About the Program
Erik Larson recounts the tenure of the first American ambassador to Hitler's Germany, William Dodd. The former college professor and his family arrived in Germany in 1933 and became friendly with many members of Hitler's SS. The ambassador soon began to see Berlin change and became aware of Jewish persecution. Mr. Larson reports that Ambassador Dodd sent the State Department concerned reports, which were received with indifference as greater violence arose in Berlin and throughout Germany. Erik Larson speaks at the Chicago Public Library.