Zev Guttman

Blockführer Otto Wallisch was a German-born American war criminal and mass murderer. As a member of the Schutzstaffel during World War II, Wallisch was responsible for the deaths of numerous Jews. At the close of the war, Wallisch and his accomplice Kunibert Sturm took on false identities of Jews they had murdered and passed themselves off as Holocaust survivors. Both went undetected during the liberation of Auschwitz and went their separate ways to evade capture. Wallisch, now living as Zev Guttman, emigrated to America. There, he met Ruth at Coney Island. They were married in 1946 and would later have a son, Charles.
By 2015, Ruth was dying of cancer and Wallisch had forgotten his true identity after developing dementia; their circumstances led to them moving into a retirement home to ensure their needs were met. There Wallisch, now believing himself to truly be Guttman, met Holocaust survivor Max Rosenbaum, who recognised him immediately. Rosenbaum formulated a plan to manipulate Guttman into seeking out Kunibert Sturm, still living under an alias, and lying that Sturm was actually Wallisch and was responsible for the deaths of Guttman's family in the Holocaust. A week after Ruth had died, Rosenbaum delivered instructions to Guttman to investigate four men named Rudy Kurlander; one living in Cleveland, Ohio; one in Hearst, Ontario; one in Bruneau, Idaho; and one in South Lake Tahoe, California.
Guttman struggled with his task, having difficulty in seeking transportation, obtaining a firearm, and remembering anything following Ruth's death, even with Rosenbaum's assistance in booking hotels and the letter with his instructions. He travelled first to Cleveland, and discovered that his target had been a German Army officer who served under Rommel in the North African campaign and could not be his target. The Kurlander in Hearst had actually been interned in Auschwitz for being a homosexual. In travelling to Idaho, he discovered that the next Kurlander was merely a cook; Guttman narrowly avoided being killed by his neo-Nazi son John and was forced to kill him in self-defence. After a brief hospitalisation in Reno, Nevada, Guttman was able to make it to California. He sought out Kurlander and immediately recognised his voice. Guttman forced Kurlander, truthfully Sturm, into revealing his identity to his daughter and granddaughter. Charles had arrived in time to see Sturm reveal Guttman's true identity. Guttman, confused and horrified at the possibility, declared that he remembered before killing himself. News of Guttman's death quickly reached Rosenbaum, who revealed Guttman's identity to the fellow residents of the home.Remember - Benjamin August - Egoli Tossell Film - Release date 10 September 2015 - Retrieved 5 February 2025
== Victims ==
=== Killed ===
* Max Rosenbaum's fatherMentioned in Rosenbaum's confession letter shown at the very end of the film. (offscreen; mentioned)
* At least two of Max Rosenbaum's cousins (offscreen; mentioned)
* John Kurlander
* Kunibert Sturm
Minimum: 5As Wallisch was directly responsible for gassing Jews in Auschwitz, he was likely responsible for or had a hand in killing thousands of people.
== Notes ==
=== Behind the Scenes ===
* Guttman was played by Canadian actor Christopher Plummer.Remember - IMDB - Retrieved 5 February 2025Christopher Plummer - IMDB - Retrieved 5 February 2025 In an interview, Plummer stated he hoped the film would give the modern generation a better understanding of the Holocaust.Christopher Plummer on Nazi Revenge Tale Remember and the Power of Shock Value - Eliza Berman - 7 March 2016 - Time Magazine - Retrieved 5 February 2025 - Archived 5 February 2025
== Appearances ==
* Remember (first and final appearance)
== References ==
Category:Humans
Category:Villains
Category:Criminals
Category:Murderers
Category:Mass Murderers
Category:War Criminals
Category:Paramilitary
Category:German paramilitary
Category:Schutzstaffel
Category:SS-Totenkopfverbände
Category:Nazis
Category:Criminals who escaped justice
Category:Sufferers of dementia
Category:New York City characters
Category:New York characters
Category:American characters
Category:Film characters
Category:Creator: Benjamin August
Category:Characters played by Christopher Plummer
Category:Deceased Characters
Category:1926 births
Category:2015 deaths
Category:20th century births
Category:21st century deaths
Category:Characters that committed suicide
Category:Characters killed by gunfire
Category:Kill count (under 10)
Category:2015 debut