and historically grounded context. Furthermore, McCabe effectively places Bonhoeffer within his historical surroundings. Too often, World War II has remained on the margins of Bonhoeffer scholarship, overshadowed by his prison writings or involvement in the assassination plot. Instead, McCabe integrates Bonhoeffer into the broader wartime landscape, encouraging readers to view his story not merely through the lens of theology or ethics but as a historical narrative in its own right.
One weakness of McCabe’s work is its scope. As he acknowledges, his goal is to address the lack of World War II context in accounts of Bonhoeffer’s final days—a worthwhile pursuit (p. 5). However, McCabe tends to overextend this effort. Nearly every section includes extensive overviews of global events, from Japan to the United States, and detailed profiles of world leaders like Stalin and Roosevelt. McCabe’s meticulous attention to the broader wartime context ultimately creates what feels like two separate books—one centered on Bonhoeffer and those around him and another covering worldwide developments. While these elements occasionally intersect in meaningful ways, it’s not always clear how the global narrative enhances the understanding of Bonhoeffer’s experience. Despite this, McCabe’s work remains a valuable contribution to Bonhoeffer scholarship, offering important correctives to both exaggerated portrayals and overlooked aspects of his final days.