In May 1941, Father Jean Bernard was arrested for denouncing the Nazis and deported from his native Luxembourg to Dachau’s "Priest Block," a barracks that housed more than 3,000 clergymen of various denominations (the vast majority Roman Catholic priests). Priestblock 25487 tells the gripping true story of his survival amid inhuman brutality, degradation, and torture. This important book, originally published in Germany in 1963, was adapted by director Volker Schlöndorff into the film The Ninth Day in 2004.
Preface by Archbishop Seán Cardinal O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston
What They're Saying...
"Stunning . . . Casts light into dark and previously neglected corners of the horror that was the Third Reich.”
— Richard John Neuhaus, editor in chief, First Things
"Father Jean Bernard’s portrait of survival in a German concentration camp is simple, forceful and vivid and therefore impossible to put down or forget. It ranks with the great 20th Century personal testimonies against totalitarian violence…Priestblock 25487 is a diary of Catholic discipleship under extreme conditions that will deeply move all persons of conscience."
— Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Denver
"Gripping! This crisp story of the 3,000-plus Christian clergy at Dachau in 1941 forces me to turn pages quickly, in horror... In its understated power, this brief book is unforgettable."
— Michael Novak, Author of Washington's God
"...is among the very best, because of the exceptional intelligence and honesty of its author... His diary is extraordinarily telling, convincing, and graphic. Every scholar and student of that dreadful chapter of twentieth-century history ought to read – and ponder – its contents."
— John Lukacs
"Important... luminous... Move[s] the reader to compassion and insight."
— Rachelle Linner, Catholic News Service
"Provides fresh anecdotal insight into the Vatican’s battle against the Nazis... As this first-hand account shows in riveting detail, the mere rumor of clerical opposition on the outside sufficed to intensify suffering on the inside."
— Daniel Cole, The Wanderer
"It is dramatic. It is brutally honest. I loved the book and could not put it down."
— Teresa Tomeo, Ave Maria Radio