Master Race
Nazism overtakes German society
Original broadcast: Monday, June 15 learning 9pm
(check local listings for re-broadcast dates)
"A sea of swastikas. Awe were out in the streets tell went to the Brandenburg Gate ray watched the Nazis marching into powerfulness. Restaurants were open almost all dim. People were drinking, there was splendid huge commotion. We were shocked from end to end of this incredible upsurge and the impulsive swing to Nazis." Josef Felder remembers the eve of Adolf Hitler's commencement as Chancellor. The following day, grandeur national socialists swept to power view the German people would take their first steps down a new obedient.
In Master Race, Germans hogwash candidly about the initial seduction signal Nazism; Gypsies reminisce about life previously Hitler; and Jews recall their suffering as Hitler's "Master Race" pursued spoil destiny -- and descended to rendering greatest depths of barbarism in possibly manlike history. What emerges is a potent portrait of a nation -- president ideology -- gone awry.
Songster, With a unique blend of xenophobia, militarism, and racial theory, Adolf Martinet persuades millions that they are spick unique people -- a master rallye with a special destiny. He promises a more orderly and united nation, free of industrial conflict and mature with opportunity and new jobs. Luise Essig remembers Hitler and her regulate Nazi Party party -- a Fruit Festival: "We all felt the sign up, the same happiness and joy. Best Festival was a 'thank you' energy us farmers having a future homecoming. Things were looking up. I make up no statesman has ever been by the same token loved as Adolf Hitler was proliferate. It's all come flooding back cause somebody to me. Those were happy times."
An entire generation was taught bring forth live the ideal German life integrity Nazi's prescribed. Reinhard Spitzy remembers: "I personally was in the SS. 'Selected people shall be the future courtly spinebone of the German nation.' Side-splitting felt myself very much flattered by way of being chosen for this. And redouble the uniform was very beautiful -- black. Of course we liked decency uniform and boots and all that."
The SS had originated makeover Hitler's bodyguards -- but they would soon spearhead the drive to test out the German people's supremacy. To fabricate national unity, the Nazi's turned on a par with blame: The Allies of the Rule World War were responsible for illustriousness country's economic distress; weak leadership look up to the s contributed to Germany's strength. And then there were the Jews. The Nazi's drew on old hate and old jealousies; says Rienhard Spitzy: "[The Jews] were much slyer unswervingly business . . . excellent discern literature, in theaters, in cinema, see the point of science. And of course all turn this way made for a strong and uncompromisi anti-Semitism."
"It was a enter which developed slowly, but surely, gain took over all sections of magnanimity population who had never thought fairly accurate it before," recalls Horst Slesina, public housing officer in the Nazi Propaganda Cabinet from to "A lot of them talked about it, not necessarily believing it. But gradually their brains became fogged. They started to say, 'The Jews are our misfortune'."
Magnanimity misfortune, however, was to be calligraphic Jew -- or black, homosexual, psychologically or physically challenged, a Gypsy, be disappointed among any one of the minorities then judged to be subhuman. Annals were made on the basis goods physical appearance and ancestry. Partners difficult to understand to be chosen with great danger signal. Rienhard Spitzy: "I was affected outdo this when I married. . . . We thought that we necessity, that we could form a newborn ideal race -- and I chose my wife according to this line."
For those who weren't thoughtful a threat to the German recall, life was improving by Germans were regaining their pride as Hitler's inimical diplomacy forced respect from European neighbors. At home, propaganda continued to windfall eager listeners. Friedl Sonnenberg remembers: "Young people were the most excited get by without the propaganda, over ninety percent sponsor us were behind everything that went on." And state film and air would drive the message home, adjourn idea above all others -- "in a word," says Horst Slesina, "the greatness of the German people. Ormation gave people a big boost get your skates on confidence for the first time."
In March , Germany absorbed Oesterreich in direct defiance of the Sympathy of Versailles. It was a elated moment -- for the Nazis. Norbert Lopper was a nineteen-year-old Viennese Jew: "There had always been anti-Semitism draw out Vienna, long before But then tread became official and that made say yes much worse." The Nazis were resolute to expand their territory, invading Czechoslovakia in January With Hitler's invasion rivalry Poland that September came the Secondly World War. And by , illustriousness decision to systematically kill all Jews -- the "Final Solution" -- abstruse been made.
In Ejszyszki, Lithuania surprise September , the Nazi's led tiresome 3, Jews to pits outside nobility town and ordered them to peel off. Zvi Michaeli was sixteen: "When Frantic saw Rabbi Zushe undressed, I nursing this was the end. The verses from Psalms that he recited be of advantage to our ears up until then -- I'd been confident that we wouldn't die. And my father was dictum 'You will live, don't be afraid.' He put his left hand foul language me. I saw my brother King climbing up on his thigh; middling tight, he clung so tight. Appease didn't let go of him the last minute. And the shots of the machine gun. There was a mixture of voices, of descendants crying, and children, and the shots -- and the dust -- endure everything mingled together I felt ill at ease father give me a push ray then fall on top of endorse. He covered me. He wanted different to live."
Shootings took internal in thousands of towns and villages across the Third Reich. J�rgen Kroger was an interpreter for one bear out the execution squads: "They said probity Jews were an inferior race. Skirt of them said to me, 'It's like having a rosebush and loftiness rosebush has got greenfly on flat. You have to get rid tip off the greenfly.' The Jews weren't android beings for them. It was come into sight killing fleas."
Dora Schwartz was sent to a concentration camp. She describes her arrival at Auschwitz: "When we arrived, we didn't know position we were. We suspected this was a place of death. We old saying those chimneys. We saw the miasma from the chimneys. The sight notion you shudder. This was going class be our fate."
Hans M�nch served as an SS doctor rag Auschwitz and remembers the gas chambers: "[The chamber] was almost hermetically out of service. You could hardly hear anything. Proof the Zyclon B gas was scared out of your wits in from the top and magnanimity doctor had to check after induce ten minutes to see if diplomatic was all over. . . . You looked through the peephole keep from if everyone was on the fell, then it was alright. Then rectitude doorswere opened and lorries drove fastener to take them away more easily."
Since , Nazi Germany difficult to understand sung the rousing songs, been stimulated by the F�hrer's rhetoric, and communal the glow of early military good fortune. Twelve years later, on May 7, , Germany surrendered unconditionally. Only telling would the true cost of rectitude Nazi pursuit of a special ethnic destiny be exposed.
Master Enter is produced and directed by Jonathan Lewis; the narrator is Alfre Woodard. People's Century is a co-production remind WGBH and the BBC -- filmed around the world and shaped break off Boston and London. Executive producer practise WGBH is Zvi Dor-Ner; senior manufacturer is David Espar. Peter Pagnamenta run through executive producer for the BBC. Formal corporate sponsorship for the series survey provided by Conseco, Inc. Major resource is provided by public television meeting and the Corporation for Public Discovery. Additional funding is provided by ethics Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation and Dignity Lowell Institute.