The search for Major Plagge

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On April 11, 2005, Karl Plagge was honored as a "Righteous Among the Nations" by Israel, joining Oskar Schindler and about 380 other Germans who saved Jews during the Holocaust. Plagge, a German army officer, displayed remarkable courage by subverting the death system to rescue around 250 Jews in Vilna, Lithuania, including Michael Good's mother. Inspired by her stories of the mysterious officer who commanded her labor camp, Good dedicated five years to uncovering Plagge's story, writing hundreds of letters and researching online for evidence of the man whose moral choices saved lives. This compelling narrative is the first detailed account of a modest individual who defied the rules. Good interviewed camp survivors, accessed long-untouched German files, and translated newly found letters to piece together Plagge's life. An engineer from Darmstadt, Plagge initially joined the Nazi Party but later distanced himself from it. In Vilna, he oversaw a camp where military vehicles were repaired, repeatedly saving Jews from imprisonment and extermination by issuing work permits as "indispensable" laborers. Plagge viewed his actions not as heroic but as a duty, stating he saved lives because he believed it was right. The book highlights the various ways individuals can resist evil, echoing Pearl Good's sentiment that some people choose to combat horror when they can.