HERMANN GOERTZ ISN’T a name you would have come across while poring over World War II for the Junior Cert, but the offbeat historians at Story Map have revived his story.

Goertz was a German spy who arrived in Ireland in 1940 via parachute into Co Meath.  After hooking up with some IRA contacts, he went on to make his way to Dublin by asking directions in a Wicklow Garda barracks.

Despite Ireland’s neutrality, Germany sent many spies here during the war to gather intelligence on the British, sometimes through collaboration with the IRA.

The video was made by German writer and blogger Marcel Krueger as part of a series of videos on website StoryMap.ie.

The website is the creation of film-makers  Andrew Flaherty and Tom Rowley.  They find and film eclectic stories about Dublin and integrate them with a map of the city.

Other stories featured on Story Map include recollections of the now defunct Incognito Sauna off Aungier Street and the confusion surrounding the plaque to Fr Pat Noise on O’Connell Bridge.

If you fancy revealing some more of Dublin’s hidden history, you can email storymapdublin@gmail.com.

You can see more of Goertz’s story here:

(via storymapdublin/Youtube)

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