"The Book Thief"---The Character of a Great Man

Is it just me, or did the book get that much more exciting during the scene where the Nazi soldiers marched the Jews to Dachau? I completely forgot that I was reading a book and started to visualize everything. In my mind I could see the street, German on-lookers, the children, Hans, and the faces of the Jewish people as they reluctantly did as they were told. Beyond that, it really showed a lot about Hans, and his character, that he would even be brave enough to walk through the crowd and offer up a piece of bread to a struggling man. I was awestruck. Part of me was happy that he decided to do this, but the other part of me was extremely afraid for him. After the whipping, I was concerned that they would take him or even find Max. Thankfully that did not happen, but I cannot help but wonder what the the events to follow would be like if things did not go across so well. Also, I want to know how many more Germans were just like Hans. How many people, even in the smallest gesture, tried to stand up for what was right? Now those would be some interesting stories to hear.