Key Ratline Routes

The primary escape corridors used by Nazi war criminals to flee Europe and evade justice after World War II.
ROUTE A

Germany → Spain → Argentina / South America

A principal corridor ran from Germany through Spain, then across the Atlantic to Argentina, the most common destination for escaped Nazis.

Spain, under Francisco Franco, provided a relatively sympathetic stopover before trans-Atlantic transport.

Some escapees later relocated from Argentina to Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay.
ROUTE B

Germany → Italy (Rome/Genoa) → South America

The second major ratline traversed from Germany into northern Italy, particularly through South Tyrol (e.g., Merano, Bolzano), subsequently reaching Rome and the port of Genoa.

These nodes functioned as transit points where fugitives employed forged or improperly issued documents to traverse beyond Europe.
ROUTE C

Smaller or Secondary Routes

Middle East

Some escapees, such as Franz Stangl, initially passed through ratline nodes before relocating to Syria under new identities, before ultimately moving on to South America.

Neutral European States

Switzerland and other neutral states sometimes served as temporary shelters or waypoints en route to the Atlantic.

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