The Barman of the Ritz
Paris was occupied by German troops from June 14, 1940, to August 25, 1944: 1,533 nights. One thousand five hundred and thirty-three nights during which the Ritz was transformed from a luxury hotel into a stomping ground for the Nazi.
Paris was occupied by German troops from June 14, 1940, to August 25, 1944, totaling 1,533 nights. During this period, the city transformed from a cultural hub into a controlled space under Nazi rule. The French government had fled to Tours two days before the occupation, leaving public services like taxis, police, and mail inoperable. The streets were largely empty as millions of residents fled, while looters targeted abandoned shops and apartments. Panic spread, and archives were burned in ministerial courtyards. Despite the chaos, the Hôtel Ritz in Place Vendôme remained open for business, symbolizing a fragile continuity of normalcy amid the occupation.
The Ritz, a luxury hotel in Paris, became a gathering place for the Nazi elite during the occupation. Prior to the invasion, it hosted notable figures like Winston Churchill, but regular patrons such as Coco Chanel, the Duke of Windsor, and Barbara Hutton had fled or were preparing to leave. The hotel’s boutique stores in the Galerie des Merveilles appeared outdated, and the Bar Cambon closed two days before the occupation. Only the Petit Bar remained open, managed by Frank Meier, an Austrian-born barman celebrated for his cocktail-making skills. Meier, known for his meticulous appearance and charm, had spent 20 years behind the bar and was determined to stay despite the risks.
Frank Meier, the barman of the Ritz, concealed his Jewish heritage throughout his career, presenting himself solely as a skilled bartender. His calm demeanor hid growing worry as the German invasion approached. Meier had spent his life running from his past, but the occupation forced him to confront it. On the eve of the invasion, his last customer was Otto von Habsburg, the deposed heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Habsburg, whose family’s empire had collapsed after World War I, was a fugitive with a Nazi bounty on his head. His presence at the bar highlighted the personal and political upheavals of the time.
Otto von Habsburg, the last customer at the Ritz’s Petit Bar on June 13, 1940, was a historical figure with a complex legacy. As the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which dissolved in 1918 after World War I, he represented the old European order. By 1940, the Nazis had declared him an enemy, forcing him to flee Europe. That night, he shared a drink with Frank Meier before departing for Washington. The encounter symbolized the end of an era, as Habsburg’s departure marked the collapse of pre-war Europe and the rise of Nazi dominance.
The novel *The Barman of the Ritz* blends historical facts with fictional elements to explore the life of Frank Meier during the occupation. While Meier and certain figures like Fersen are based on real people, others such as Luciano are fictional. The author uses invented diary excerpts to provide insight into Meier’s experiences, aiming to capture the emotional conflicts he faced rather than strictly adhering to factual accuracy. The novel reflects on the moral dilemmas of the time, asking readers to consider how they might have acted in Meier’s position.
