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Cornelius Rost, the real live person behind Clemens Forell

posted 12 years ago by oliverrenye
4 replies | jump to latest

Hi, - I just worked on Cornelius Rost's Wikipedia-article for a couple of days.
For those who are interested in the few facts on the person and the story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Rost

(Quote:)
General Criticism

Comprehensive researches, condensed in 2010 in a 3-hours radio-feature for the Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting Company, by radio-journalist Arthur Dittlmann, left seriuos doubts about the authenticity of the happennings and events, told in Rost’s original story. For example, within the time frame, stated in the book, no prisoner of war camp did actually exist at Cape Dezhnev in Far East Siberia. Another point is, that the real person, Cornelius Rost, was actually no Wehrmacht-officer, as depicted in the story. The German Red Cross (with headquarters in Munich) never received any inquiry about his whereabout, what is unusual for a ten years lasting imprisonment, and most striking and pivotally, Rost was in fact released from a Russian prisoner of war camp on October 28, 1947, already, - but about two years before his alleged run, what makes it absolutely impossible that he could have accomplished the escape in question from 1949-1952 at all.

It's suspected, that his story only consists in parts on real experiences and on the other hand on hearsay-stories and -beliefs and knowledge, possibly acquired just by reading. Among others he named the main street in Moskow, he and his captured comrades were driven through in the beginning of the novel, Nevsky Prospekt, which is actually located in St. Petersburg, though.

Josef Martin Bauer, as the auhtor of the book, is now blamed for not having critically cross-checked the most dodgy details in Rost’s story, obviously in favour for a good story, but Rost's alleged experiences and incredibly successfull escape caught the spirit of the time, only ten years after the end of WW II, when Millions of Germans were still hoping for a reunion with their missing family members.
(End of Quote)

You will find the same section in the article.

regards
Bylot

[–] maserati_ferarri 12 years ago

I wonder if he had any chance of crossing to Alaska? I mean it is far nearer than running to Iran. He had good relations with those Chukchi Indians, they´ve could provide him the boat of some sort. What do you think?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Dezhnev

[–] jmarkoff2 10 years ago

In the movie at least, Kamenev told Forrell that the Americans had an extradition treaty with the USSR regarding German POWs, so Alaska was not a desirable destination.

[–] cinephyler 10 years ago

haven't seen the movie, but in the book his protege escapes to alaska via a soviet cargo ship, is handed right back to the soviets by the americans, gets brought back to the mine, and is beaten so badly by the prisoners that he was brain damaged and never the same. (i'm leaving out some details to avoid spoiling, even though this is a minor part towards the beginning of the story).

[–] glock78 9 years ago

Did they also use bore worms on him?

Opening post points out that the story was MADE UP. A fairytale. *beep*