Why Nazis spent World War II in a luxury West Virginia resort, with Benyamin Cohen

About this Episode

In this episode of Give and Take, I talk with journalist and author Benyamin Cohen about one of the most bizarre and largely forgotten chapters of World War II history—when dozens of high-ranking Nazis spent the war years not in prison camps, but in luxury at a West Virginia resort.

We’re talking about the Greenbrier Hotel, a grand, opulent resort nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, where captured German diplomats and their families were detained—if you can even call it that. They enjoyed gourmet meals, spa treatments, tennis matches, and more, all under the watchful but discreet eye of the U.S. government.

How did this happen? Why was it kept quiet? And what does this strange story reveal about America’s role in the war, diplomacy, and the narratives we choose to remember? I address these questions and more as I discuss this surreal piece of history with Benyamin Cohen.

You can find the article Benyamin Cohen wrote about the Greenbrier Hotel and its Nazi guests for The Forward here.