Fatherland

The next day, March meets with Halder for breakfast. Halder shows him a picture of Buhler from the Party directory. It has the caption “State secretary, General Government, 1939” (44). Halder explains that Buhler worked closely with Hans Frank, Hitler’s attorney, functioning largely as a bureaucrat during World War II. He estimates that Buhler worked on the Eastern Front for around 12 years. During that time, they moved about a million people of Jewish descent out of Poland, making room for the resettlement of new German citizens.

After leaving Halder, March visits the morgue. He and Jaeger join Eisler as he continues the autopsy on Buhler’s body. He tells them that Buhler died of drowning. No bruises or contusions are present to indicate a struggle.

March returns to Lake Havel. He drives around it, looking at the large houses in the stretch where the Party leaders live. On the road leading there, he meets a guard checking vehicles. He tells March that they always check visitors to ensure that they have a reason to be on the road. When March asks about Buhler, the guard tells him that he never has any visitors.

Jaeger calls March and tells him that Gestapo investigators are at the station.