A Songwriter’s Unspeakable Family Secret

David Baerwald's debut novel "The Fire Agent" delves into the enigmatic existence of his German-Jewish grandfather, who defied categorization as an aristocrat, soldier, Buddhist and secret agent.

In 2017, Los Angeles was where David Baerwald's life took an unexpected turn when he began preparing his childhood home for sale. As he sorted through the belongings in the carport storage unit, Baerwald stumbled upon a treasure trove of documents that would soon unravel the mysteries surrounding his enigmatic grandfather, Ernst Baerwald. The collection included letters, diaries, business records, and intelligence files, as well as photo albums that offered glimpses into the past. A miniature Minox camera and a samurai sword were also unearthed, providing further insight into the life of this complex individual. It emerged that Ernst Baerwald was a sophisticated German-Jewish aristocrat who had held a senior position in a chemical company that played a pivotal role in supporting the Third Reich's operations. Additionally, he was a soldier, a Buddhist, and an expatriate who had established himself within Japan's elite circles, with one more remarkable aspect of his life yet to be revealed: he was also a spy.

Researching his grandfather's story over eight years revealed to Baerwald, now 65, the reason behind the shame and secrecy that had enveloped his childhood. This inquiry culminated in "The Fire Agent," a debut novel published by Spiegel & Grau this week. Writing the nearly 600-page book was an arduous task, akin to composing music daily, much like Baerwald's experience co-writing hit songs such as "Leaving Las Vegas" with Sheryl Crow and "Come What May" for the film "Moulin Rouge," starring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman.

As a singer-songwriter, Baerwald's craft involves uncovering subtle hints about individuals' personalities that often remain unspoken. These hidden indicators serve as the foundation for his storytelling.

Confronting the dark legacy of his family's past proved an arduous task for Baerwald, one that forced him to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about his heritage. His father's evasive behavior whenever Ernst's name was mentioned only served as a stark reminder of the unresolved issues plaguing their family history. Hans Baerwald's own reluctance to engage with Ernst and I.G. Farben's notorious ties to the Nazi regime weighed heavily on him, a constant presence in his life.

A photograph taken by Baerwald's grandfather in 1933 shows Adolf Hitler navigating through Berlin in an open vehicle during a visit from Prince Fumimaro Konoe of Japan. Ernst's career at I.G. Farben, once marked by pioneering efforts to combat global famine, was simultaneously shrouded in secrecy as he worked as a German spy. However the same year this photo was taken, Hitler's influence expanded across Europe and Asia, prompting Ernst to shift his allegiance to the United States, leveraging his espionage expertise for this new cause.

Ernst's role as head of I.G. Farben's Asia division, which ended with his resignation in 1938, had both shielded him from scrutiny and left an indelible stain on his professional record. This perceived blemish made Ernst such a sensitive topic within the family that Hans effectively erased him from their collective memory by storing his belongings out of sight. The novel's development revealed to Baerwald how his grandfather and father, in a deliberate attempt to forget, had passed down painful experiences through generations, forging a legacy of inherited trauma.

He struggled to distinguish between fresh pain and lingering emotional scars.

Ernst's father nudged him towards espionage at a relatively young age, around 18. This guidance coincided with his association with a chemical company in Milan, where he would spend the subsequent nine years. During this time, Ernst immersed himself in various skills, including Japanese language proficiency and karate training, as well as the codes of honor associated with samurai swordsmanship, all while learning to lead a double life typical of a spy. In 1910, I.G. Farben relocated him to Tokyo.

As the mid-1930s unfolded, Ernst's confidence in Farben began to wane due to its partnership with the Nazis, a collaboration that would eventually yield chemical agents for use in gas chambers. He also discovered disturbing footage of Japan's Unit 731, which was conducting heinous experiments on human subjects in occupied Manchuria. Baerwald noted that this alliance exemplified the insidious bond between corporate interests and war crimes.

Operating undercover within Japan's elite circles, Ernst navigated a delicate balance of power. As a refined host, he and his wife, Ottilie, frequently entertained prominent musicians and notable figures like Albert Einstein, who was allegedly a distant relative. Guest lists were meticulously documented in leather-bound books that Ernst would carry with him when departing the country. Baerwald's narrative also introduces a second romantic interest - a stunning Japanese fashion designer secretly working as a spy, entwined with both Ernst and his wife.

As war loomed on the horizon, Ernst made the heart-wrenching decision to send his wife and son, Hans - alias "Kurt" in the novel - to safety in Switzerland while he embarked on a treacherous inner journey. Aware that the US military and the fledgling O.S.S. intelligence unit would need drastic measures to vanquish Japan's extensive territories, Ernst realized his possession of crucial information was essential to their success. In exchange for securing American citizenship and relocation for himself, his wife, and son in the United States, he agreed to share his intimate knowledge of Japan with the Americans. This included access to detailed maps he had compiled of the subterranean natural gas system, which, under targeted bombardments, could unleash devastating firestorms rivaling the 1923 Kanto earthquake's fury on an even greater scale. By signing on to this plan, Ernst was forced to confront his own conflicted loyalties.

In 1944, Japan suffered devastating fire bombings that claimed more lives than the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Hans Baerwald, a young U.S. Army officer at the time, was stationed in Tokyo amidst the chaos, an experience his son David vividly recreates in "The Fire Agent" from its opening chapters.

Spanning centuries and continents, the narrative unfolds amidst a backdrop of unfulfilled promises and catastrophic failures, where visionary ideals are brutally dismantled by an insatiable hunger for power and wealth, culminating in the devastating consequences of two global conflicts.

At its core, "The Fire Agent" remains deeply rooted in Baerwald's most pressing anxieties. According to novelist Joseph Kanon, who draws parallels between his own espionage novels and Baerwald's work, the author skillfully employs historical fiction as a means of grappling with profound moral dilemmas that continue to shape our present circumstances.