The ratlines (German: Rattenlinien) were systems of escape routes for German Nazis and other fascists fleeing Europe from 1945 onwards in the aftermath of World War II.

Feb 25, 2023 · After World War II, thousands of Nazi war criminals escaped justice with the help of ratlines — which were set up by the Vatican, South American politicians, and sometimes even U.S. spies.

Mar 1, 2020 · After World War II, thousands of Nazis fled to South America along so-called ratlines — often with the help of Catholic clergy. The Vatican is now opening its archives from the time.

Feb 4, 2017 · As the Allied forces circled around and the net of justice closed in, numerous escape routes popped up. These routes, known as the “ ratlines ”, provided the answer for war criminals who were looking for a new home. This meant that many perpetrators were given a lifeline, and with this came an obstruction of justice.

The escape-routes have become known as "ratlines". Known goals of elements within the SS included allowing SS members to escape to Argentina or to the Middle East under false passports.

Jun 17, 2020 · Those who weren’t recruited into covert programs fled using “ratlines,” or secret pre-planned routes through parts of Europe. Simon Wiesenthal, a world-renowned Nazi hunter, suspected Nazis fled to Middle Eastern nations early on.

Oct 20, 2024 · Learn about the Ratlines, the secret escape routes that allowed thousands of Nazi war criminals to flee Europe after World War II, evading justice and settling in countries like Argentina and Chile.

Mar 24, 2020 · Many key Nazis escaped through ratlines: as well as Eichmann, escapees also included Josef Mengele, notorious for his monstrous experiments at Auschwitz; and Ante Pavelić, the leader of the Croatian Ustaša, responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 Jews and Serbs.

Jan 27, 2024 · The Ratlines were clandestine escape routes established after World War II to facilitate the flight of high-ranking Nazi officials, collaborators, and other war criminals from Europe. These networks allowed some of history’s most notorious figures, responsible for orchestrating the Holocaust and other atrocities, to evade justice.

Mar 5, 2025 · The Ratline Post-war escape route out of Europe. What has become known today by historians, researchers and WW2 enthusiasts as one of the most infamous escape methods used by war criminals and fascists after the war was called The Ratlines.