I was lucky because on the morning after the burning of the Reichstag I left my home very early to catch a train to Berlin for the conference of our student organization and that is the only reason why I escaped arrest.

In this quote, Klaus Fuchs reflects on his fortunate escape from arrest during a pivotal moment in history. He mentions the burning of the Reichstag, a critical event that took place in 1933, when the German parliament building was set on fire, an event that Nazis used as a pretext to crack down on political opposition. Fuchs explains that, on the morning after the fire, he had already planned to leave his home early to catch a train to Berlin for a conference related to his student organization. This seemingly ordinary action allowed him to narrowly avoid being arrested by the authorities who were rounding up individuals after the fire.

Fuchs' statement highlights the luck and circumstance that allowed him to escape a dangerous situation. While many others were detained or persecuted, his early departure for Berlin was a simple matter of timing, which, in this case, became a life-saving decision. His use of the word "lucky" underscores how fate and circumstances can play a significant role in survival, especially during times of political turmoil and repression.

The quote also illustrates the political climate in Nazi Germany during the early years of Adolf Hitler's rule, where political dissenters and perceived enemies were subject to arrest and persecution. Fuchs, a German-born physicist and later a member of the Manhattan Project, was politically engaged and had left-wing leanings, making him a potential target of the regime's crackdown on opposition. His escape from arrest that day was, in part, due to his participation in a student organization that might have made him a target of Nazi authorities.

Ultimately, Fuchs' reflection on this moment serves as a reminder of how timing, luck, and circumstance can drastically alter the course of one's life, especially in a politically charged and oppressive environment. His survival was not due to any personal action on his part but rather the sheer happenstance of being in the right place at the right time. This quote underscores the precariousness of life under a totalitarian regime and the randomness of who escapes its grasp.