« A captivating journey through time and a portrait of evil in all its complexity, banality and self-righteousness. » This is how the British actor and writer Stephen Fry described the new work of Philippe Sands.

In "The Ratline", the practicing international law expert and jurist Philippe Sands tells the story of SS officer Otto Wächter. Wächter is a child of one of Austria's most respected families, initially a lawyer in Vienna and from 1939 NS Governor of Krakow and from 1942 of Galicia. After 1945, he was wanted by the Allies as a suspected war criminal, but he managed to escape to the Vatican. Before he can leave for Argentina, he died unexpectedly in 1949.

The masterfully told story is closely linked to the historic event of the Nuremberg Trials: In the run-up to the trials, the Allied had to agree on whom to put on trial. However, many of those sought could neither be identified nor brought to justice. Especially the "non-defendants" of Nuremberg are still a little illuminated aspect today.

In a digital book presentation, Philippe Sands talked about his personal experiences during the creation of the book. The actress Katja Riemann, known from films such as Fack Ju Göhte and Rosenstraße, performed selected passages from the German version of the book. The event was held in English and German language (discussion with the author in English, reading in German).