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German
Studies Association 2001
Abstract: Kinderland – A Documentary Film from Germany (1998)
This paper will explore the issues raised
in and the cinematographic realizations of the documentary “Kinderland,
Cinderland” by the Berlin filmmakers Sibylle Thiedemann and Uta Badura.
In anticipation of a class reunion a few years ago the filmmakers interview
12 women who went to school together in 1934 in Ulm, Southern Germany.
Thiedemann and Badura focus on the broad spectrum of social, religious,
political and backgrounds (Christian, Jewish, Social-democratic), personal
choices and diverse life stories of the women, now in their 70’s.
They share their memories with each other, the filmmakers and ultimately the
audience and reflect on the beginning of Nazi rule in Germany, as they
experienced it in their childhood. While the Jewish women (now living in the
U.S. and Israel) think back in agony as they recall the alienation,
discrimination and isolation that they were subjected to, some of the gentile
German women still seem to be in awe when remembering the monumental shows
and extensive leisure time activities organized and provided by the Nazis.
They also display very little sympathy and understanding for a small
resistance group that they were aware of at the time (the “White Rose”). One
of the leaders, Sophie Scholl went to school with them and was executed in
1943 for treason at the age of 21.
The filmmakers let the women speak for themselves and use very little
voice-over. The narrative develops through the editing, the inclusion of
archival footage and the tension that is build up between the often controversial
and irreconcilable points of view.
The paper will also discuss modes of memory and remembrance and comment on
the filmmakers’ Oral History approach.
Since this critically highly acclaimed film is very little known in the U.S.
I will include clips from the film in my presentation. I would be grateful
for the opportunity to have a separate screening when the film (with English
subtitles) could be shown in its entirety (90 minutes). The film was
nominated for the Film Prize of the Federal Republic of Germany in June 1998.
Abstract:
WiG Conference 2001
Neonazis in German Documentary Films
In the last 10 years, Skinheads and
Neonazis have received a remarkable media attention. Beginning with the 1992
documentary “Beruf Neonazi” featuring Bela Ewald Althans, filmmakers, TV
journalists and others have tried to capture the phenomenon of rising Neonazi
visibility and activities in the united Germany.
In this paper, I will briefly outline the genre-specific representation of
Neonazis in films in general and then discuss current TV documentations in
particular. Even though I focus entirely on Germany, I would also like to
stress that right wing extremism and the Skinhead/Neonazi scenes are nowadays
linked in a very effective international network. After defining the
terminology: right wing extremism, Skinheads, Neonazis, I will also address
the growing participation of women in these scenes and the ways they are
represented in two German documentaries (“Kameradinnen. Die rechte
Frauenfront” and “Moderne Walkueren”). In the German media as well as in
academic discourses, the most recent developments within the right
wing/Neonazi scenes are often described as “attracting the middle of
society.” I, therefore propose that we need to look very closely to the changed
and changing image of those groups. The stereotypical picture of the
undereducated, rude, aggressive, violent, and drunken male (possibly with a
shaved head, fighting dog, bomber jacket, white-laced combat boots, etc.)
might be true for the most visible part of the “movement,” but is only a
faction of the Neonazi scene.
In conclusion, the Skinhead/Neonazi scenes have “diversified” in the last
years. They span from youth culture to party politics, from music to
violence. While still committed to their basic ideologies, they have found
new ways to be attractive to young people by giving them a feeling of
appreciation, belonging and security. As one young mentioned: “My comrades
are much more important to me than my family. And this will never change.”
The Skinhead/Neonazi scenes have also become more and more attractive to
women. This is particular due to the fact that former stereotypes of women as
“housewives and mothers” have given way to the image of emancipated,
self-reliant women who are not only engaged in their community, but also in
political parties. What does that mean for feminist discourses? It means to
me that we should engage in discussions regarding the alarming rise of
women’s participation in right wing culture, politics and yes, even violence.
Important websites:
http://www.exit-deutschland.de/
Program for Neonazis who want to leave the scene
http://www.jugendkulturen.de/
Archiv der Jugendkulturen in Berlin-Kreuzberg (excellent)
www.nadir.org/nadir/archiv/Feminismus/GenderKiller/gender_9.html
Bitzan/Hans. Gender Killer. Von rechten Kämpferinnen und braven Biederfrauen.
www.doew.at/thema/thema_alt/rechts/refrauen/frauenbildre.html
Artikel vom Dokumentararchiv des oesterreichischen Widerstands: Frauenbild
und Frauenrepräsentanz im österreichischen Rechtsextremismus
www.bdwi.de/forum/fw/3-01-27.htm
„Pervertierter Feminismus?“ Extreme Rechte, Frauen und das World Wide Web
WiG
2001 Films on videos used for paper “Neonazis in German Documentary
films"
I. German and Austrian feature films (main
plot revolves around the Skinhead/Neonazi scene):
“Kahlschlag” (D, 1993, R.: Hanno Bruehl)
“Die Erben” (A, 1982, R.: Walter Bannert); commercially available
“Oi! Warning” (D, 2000, R.: Dominik&Benjamin Reding); distribution: MC
One GmbH
II. The documentary films about Neonazis move along geo-political borders:
“Beruf Neonazi” portrays one of the formerly most influential West German
leaders (D, 1992, R.: Winfried Bonengel); distribution: UNIDOC film&video
GmbH Berlin
“Stau-gleich geht’s los” (D, 1992, R.: Thomas Heise); distribution: UNIDOC
“Glaube, Liebe, Hoffnung” (D, 1994, R.: Andreas Voigt), distribution:
Basis-Film Berlin
“Lost Sons” (focus on the leaders and followers in East Germany (D, 2000,
R.:Frederik von Krusenstjerna), distribution: Salzgerber&Co. Medien GmbH
“Die Bombe tickt” (D, 1993, R.: Thorsten Naeter)
„Thomas K. Portraet eines DDR-Neonazis“ (D, 1992)
“Skin or Die” (Schweiz, 1996, R.: Daniel Schweizer); Coproduction Horizon
Film/ARTE
III.The TV documentations
Some focus on a certain locale: “The Story” about Ehringhausen in Hesse where
the NPD received 25% of the votes in 1997 (R.: Peter Schran), WDR
Others on certain topics:
Music in “Scharfe Glatzen”
Women in “Kameradinnen. Die rechte Frauenfront” (D, 1993, R.: Rainer Fromm),
distribution: Katholisches Filmwerk Frankfurt
“Moderne Walkueren” (D, 1995), Suedwestdeutsche TV
Right wing esotericism in “Kulte, Fuehrer, Lichtgestalten” (D, 1998, R.:
Klaus Bellmund&Kaarel Siniveer), WDR
Social work with Skinheads/Neonazis in:”Glatzen, Cliquen und ein Club” (D,
1994, R.: Gerlinde Boehm), IFFJ (Informations-, Forschungs-,
Fortbildungsdienst Jugendgewaltpraevention) ARD/MDR: 3 part series “Nach
Hitler – Radikale Rechte ruesten auf” (distribution: UAP, 2001)
Report on summer research project (May 28-July15,
2000 in Berlin/Germany)
- -
Jewish and non-Jewish Voices of Remembrance
Many
districts of the city of Berlin have begun in the 1980xs to research the fate
of their former Jewish inhabitants and discovered gruesome stories of
expulsion, exile, deportation, and death. The historical knowledge of the
Nazi genocide ceased to remain in the abstract and took on the form of very
personal stories of former neighbors. As in many Berlin districts, the
Schoeneberg district organized exhibitions, published documentations and is
the home to one of the most touching yet underrated Holocaust memorials in
Berlin: In 1993, 80 signs were attached to lampposts around Bayrischer Platz,
a neighborhood with a formerly large Jewish population and are since part of
street life there. The signs have brightly printed objects of everyday use on
one side and a condensed text from Nazi laws against Jews (1933-1945) on the
other. Example: The picture of a book; the text on the other side of the sign
reads: Jews may not use public libraries, August 2, 1941.
This
installation by Renata Stih and Frieder Schnock marked the beginning of
several remarkable projects in Berlin-Schoeneberg that were devoted to the
districtxs past during the Nazi era. Since 1995, complex exhibitions are
installed almost every year that include xfamily booksx of former Jewish
neighbors who were forced into exile, listening stations with interviews of
former Jewish and non-Jewish neighbors, oversized display posters with
detailed information on Jewsx lives in exile, and very knowledgeable guides
who are trained to listen and discuss the visitorsx emotional responses.
The
exhibition is very impressive and moving. On long tables (approx. 150ft) more
than 90 xfamily booksx of prominent or unknown former Jewish inhabitants of
Schoeneberg are displayed. These albums contain photos, personal letters, and
other documents, are very well-researched and artistically presented.
Opposite these books are boxes with notes from last yearxs guest book. At
another table there are several volumes on display with the names and
addresses of the more than 6000 Jews who were deported from Schoeneberg.
A few conceptional questions have come up for me: The exhibition addresses
exclusively the xEscape and expulsionx (title) aspect of the Holocaust, not
directly the actual genocide or the fate of the very few Jews who survived in
Berlin in hiding. This approach seems to be legitimate if the aim is to pay
tribute to the exiled Jews from this neighborhood. But the listening station
and the video (xShared/Divided Memoriesx) seem to follow a different script
and draw attention to the fact that most non-Jewish neighbors witnessed the
escapes and deportations with indifference, without resistance, often without
questioning and sometimes even with satisfaction. So, if the intent were
indeed to bring the Jewish and non-Jewish voices of remembrance together (a
courageous undertaking) one would wish that any kind of dialogue would play a
more prominent part of the exhibition. The attempt that was made xto include
passages from last yearxs visitor book- was not very effective.
During the
duration of the exhibition the Art Bureau of the Schoeneberg district offered
weekly literature readings and discussions on the works of (and sometimes
with) Jewish authors who were exiled from Berlin or survived the Holocaust
and WWII in hiding e.g. Inge Deutschkron, Rahel Mann, Wera Zeller, Judith
Kerr.
The
exhibition on Bayrischer Platz, a green oasis in bustling Berlin does touch a
nerve as the lively echo shows. As a side note: This small park is a favorite
hangout for homeless people. Well-meaning citizens warned the exhibition
organizers years ago that the homeless would ruin the tables, mess up the
exhibition and cause damage. After including the homeless in the set-up of
the exhibition, explaining its purpose, etc. they actually were the best
guards the organizers could wish for.
Following
an invitation by the district government of Schoeneberg, several of the
exiled Jews returned to Berlin for a visit in the last few years. My summer
research project focuses on the interviews that were conducted 8 men and women
who lived in Berlin-Schoeneberg in the 1930xs: Two interviewees immigrated to
Canada and Israel, one Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust in hiding in
an apartment house, one Jewish woman who emigrated to England
(Kindertransport) and returned to Berlin in 1947 and The four gentiles lived
through WWII in Berlin. All interviewees and their families resided in
Berlin, and all but three (out of 8) still do.
The
purpose of the project was to find out if different modes of remembrance
exist between the Jewish and non-Jewish interviewees, and if yes, of which
nature they are. I was furthermore interested in the different ways in which
the past (and the present) was narrated, in connecting and dividing issues,
perceptions, interpretations, and assumptions.
The Oral
History interviews were all conducted in German and were recorded in Berlin.
Each interview followed the same chronological outline (childhood, school,
perceived signs of anti-Semitism, pogrom night, knowledge of deportations,
survival and life after WWII and the Holocaust). The interviewers asked
open-ended questions and left a lot of room for the individual reminiscences.
This technique allows for the individual to find his/her own narrative, to
freely associate, to recall episodes from their own lives, and to position
their own life story in the context of German history of the 20th century.
Evaluating the interviews it was obvious that the Jewish eyewitnesses
(Zeitzeugen) had narrated their livesx stories before and that three out of
four had devoted a good part of their lives to dealing with their haunting
memories. They all shared feelings of guilt for having survived when family
members and friends had perished, were killed in several camps. Coming to
terms with their national, religious, political identity, the four Jewish
interviewees could not disagree with each other any more: Mr. K. comes from
an educated, assimilated family, sees no problem in being a Jew of German
descend. He appreciates German culture and language, holds wonderful
childhood memories and has extensively researched the early part of his life
before he was saved by xKindertransportx, the emigration of German-Jewish
children to Great Britain. Mr. K. still has vivid memories of himself as a
schoolboy and can recall all names of his former classmates! Mrs. L. was also
saved by xKindertransportx, but returned to Berlin in 1947 and became
actively involved in the communist movement in East Germany. Her life story
is rather typical for many Jews returning from exile in Great Britain (or
Russia) determined to found an xanti-fascistx German state. She felt and
still feels that her identity is foremost that of a socialist who also
happens to be Jewish. Mr. G. on the other side grew up in a Zionist family
who immigrated to Israel in the early 1930xs. He considers himself a devout
Jew of German descend and part of the Jewish people. At last, Mrs. M.
survived as a child in hiding in an apartment house in Berlin, protected by a
courageous woman, Mrs. Vater. Mrs. M. has lived in Berlin and other German
cities until three years ago when she decided to join her children in Israel.
She does not define identity in national and cultural, but in spiritual
terms.
It is interesting to note that all Jewish interviewees agreed on the fact
that they did not talk very much with their children about their suffering
during the Holocaust, their lives in hiding and in exile. They claim that
their children never showed interest in that part of their parentsx lives.
However, they all report that their grandchildren (about High School/College
age now) want to know what happened during the Third Reich and how the
Holocaust was possible. The interviewees now talk to their grandchildren in a
way they never could with their own children. This struck me as a very
thought-provoking point since it seems to counter the general trend of asking
questions about the Third Reich in the non-Jewish population in Germany. More
analysis and data would be necessary to confirm (or dismiss) the perceived differences
from the Jewish perspectives of the victims (childrensx generation was not
interested in parentsx past) to the non-Jewish perspective of the
perpetrators/bystanders (childrensx generation harshly confronted their
parents regarding their complicity in WWII).
The non-Jewish interviewees remember their early fascination with Adolf
Hitler and the shame and guilt they felt after WWII. However, it is not
entirely clear if their feelings are more connected to the Nazi war crimes,
to the Holocaust and/or the lost war that left the population of Berlin in
particular in a dire situation. In any Oral History interview with
non-Jewish-Germans these questions are crucial in order to see how the
individuals deal and have dealt with the past in different period of their
lives.
The four non-Jewish interviewees also frequently commented on the many
denunciations they were aware of during the Nazi reign. Some of them were
involved with the Nazi Youth movement to a certain degree, and/or served in
the army. The interviewees often explain the limitations of their actions in
the totalitarian system and their own convictions within that system.
Interestingly, the three women all recall episodes in which Jewish
acquaintances of their families asked that they not greet and visit them
anymore so that the gentiles would not endanger themselves. When evaluating
the interviews it became apparent that these stories might be a belated
attempt of justification on the part of the non-Jews. Two interviewed women
recall the horrors of the war and offer a highly contested explanation of why
their part of Berlin-Schoeneberg (The Bavarian quarter) was bombed by the
allies in March 1943: Out of revenge for the deported Jews (Mrs. W: x The
Bavarian quarter was bombed intentionally, because this was a Jewish quarter
and everything had been taken from them. And so our house was unfortunately
bombed. It always hits the innocents, too.x). The degree of reflection on
WWII and the Holocaust widely differs among the 4 non-Jewish interviewees.
While this research project studies the Oral History interviews of only 8
former residents of a Berlin neighborhood many of the findings were
consistent with more elaborate studies
Midwest MLA Convention
Chicago, November 7 - 9, 2003
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Session: German III. Pedagogies in
Theory and Practice: "Teaching
Literature or/and Film."
From Screen to Scene: Film
Analysis in the German Language Classroom
This paper will discuss
different ways in which contemporary German feature films explore historical
events, and in which ways we can use these films in German language classes.
I argue to not use films as a mere illustration of history and/or linguistic
structures, but in its own aesthetic right. We should explore the
complexities they offer – e.g. genres, cinematography, composition, costumes,
soundtrack, characters, script, and give our students the language and analytical
tools to discuss and review a film - in spoken and written German. The focus
of my paper is the film "Aimee und Jaguar" (1999, by Max
Farberbock), based on the book by Erica Fischer by the same title, and the
documentary "Love Story." The paper will explore different
approaches to film analysis and to the historical framework of the film (such
as WW II in Berlin, the Jewish underground, rescuing, and lesbian
relationships in Nazi times).
The paper will further
present ideas of teaching necessary cinematographic terms, analyzing
different components of film, and discussing a film in German with students
at different levels of language acquisition. Participants of the session will
receive handouts for use in the classroom.
Society for German-American
Studies
(Baltimore/MD, April 24-27, 2003)
Narrative Voices in Lisa
Lewenz’ “Letter without Words” (1998)
Lisa
Lewenz, artist and filmmaker found her grandmother’s amateur 16mm footage of
Berlin in the 1920’/1930’s several years ago in an attic here in Baltimore
where she was raised. Ella Lewenz, born in 1883 to one of Berlin’s most
prominent Jewish families, recorded everyday life in Berlin, the rise of the
Nazi party, family visits by German notables such as Albert Einstein, Rabbi
Leo Baeck, writer Gerhart Hauptmann, sculptor
Georg Kolbe, actress Brigitte Helms, and others. Passionate about
filming, Ella acquired color film in the 1930’s and defied the Nazi order
that forbade independent filmmaking. After Kristallnacht 1938, Ella and her
youngest daughter Dorothea finally escape the Nazi terror and eventually
settle in America. The other five children have already fled to
North and South America and Palestine.
Using
her grandmother’s footage and diary as guides, Lisa Lewenz reconstructs not
only her own heritage, but chronicles the fate and destruction of the
German-Jewish community in the 20th century. The filmmaker
juxtaposes her own narrative and interviews with family members with Ella’s
diary entries and footage. This metanarrative reaches across time and space,
and across generations and cultures. It connects the past with the present,
life in Germany and America. Ella not only chronicled life in pre-WWII
Berlin, but also her passage to America, her travels through the U.S. from
1939 until her death in 1954, and her brief visits to post-WWII Europe.
For the
purpose of this paper, however, I will limit my analysis to the interplay of
Ella's pre-emigration home movies and diary entries and Lisa's construction
of the past through editing, interviewing, and her own footage of Berlin in
the 1980's/1990's.
One of
the frequently asked questions, in particular in the German press is How
legitimate is it to present the horrors of a terrible era in German history
through the lens of a benign family story, moreover, of a well-established,
highly assimilated and wealthy Jewish family. As I will demonstrate in my
paper, this film is about memory and identity, and how they exist in time and
space. This story is unique and representative - unique in the sense of this
one family's particular idiosyncrasies, and representative for other
assimilated Jewish families in a similar socio-economic situation.
After
finding Ella's footage in 1981, Lisa Lewenz decided to teach herself
filmmaking, so that she could tell her family's story cinematographically and
honor her grandmother. While working on the project, Lisa's goals became more
ambitious: She also wanted to explore the question who her grandmother was,
what she might have thought and felt after the rise of the Nazi movement, at
the time of emigration to the U.S.….What she would have told her
granddaughter if they had ever met. The filmmaker Lewenz imagines the letter
her grandmother wrote to her, a letter composed entirely of pictures and
images, without any words (hence the title). As we will later see, Lewenz
attempts to translate the pictures into words for HER audience.
For her film, Lisa needed to place her grandmother in time and space, in a
time of political and personal upheaval, and in a culture that she (Lisa) was
unfamiliar with. Lisa grew up Episcopalian, not knowing of her Jewish roots
until she turned 13. Her German-Jewish father Hans converted to Christianity
after his emigration to the U.S. in order to save his children the
pain and suffering he had experienced (tape). He is also
recorded as saying towards the end of his life that he very much regrets this
decision. Hans Lewenz followed a long-standing trend among German Jews,
trying to reconcile their patriotic feelings for the "Vaterland"
and a religious or secular Jewish upbringing. Moses Mendelssohn
(1729-1786), friend of Lessing and Frederick the
Great, protagonist of the Jewish Enlightenment in Germany ("Be a
Man on the street and a Jew at home") worked on the
synthesis of Jewish and Christian culture. While he lived his life as a
cosmopolitan, enlightened thinker he also observed Jewish Law. His grandson,
the composer Felix Mendelssohn was baptized. Ella Lewenz filmed at the 200th
Jahresfeier for Moses Mendelssohn in September 1929. Lisa uses this rare
footage in her film to illustrate her grandmother's prominence and
independent spirit.
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