The House at Number 48: The Silver Arrow
Podcast: The History Podcast (BBC Radio 4)
Episode Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Charlie Northcote
Main Guest: Anthony Easton
Overview
This episode delves into Anthony Easton's decade-long investigation into his family's mysterious past and the disappearance of their multi-billion pound fortune in Germany. Triggered by the death of his enigmatic father, Anthony uncovers a legacy marked by loss, survival, and the theft of assets during the Nazi era. Central to the episode is the discovery of a "double identity" in his father's birth certificate, and how the Eisner family—once wealthy Jewish industrialists in Berlin—navigated the terror and bureaucracy of Nazi Germany. The episode builds toward the puzzle of Martin Hartig, a key but shadowy figure who may have shaped the family's fate during the Aryanization of Jewish property.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Uncovering Family Secrets
- Anthony’s Discovery: After his father's death, Anthony Easton sorts through family possessions, finding German money, old family trees, and cryptic notes.
- “Like with the suitcase, it was like a kind of heart fluttering thing. It's like looking in someone else's diary. ...big people, big characters doing interesting, important things and then they're reduced to nothing.”
— Anthony Easton [01:15]
- “Like with the suitcase, it was like a kind of heart fluttering thing. It's like looking in someone else's diary. ...big people, big characters doing interesting, important things and then they're reduced to nothing.”
- Photographs as Portals: The episode describes haunting black-and-white images from the 1920s and 30s, revealing a forgotten world and family legacy.
2. Life in Pre-war Berlin
- Childhood Home: Using photos, Anthony and Charlie retrace steps to the beautiful villa in Berlin where Anthony’s father, Peter Eisner, grew up—with vivid descriptions of its elegant interiors and bustling staff. [02:57–04:04]
- Early Signs of Danger: Reflections from Peter as an 11-year-old Jewish boy highlight the creeping threats:
- “There were two other Jewish boys in my class. Worst of all was our professor... He regularly harangued us, alternately denigrating the Treaty of Versailles and of course the Jews. Sometimes he had the decency to ask the three of us to leave the classroom before he started. This was my introduction to the new Germany.”
— Peter Eisner (read aloud) [04:04]
- “There were two other Jewish boys in my class. Worst of all was our professor... He regularly harangued us, alternately denigrating the Treaty of Versailles and of course the Jews. Sometimes he had the decency to ask the three of us to leave the classroom before he started. This was my introduction to the new Germany.”
3. Navigating Nazi Oppression
- Proximity to Power: The Eisner home was mere blocks from Nazi Party headquarters, exposing the family to rallies and book burnings. [04:49]
- Family Survival Tactics: Rudolf Eisner, Anthony’s grandfather, leveraged his engineering expertise to build the subframe for Hitler’s prized Mercedes Formula One car—the “Silver Arrow.”
- “In the middle of that Nazi car was a Jewish engineer and a Jewish metallurgist. And I think that probably protected him.”
— Anthony Easton [06:19]
- “In the middle of that Nazi car was a Jewish engineer and a Jewish metallurgist. And I think that probably protected him.”
- Everyday Danger: Peter recalls witnessing brutal violence against Jews on the street—an event he kept secret out of fear and a sense of hopelessness.
- “It was easier to shut your eyes to things. There was no justice system.”
— Peter Eisner (read aloud) [06:52]
- “It was easier to shut your eyes to things. There was no justice system.”
4. Aryanization & Asset Theft
- Legalized Plunder: David De Jong explains how Nazis used "Aryanization" to strip Jews of assets under the guise of legality.
- “Aryanization denotes the removal of any aspect of Jewish ownership from an asset... This practice of Aryanization had initially a veneer of a legal transaction.”
— David De Jong [08:26]
- “Aryanization denotes the removal of any aspect of Jewish ownership from an asset... This practice of Aryanization had initially a veneer of a legal transaction.”
- Mounting Pressure: Family diaries show Rudolf constantly meeting fellow Jews, all fighting to survive or facing the loss of businesses and freedom.
- “It's one little thing after another. And all of those things are like building a cage around you until you're trapped.”
— Anthony Easton [09:30]
- “It's one little thing after another. And all of those things are like building a cage around you until you're trapped.”
- The High Cost of Escape: Fleeing meant relinquishing almost all wealth—by 1937, emigrating Jews had to surrender 92% of their assets. [10:10]
- “It's also incredibly painful because now you are left with little to nothing.”
— David De Jong [10:23]
- “It's also incredibly painful because now you are left with little to nothing.”
5. The Enigmatic Trustee: Martin Hartig
- A Mysterious Ally?: As the family struggled, a certain Martin Hartig appears repeatedly in guestbooks from the relatives’ country estate.
- “When I started this journey, I knew nothing of Martin Hartig. He'd never ever been mentioned. So it was extraordinary because I could see that this man was all over the lives of my grandparents.”
— Anthony Easton [12:18]
- “When I started this journey, I knew nothing of Martin Hartig. He'd never ever been mentioned. So it was extraordinary because I could see that this man was all over the lives of my grandparents.”
- His Role: Hartig, an economist and “Troyhander” (trustee), may have helped the Eisners navigate Aryanization laws. But his motives remain unclear.
- “People who do major things within family groups get remembered. So why was Martin Hartig not remembered? Who was this guy who turned up?”
— Anthony Easton [13:24]
- “People who do major things within family groups get remembered. So why was Martin Hartig not remembered? Who was this guy who turned up?”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Looking in someone else's diary... it’s not to do with you... then they're reduced to nothing.”
— Anthony Easton [01:15] - “This was my introduction to the new Germany.”
— Peter Eisner (read by narrator) [04:04] - “In the middle of that Nazi car was a Jewish engineer... I think that probably protected him.”
— Anthony Easton [06:19] - “There was no justice system.”
— Peter Eisner [06:52] - “Aryanization had initially a veneer of a legal transaction."
— David De Jong [08:26] - “All of those things are like building a cage around you.”
— Anthony Easton [09:30] - “He may have played an important role in helping the Eisner family navigate Aryanization laws under the Nazis.”
— Charlie Northcote [12:30] - “Why was Martin Hartig not remembered? ...Who was this guy who turned up?”
— Anthony Easton [13:24]
Important Segments & Timestamps
- Anthony’s discovery of the past: [00:42–02:12]
- Exploring childhood photographs and Berlin home: [02:30–04:04]
- Life as a Jewish child under Nazi rule: [04:04–06:09]
- Building the Silver Arrow—family survival strategy: [05:39–06:28]
- Violence and bureaucracy in Nazi Germany: [06:52–09:13]
- Escape choices and the cost of Aryanization: [09:30–10:52]
- The mysterious Martin Hartig enters: [11:43–13:48]
Cliffhanger & Next Episode Teaser
The episode closes by asking whether Martin Hartig was a “guardian angel or an enemy from within”—teasing deeper exploration of his role, trust, and betrayal in the next part of the series.
- “Is Martin Hartig a guardian angel or is he an enemy from within?”
— Charlie Northcote [13:48]
Summary crafted in the tone and narrative style of the original, focusing on content and omitting non-essential podcast elements.