Four programs for antisemitic films in Nazi Germany. 1938 -1940

Four programs for antisemitic films in Nazi Germany. 1938 -1940

Four programs for antisemitic films released in Nazi Germany at the initiative of the Nazi Ministry of Propaganda. 1938-1940.

In the fall of 1938, the Nazi Ministry of Propaganda approached German film companies with a request to produce films with a clear and unequivocal antisemitic message. The ministry provided the main topics to be expressed in the films - 'the Jewish world conspiracy', and race theories. The Nazis intended to present antisemitism as part of a story that would make the German people accept the "final solution" to the Jewish problem. Before us are four programs for films produced in Germany on this initiative, each program briefly outlines the plot of the film, photographs of central scenes, and the names of the main director, producer and actors.

• Program of the production company "Illustrierter Film-Kurier" for the antisemitic propaganda film Jud Süß, which was released in Nazi Germany in 1940 directed by Veit Harlan, by order of Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. One of the harshest propaganda films of all time, it presents an antisemitic plot based on the book by Lion Feuchtwanger "Jew Süss" which was adapted to influence German public opinion. The film was first produced in 1934 by Michael Balcon in England, and in 1939 Goebbels initiated a production of a German antisemitic version. The film portrays Süss, an evil and greedy Jewish merchant living in the Frankfurt ghetto. Süss engages in usury, and in order to promote himself economically and socially he uses manipulation, corruption and bribery. To disguise himself, he shaves his beard and sidelocks and replaces his long coat with Christian attire. His scheming pays off, seemingly, and he reaches an influential political position in the court of the Duke of Württemberg, where he continues to accumulate power and wealth. He succeeds in removing the decree against Jews, and a whole group from Frankfurt arrives in Stuttgart and begins to wreak havoc, robbing Christians and exploiting the local economy. The manipulative schemes of the Jew lead the duchy to the brink of civil war, but eventually justice prevails and Süss's corruption is exposed. He is disgraced, put on trial and sentenced to hang on the gallows. At the end of the film, the ban on the presence of Jews in Stuttgart is renewed and they are expelled, with the girl's father urging future generations to keep the law forever to spare themselves great suffering. The film was intended to illustrate the danger to Germany specifically from the assimilated Jews, those who look and dress like modern Germans. Such Jews, who shed their Jewish identifiers and whose difference and cunning are not immediately recognizable, are the most dangerous, according to the Nazi version of "Jew Süss". The film was a success in Germany, Heinrich Himmler ordered all SS men and police to watch it. The guards of the concentration camps also watched the film, and the impact was devastating - eyewitnesses saw members of the 'Hitler Youth' in Vienna trampling a Jew to death after watching the film. The film was shown in small towns in Poland before the deportation of Jews to prevent them from receiving help from the local population. After the war, director Veit Harlan was tried in Nuremberg for crimes against humanity, but the proceedings against him were discontinued due to difficulties in obtaining evidence. [8] pages. 30 cm. Filing holes. Good condition.  

• Program for the antisemitic fiction film Die Rothschilds - "The Rothschilds" directed by Erich Waschneck. Published by "Illustrierter Film-Kurier" Berlin, 1940. The film 'The Rothschilds' was both antisemitic and anti-British. The film used the historical background of the Napoleonic Wars to present the cunning of the Rothschild banking family and their financial control, and to demonstrate the danger of the Jew controlling the economies of nations through money. The Rothschilds are portrayed as having amassed their wealth by sucking the blood of the Germans, and Britain is presented as a declining society under the complete control of the Jews. The final scene shows a Star of David in flames placed over a map of Britain. The film was originally shot in Germany and Austria and the role of Mayer Rothschild, the patriarch of the Rothschild family, is played in the film by actor Ferdinand Marian. The program before us opens with a scene showing the Rothschild family members consulting against the backdrop of a world map. The program features many images of scenes from the film, as well as a synopsis of the plot ending with the threatening message: "Rothschild's victory is a victory for the Star of David". [8] pages, 30 cm. Very good condition. 

• Program for the film Leinen aus Jrland - "Linen from Ireland" published by "Illustrierter Film-Kurier", Berlin, 1939. Linen from Ireland premiered on October 16, 1939 at the Capitol in Berlin. In the film, Otto Tressler plays a Bohemian textile manufacturer whose Jewish manager, played by Siegfried Breuer, aims to destroy the local fabric production in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy shortly after the beginning of the century by importing cheaper linen from abroad and thereby exposing the factory workers to unemployment. The film is based on the stage play of the same name (1929) by Stefan von Kamare. Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels himself participated in the filming that took place in Vienna. [8] pages, 30 cm. Very good condition. 

• Program for the film Robert und Betram published by AAFA-FILM Berlin, November 1939 - Robert and Bertram - a Nazi antisemitic propaganda film produced as a light comedy in 1939. The film is based on a play written by Gustav Räder and performed in German theaters since 1865. It was a vulgar comedy that was very popular in the German lands in the 18th and 19th centuries, and in which Jews were portrayed in a distorted but amusing manner. For the directing of the film, Goebbels chose the director Heinz Zerlett. The message of the film, in which the Jewish characters such as Ipelmeyer appear only as crude and clumsy caricatures lacking education from the ghetto, is "that the Jew must pay the bill". The film did not have a real impact on German society. Hitler did not look favorably upon the Germans being portrayed as a pair of rogues. Moreover, Hitler wanted to portray the Jews as dangerous and not as grotesque. The next film, Linen from Ireland, was also not successful, but these two failed films paved the way for the films: The Eternal Jew, Jew Süss, and The Rothschilds. [8] pages, 30 cm. Filing holes. Spine reinforced with tape. Good condition.