In 1960, when Mossad agent Peter Zvi Malkin led a team to capture the notorious Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, his cover was that of an ordinary tourist. To maintain this facade, Malkin carried art supplies, including pastels, colored pencils, dry watercolors, oils and a guidebook titled “The South American Handbook.” These items proved invaluable during the 10 days he awaited exfiltration from Argentina, as Malkin filled the guidebook’s pages with vivid drawings.
In these drawings, Malkin captured the dramatic moments of Eichmann’s capture, as well as his personal reflections on World War II, Mussolini, Hitler and the surrounding scenes where Eichmann was held. He later described this unique body of work as a “mixture of art and history.”
Malkin’s pivotal role in the Eichmann capture remained classified for over three decades. However, when the truth was finally revealed in 1991, Malkin became known as “The Man Who Captured Eichmann” through various books and films. By then, he had established himself as a well-known artist, but the art he created in “The South American Handbook” had never been seen by the public.
In 2002, curators from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem carefully removed the pages from the spine of the book, and for the first time since their creation in 1960, Malkin’s paintings, along with his thoughts, feelings, memories, and descriptions of technique, were published in a memoir entitled “The Argentina Journal.”
‘The Argentina Journal’ comes to St. Louis
In 2020, a portfolio of these graphic images was generously donated to the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum by philanthropist and developer Michael Staenberg. Now, this unique tale serves as the foundation for a new special exhibition at the museum, entitled “The Artist Who Captured Eichmann.” It is the museum’s first special exhibition since reopening in November 2022 after undergoing renovations.
“We are honored to present this extraordinary exhibition that blends the realms of art and espionage,” said Myron Freedman, the museum’s executive director. “Peter Malkin’s unique perspective as both an artist and a Mossad agent offers profound insight into a pivotal moment in history – the capture of one of the most infamous architects of the Holocaust, Adolf Eichmann. Malkin’s works not only capture the intensity of the mission but also reflect the enduring human spirit in the face of profound challenges. This exhibition is a testament to the power of art to convey complex and significant narratives, and we are proud to bring it to the St. Louis community.”
The exhibition opens on Sept. 19, and will run through June 1, 2025. Tickets for the exhibition will be available in late summer 2024.
| RELATED: 5 takeaways from ‘Operation Finale’, the Adolf Eichmann capture story now on Netflix
