Page 32 - Jewish News_November-2020

32A November 2020 JEWISH INTEREST

The Eternal Jew and its creator

By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD
he Eternal Jew was one of the pacity he worked on the production of A fond farewell
most notorious of all anti-Jew- newsreels and learned the techniques
Tish propaganda movies ever behind documentary filmmaking. In By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD
made. Exactly 80 years ago this month, January 1939 he took over Weide-
on November 28, 1940, the 65-minute mann’s position, meaning that he now ear readers, pear that my articles have been appre-
film premiered in Berlin. worked directly for Goebbels, and by After eight years of writing ciated – notwithstanding the frequently
Its director was August 1939 he had been promoted to Dthis column, it falls to me to depressing and tragic themes they have
Fritz Hippler, a Ger- head the film department. Among his say that this will be my last. In De- covered.
man filmmaker who tasks, he regulated which foreign films cember, I will be retiring from Florida There is still a long way to go,
ran the film depart- would be allowed on German screens, Gulf Coast University and returning to however. If you have enjoyed reading
ment in the Propa- and what parts of them would be cut. my native Australia to embark on the my articles, I appeal to you to keep
ganda Ministry of He also produced movies of his next phase of my life’s journey. The alive the memory of the Holocaust
Joseph Goebbels. own. In 1940 he directed Der Feldzug COVID-19 pandemic has hastened this during the dark time in which we are
He was born on Au- in Poland (The Campaign in Poland), decision. It has, let’s face it, caused living, and to bear in mind the words
Dr. Paul Bartrop gust 17, 1909, and a propaganda film demonstrating the huge transformations for people the of the late Rabbi Hugo Gryn, a survi-
brought up in Berlin. In 1927 he joined superiority of German arms in the first world over, translating, in my case, to vor of the Holocaust who became an
the Nazi Party, became a law student at phase of World War II from September bringing forward my retirement plans. esteemed and much-loved communal
universities in Heidelberg and Berlin, 1939 onwards. My first article in these pages was leader in the United Kingdom after the
and by 1934 had earned his PhD. His most famous – indeed, infa- exactly eight years ago this month. war: “Time is short and the task is ur-
In 1932 he became a Nazi Party mous – creative work was undoubt- Since that time, my articles have gent. Evil is real. So is good. There is a
district speaker and was promptly ex- edly Der Ewige Jude (The Eternal ranged widely across the full spectrum choice. And we are not so much chosen
pelled from the University of Berlin for Jew). The film consisted of documen- of the tragedy that was the Holocaust, as choosers.”
inciting violence. On April 19, 1933, tary footage combined with materials and always with an eye to showcasing I can think of no better sign-off
however, Nazi Education Minister filmed shortly after the Nazi occupa- an anniversary relative to that month’s than the one always given at the end
Bernhard Rust overthrew all existing tion of Poland. Hippler shot footage in issue. Judging by the many emails I of every show from the Irish comedian
disciplinary actions against students as- the Jewish ghettos of Łódź, Warsaw, have received from across Southwest Dave Allen: thank you, goodnight, and
sociated with the Nazi Party, enabling Kraków and Lublin, the only such Florida during that time, it would ap- may your God go with you.
Hippler’s return. He then became the footage, as it turned out, shot specifi- as the savior of Germany. up accusation was brought against him
district and high school group leader cally for the film. The rest of the film While the intention of the film was of having denied that he had a Jewish
for Berlin-Brandenburg in the Nation- consisted of stills and archival material to prepare the German population for great-grandmother. He was sent to an
al Socialist German Students’ League. from other feature films – footage that the coming Holocaust (even though the infantry replacement battalion and un-
On May 22, 1933, he led his fellow was presented as if it was additional Nazis had not themselves yet decided derwent mountain infantry training.
students in a march from the student documentary film. The film itself cov- on mass annihilation as the means to Released from active duty, he was then
house to Opera Square, with a collec- ered four essential tropes: “degener- destroy Europe’s Jews), the movie did given the task of shooting newsreel
tion of banned books which were then ate” Jewish life as seen in the Polish not have the desired impact on the Ger- footage as a cameraman until February
publicly burned. ghettos; the nature of Jewish political, man public owing to the fact that a ma- 1945. At the end of the war he was tak-
In 1936 Hippler became an assis- cultural and social values; Jewish reli- jor motion picture, Jud Süss (directed en by the British as a prisoner of war.
tant to artist, photographer and film gious ceremonies, instruction, worship by Veit Harlan, 1940), had already ap- In 1946 he was tried for directing
director Hans Weidemann. In this ca- and ritual slaughter; and Adolf Hitler peared to rapturous acclaim employing Der Ewige Jude and sentenced to two
top box-office stars and building on a years in prison. Staging a comeback af-
Voices of the captivating period drama. By contrast, ter his release, he collaborated on doc-
umentary movies under another name.
The Eternal Jew was a documentary
HOLOCAUST based on limited original footage, still In a 1981 memoir he claimed that
images and archive film clips.
Goebbels was the real creator of Der
Ewige Jude, having directed large parts
Unlike Jud Süss, therefore, which
Holocaust, Genocide was a great commercial success, Der of it himself and giving Hippler the NEW to Sarasota/Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch
Ewige Jude was something of a fail-
credit. Later, he stated that he regretted
and Tolerance Education Inspiring Speakers: ure at the box office. As a propaganda being listed as the director of the movie or The Jewish Federation?
GEORGE ERDSTEIN film it would be shown repeatedly for because it unfairly resulted in his treat-
training purposes to troops fighting on ment after the war. In his opinion he
RIFKA GLATZ
the Eastern Front as well as to mem- had nothing to do with the killing of
HELGA MELMED
bers of the SS, while a number of for- Jews, and only shot some footage for
DAVID MILBERG eign language voiceovers were made a film which Goebbels himself then
GINETTE HERSH and the film was exported to countries put together. He claimed further that at
occupied by Germany. the time he had little knowledge of the
Hippler, for his part, was honored Nazis’ murderous policies toward the
by Adolf Hitler for making the movie. Jews and was not aware of the Holo-
1,912 Sarasota-Manatee students In October 1942 he was given respon- caust as it was taking place. If he was
learned about the Holocaust from sibility for the control, supervision and given the chance, he said, he would
survivors last year #NEVERFORGET direction of all German movies, mak- “annul” everything about the film,
ing him second only to Goebbels. which had caused him such personal
Such a career trajectory, though difficulties in his subsequent life.
Listening to your heart-wrenching story, I started
Fritz Hippler lived in Berchtes-
to tear up. Your story of survival moved me and impressive, generated resentment gaden, Bavaria, until his death on May
in some quarters – no less than from
I will remember you for the rest of my life. Goebbels himself. He had long kept a 22, 2002, at age 92.
– North Port High School Student watching brief on Hippler, whom he Dr. Paul Bartrop is Professor of His-
History is not just about events, saw as sometimes impertinent, often tory and the Director of the Center for
Holocaust and Genocide Research at
immature, disorganized and too fond
it is about human lives. of alcohol. In June 1943 Goebbels Florida Gulf Coast University. He can NEWCOMERS BRADENTON/LAKEWOOD RANCH NEWCOMERS SARASOTA
Learn what “Never Forget” means, before it is too late. finally dismissed him. Hippler was be reached at pbartrop@fgcu.edu.
Invite a Holocaust survivor to your school, synagogue or library. stripped of his SS rank, and a trumped- Monday, December 21, 2020 • 5pm Monday, January 11, 2021 • 5pm

To book a speaker contact Anne Stein HOSTS: TOBY SIMON & SUSI STEENBARGER Via ZOOM HOSTS: RONNA RUBEN & LEONORE TREIMAN
we are Come join us and meet Federation lay leaders and staff and most importantly, JFEDSRQ.org/events
Holocaust Speakers Bureau Coordinator • luvhula@gmail.com FED
To register, visit

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