Liberation at Duben
Creator(s)
- Library of Congress - Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (MBRS)
- Members of George Stevens' camera team (Camera Operator)
- George C. Stevens (Camera Operator)
Biographical History
George Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. During World War II, Stevens joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and headed a film unit from 1943 to 1946 under General Eisenhower. His unit shot footage documenting D-Day — including the only Allied European Front color film of the war — the liberation of Paris and the meeting of American and Soviet forces at the Elbe River, as well as horrific scenes from the Duben labor camp and the Dachau concentration camp. Stevens also helped prepare the Duben and Dachau footage and other material for presentation during the Nuremberg Trials. In 2008, his footage was entered into the U.S. National Film Registry by the Librarian of Congress as an "essential visual record" of World War II.
Scope and Content
American GIs and cameramen encounter labor camp at Duben, probably a subcamp of Buchenwald. CU stretchers, emaciated corpse with name "Orlich" and number written on body. Stevens and Moffat talk to survivor in striped shirt through window. MS of other former prisoners sitting in windows. Survivor in striped shirt and camp standing outside talking to Stevens and others, woods in BG. Panning shot of barracks and camp. MLS of sign "Holzverwertung." Survivor with Red Cross armband (French POW) walks past with two soldiers. Ambulances and Red Cross tents. Men taken by stretcher to ambulance (not sure who men in stretchers are or if related to prior camp footage). Looks to be at airfield. LS Pan shot with camp? at foot of mountainside. CU and MS of unidentified troops in truck. MS of camera team approaching tunnel in mountain. MLS of jeeps coming out from camouflaged tunnel in mountain. Front jeep has two stars. General and men with him who all have red shoulder patches with white insignia get out and walk around then drive off. Two men coming out of barrack toward entrance to enclosure, appear to be in German uniform. LS of lowslung brick building. MS survivor cleaning off blanket outside. LS of front of brick building, covered corpses on stretchers, cameraman shooting scene, CU of corpses. MP in FG, pan across barracks and grounds of camp. Survivors laying out in sun next to barrack, CUs. Former prisoners seated in line outside barracks. Prisoners (Belgian, Dutch, Czech or Greek) had been working on V2 rockets. CU of two emaciated men siting by window, man filing something on chair seat, MS of survivor now dressed as civilian preparing to leave. Car in FG, stretcher bearers carry victim past "Holzverwertung" sign. Woman in coat with two men walks up toward enclosure following stretcher. MLS loaves of bread being carried by stretcher. MLS bandaged inmate carrying bucket, great pile of something up against building in BG. MS of skull and crossbones "Gefahren Zone" sign. CU of set of metallic hourglass shaped containers (related to gas chambers or perhaps something to do with rocket engines). LS of cylindrical tubes, rocket parts, members of camera team lean against them. Stockpile of rocket parks and round cannonball objects.
Note(s)
George Stevens, Jr. guessed at this labor camp as being possibly Dora, a subcamp of Nordhausen. It is more likely Duben (known as Aschersleben), a subcamp of Buchenwald located in Prussian province of Sachsen. VHS version contains complete Reels 4 and 14 of the George Stevens Collection at LOC. The 1" and Betacam SP were supervised transfers of only relevant footage, for use only in the USHMM Permanent Exhibit (Americans encounter the Camps).
People
- Stevens, George, 1904-1975.
Corporate Bodies
- United States. Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit
Subjects
- CONCENTRATION CAMPS (LIBERATION)
- CORPSES
- BARRACKS
- SOLDIERS/MILITARY (AMERICAN)
- RED CROSS
- CAMERA OPERATORS
- ROCKETS
- STEVENS, GEORGE
- SURVIVORS
- DACHAU
- SS (SCHUTZSTAFFEL)
Places
- Duben, Germany
Genre
- Unedited.
- Film