Concentration camp imposter - Enric Marco's life of lies
Durada: 25 min
08/02/2025
Barcelona-born Enric Marco was celebrated as a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, being awarded Catalonia's highest civil distinction, the Creu de Sant Jordi, publicly sharing his experiences and even representing a survivors' association. However in 2005 the historian Benito Bermejo discovered that Marco's life story was a monumental lie.We interview Bermejo about the investigation leading up to Marco's disclosure and learn about the thousands of Catalan Republicans who really were deported during WWII and who perished in German concentration camps. Cillian Shields sits down with host Beth Cohen to explore the circumstances that led Marco to lie about his past. We also talk to psychologist Dr. Drew Curtis, who specializes in deceit and pathological liars, and draw parallels with cases of other famous imposters. This week's Catalan phrase is 'sembla mentida' - it seems like a lie. 'Sembla mentida' that someone would fake being a concentration camp victim¿ but it actually happened.