Tihany's Illusion: The Search for Franz Czeisler
The captivating true story about a man who used his illusions to survive and escape Nazi occupied Europe only to become one of the Greatest Showmen the world had ever seen.
Episodes
The Czeisler's make their way back to Post War Europe in an attempt to find a way to the America in the early days of the Cold War. However, It might not be as simple as they might think.
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Season 2 Picks up where we left off. Franz finds himself in the newly established State of Israel. But, is this tiny Nation big enough for Franz's big ambitions?
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Catherine and Sarah sit down to talk about experiences creating season 1 and a look forward into season 2
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First part finale: Soviet occupation creates new and different dangers for Franz and his family as his state of mind moves from survival to escape.
For more information about this episode, please see the sources below.
“Buying Romania’s Jews” - The Washington Post
The Ransom of the Jews: The Story of the Extraordinary Secret Bargain Between Romania and Israel
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As Nazi Germany occupies Hungary and begins deporting Jewish communities, Franz must do everything he can to protect his family.
NOTE: Audio will soon be updated to "Buchenwald will be liberated [in] just three months" rather than "one month" to reflect greater accuracy.
For more information about this episode, please see the sources below.
Yellow Star Houses
One House in Budapest, 1944-1945: A Personal History by Profess...
Following the events of Novi Sad, Franz struggles to find safety for him and his family. As the dangers in Europe continue to grow, the stakes grow with them.
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Hungarian policemen and soldiers standing over murdered Jews in Novi-Sad, Yugoslavi...
As Franz's family grows, so do the dangers in Europe.
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The Wiener Holocaust Library: The Iron Guard
Pogrom in Bucharest Synagogue, Romania, January 1941 - Yad Vashem
Axis Powers in WW11 - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Hungarian Expansion - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Franz returns to a Europe that looks very different than the one he left behind.
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“Henry Coston Obituary” the Independent, 27 August 2001
Le Libre Parole - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
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Franz's adventure continues as he learns how to put on a show.... on both sides of the world.
For more information about this episode, please see the sources below.
Kenrick, Donald (2007). Historical Dictionary of the Gypsies (Romanies) (2nd ed.). Scarecrow Press. Online version.
Achim, V. 1998. Chapter III. Emancipation. In The Roma in Romanian History. Central European University ...
The Great Tihany was one of the most successful showmen in all of South America. But how did he get there? Take a peek behind the curtain of the Great Tihany to learn the exciting and often dark history behind the man who used his power of illusion to survive the Holocaust.
For more information about this episode, please see the sources below.
The captivating true story about a man who used his illusions to survive and escape Nazi-occupied Europe only to become one of the Greatest Showmen the world had ever seen.
Tihany's Illusion: The Search for Franz Czeisler is coming soon to wherever you get your podcasts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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