" ▁account ▁— ▁an ▁account ▁opened ▁in ▁another ▁person ' s ▁name ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁real ▁owner ▁secret ▁— ▁thousands ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁opened ▁by ▁Jewish ▁families ▁in ▁Switzerland ▁as ▁the ▁Naz is ▁inv aded ▁Europe . ▁E pping ▁spec ul ates ▁that ▁if ▁such ▁an ▁account ▁were ▁never ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁family , ▁or ▁st olen ▁by ▁the ▁trust ee , ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁multip lied ▁a ▁thousand ▁times ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁six ▁dec ades . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁real - life ▁details ▁of ▁E pping ' s ▁work ▁with ▁a ▁Jewish ▁family ▁trying ▁to ▁rec laim ▁buildings ▁in ▁Berlin ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁owned ▁before ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁Central ▁Europe ▁Foundation ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁E pping ▁became ▁president ▁of ▁Central ▁Europe ▁Foundation ▁( M itte le uropa - st iftung ), ▁which ▁provides ▁scholar ships ▁to ▁students ▁from ▁throughout ▁Central ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁and ▁awards ▁the ▁annual ▁Dr . ▁E lem ér ▁H ant os ▁Prize ▁" to ▁a ▁person , ▁persons , ▁or ▁organization ▁for ▁out standing ▁achiev ement ▁in ▁prom oting ▁Econom ic ▁Co operation ▁in ▁Central ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Europe ". ▁Rec ent ▁recip ients ▁of ▁the ▁prize ▁have ▁been ▁human - right s ▁activ ist ▁and ▁Czech ▁President ▁V ác lav ▁H avel ▁and ▁Aust rian ▁Vice - Ch an cell or ▁Er hard ▁B use k ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁Special ▁Co ordin ator ▁of ▁the ▁St ability ▁P act ▁for ▁South ▁Eastern ▁Europe . ▁