German TV documentary film on antisemitism (reel 1)
Creator(s)
- Deutscher Fernsehfunk (DFF) (Producer)
- Walter Heynowski (Director)
- Bundesarchiv (Germany). Filmarchiv
Scope and Content
The opening credits list the countries from which documents from the film have been obtained. The first scene shows a man running through the woods, followed by men in Nazi uniforms, who shoot and kill him. The Nazis remove the dead man's passport: close-up on the "J" which indicates he was a Jew. This "J" becomes the "J" in the title of the film. The first part of the film provides a biography of Globke. The filmmakers use footage of early Nazi leaders (including Goering and Goebbels) and documents signed by Globke to make the point that he was in league with the Nazis from early on. Globke was a devout Catholic and member of the Zentrumspartei, which was dissolved by the Nazis in 1933. A fellow member of the Zentrumspartei, Dr. Klausener, was shot by the Nazis in his office, while Globke was named to the Oberregierungsrat by Goering. A hidden hand pages through Globke's file to find the answers behind his success in the Nazi government. Documents show that in December 1932, before Hitler came to power, Globke signed a decree forbidding Jews to change their names in order to hide their Jewish origins.
Note(s)
Other credits: Music: Hanns Eisler; Narration: Wolfgang Heinz, Herwart Grosse; Distributor: Progress Film-Vertrieb VEB. First broadcast: April 19, 1961. See Stories 3310 through 3323 on Film IDs 2506A and 2506B for entire film "Aktion J." Consult departmental files for a complete description of the individual reels (in German).
Film summary: An East German propaganda film showing original documents, photographs, and witness accounts which portray the career of Hans Globke, former state secretary in the Bundeskanzleramt under Konrad Adenauer's leadership. As commentator and co-writer of the Nuremberg laws, Globke played a significant role in propagating and disseminating the antisemitic decree. This film asserts his responsibility for the Holocaust and emphasizes his outstanding political role in West Germany.
Subjects
- GOEBBELS, JOSEPH
- GOERING, HERMANN
- REICHSTAG FIRE
- PROPAGANDA
- GLOBKE, HANS
- ANTISEMITISM
- REICHSTAG
- HIMMLER, HEINRICH
- NAZI OFFICIALS
- SWASTIKAS
Places
- , Germany
Genre
- Film
- Documentary.
Copies
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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum holds copies of Holocaust-relevant archives from Bundesarchiv, Berlin-Lichterfelde (Abteilung Filmarchiv)