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The reception of the Deutsche Wochenschau in Luxembourg during the German Occupation

2004; Routledge; Volume: 24; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/0143968032000184489

1465-3451

Paul Lesch,

Polish Historical and Cultural Studies

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes For a historical study of the influence of Nazi film politics on the Luxembourgish film industry, see Paul Lesch, Heim ins Ufa‐Reich? NS‐Filmpolitik und die Rezeption deutscher Filme in Luxemburg 1933–1944 (Trier, 2002). Albert Lebrun was President of France from 1932 to 1940. CdZ (Chef der Zivilverwaltung) SD 023, report dated 21 April 1937: ‘Die geistigen und politischen Strömungen in Luxemburg vom Standpunkt der deutschen Propaganda aus betrachtet’ (p. 15). Archives Nationales Luxembourg (ANLux). (‘Die sog. Wochenschau ist immer französisch. Keine Wochenschau ohne Lebrun! Die Wirkung auf das Publikum ist gross. Hier müsste und könnte Remedur geschaffen werden. Wo schon die lux. Lichtspielunternehmen deutsche Filme (z.B. Ufa) nötig haben, könnte sicherlich auf die Kinobesitzer ein Druck ausgeübt werden, dass sie ausser den deutschen Filmen auch mal deutsche Wochenschauen zeigen.’) This happened before the merger of all German newsreels into the so‐called Deutsche Wochenschau. It remains unclear whether the newsreel in question was an Ufa‐Tonwoche (UTW) or an Ufa Auslandstonwoche (ATW). For more information on this topic, see Roel Vande Winkel's contribution to this issue. Luxemburg gegen die Goebbels‐Propaganda, Escher Tageblatt, 13 October 1938. Alphonse Spielmann, Liberté d'expression ou censure? (Luxembourg, 1982), p. 95. What the Luxembourg government dreaded above all was the non‐respect of its neutrality. It was therefore extremely cautious as far as its foreign policy went and by all means avoided giving the Germans a pretext for a political or military intervention in the Grand Duchy. See Paul Dostert, Luxemburg zwischen Selbstbehauptung und nationaler Selbstaufgabe. Die deutsche Besatzungspolitik und die Volksdeutsche Bewegung 1940–1945 (Luxembourg, 1985). Dupont became Brückner, Lacaf became Keller, and so on … François became Franz, René became Renatus or Rainer, and so on … One of the most determined demonstrations against Nazi rule took place on 10 October 1941, the day of the national census as ordered by Gauleiter Simon. The Luxembourgers were questioned on nationality (Staatsangehörigkeit), their mother tongue (Muttersprache) and their ethnic allegiance (Volkszugehörigkeit). Despite a carefully planned campaign in the press, open threats and recommendations on the census forms emphasizing that Luxembourgers were to indicate ‘German’ as far as language and ethnicity were concerned, most of these same Luxembourgers, answered ‘Luxembourgish’ to all three questions. Gustav Simon, who had planned to use this census as a statement of allegiance to the Reich, decided to stop the operation altogether. One year later the Luxembourgers publicly expressed their yearning for independence on 30 August 1942, the day which marked the beginning of obligatory military service in Luxembourg. The following day a number of spontaneous strikes were organized throughout the country. The German reaction towards this courageous movement was extremely violent. Repression changed into a regime of terror. Gustav Simon proclaimed an emergency state and ordered a judicial court. Twenty‐one people were given the death penalty and shot. Others were sent to concentration camps or deported to Germany. See Paul Lesch, Heim ins Ufa‐Reich? ‘Das Schlagwort, Ohm Krüger sei ein deutscher Propagandafilm, das von deutschfeindlichen Kreisen durch Mundpropaganda verbreitet wurde, tat hier seine Wirkung. So kam es, dass der Film in der Stadt Luxemburg nur während einer Woche gezeigt wurde, während andere politisch nicht so wichtige Filmwerke längere Zeit liefen. (…) Eine propagandistisch günstige Auswirkung der Vorführung des Films war bisher fast nicht festzustellen.’ (‘The story that Ohm Krüger was a propaganda film was spreading quickly on the initiative of anti‐German circles. It clearly has a strong effect and as a consequence the film was only screened for one week in Luxembourg City, whereas other politically less relevant films have run for a longer time. (…) The screening of the film did not produce a propagandistically positive impact.’) File 023, SD report, 15 July 1941, Archives of the Centre National de la Résistance Luxembourg (CNR). The very critical and hostile reaction of at least a part of the Luxembourgish public towards anti‐British, anti‐American or even anti‐Russian films seemed to fail when the famous anti‐Semitic Jud Süss (Jew Süss, 1940) was shown in Luxembourg. According to an SD report, the film was a success and was much talked about. Fritz Hippler's Der Ewige Jude (The Wandering Jew, 1940), on the other hand, was not released for regular theatre distribution. See Lesch, Heim ins Ufa‐Reich?, p. 91. The SS reports quoted in this article are the original ones that were sent from Luxembourg to Koblenz in Germany. It seems that the reports arriving in Berlin—the versions published by Heinz Boberach in Meldungen aus dem Reich. Die geheimen Lageberichte des Sicherheitsdienstes der SS 1938–1945 (Herrsching, 1984)—were summaries, which could differ from the original texts. In a report on the reception of Jud Süss (Jew Süss, 1940) in Luxembourg, for instance, the original text states that during the screening, anti‐Semitic ‘remarks’ (Äusserungen) were made by some spectators, while according to the summarized version of the report that arrived in Berlin, the film triggered ‘demonstrations’ (Demonstrationen) against Jews. See Lesch, Heim ins Ufa‐Reich?, pp. 88–89, 136. The difference between both is elaborated in Roel Vande Winkel's contribution to this issue. See Jugendliche und die Wochenschau, Nationalblatt, 6 September 1940, and Die Wochenschauen für Jugendliche, Nationalblatt, 14 September 1940. Alle Wochenschauen werden wieder in Luxemburg aufgeführt, Nationalblatt, 27 September 1940. CdZ SD 028, report dated 21 October 1940, ANLux. CdZ SD 027, report dated 24 September 1940, ANLux. SD report dated 4 December 1942 as quoted in Rappel, 1–12 (1979), p. 25. Dossier 023, SD report dated 5 November 1940, CNR Archives, Luxembourg. Ibid. SD report dated 23 December 1942 as quoted from in Rappel, 1–2 (1979), p. 32. ‘Es fällt allgemein auf, dass in letzter Zeit keine Bilder mehr vom Führer, z.B. bei einem Empfang im Führerquartier, in der Wochenschau zu sehen sind. Diese Tatsache gibt in weiten Bevölkerungskreisen Anlass zu den unsinnigsten Gerüchten.’ (‘It is striking that recently there have not been any images of the Führer in the Wochenschau, for example, at a reception at the Führer’s headquarters. This fact gives rise to the most absurd rumours among the population.') SD report dated 11 March 1943 as quoted in Rappel, 10 (1980), p. 441. Propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels was also concerned by Hitler's growing unwillingness to be featured in the newsreels. Felix Moeller, The Film Minister (Stuttgart and London, 2000), pp. 156–157. ‘Bei der Luxemburger Bevölkerung ist das, was der Gegner sagt und tut, richtig, weil er auch gegen die “bösen Nazis” ist, welche die Söhne in den Tod jagen oder sie zu Krüppeln jagen lässt. Wenn man bedenkt, dass es gewisse leitende Stellen gibt, die heute noch immer davon faseln, die, Luxemburger Seelen gewinnen zu wollen’, muss man annehmen, dass diese Leute auf dem Monde leben bezw., stark an Verkalkung leiden.' As quoted in Mathias Wallerang, Luxemburg unter nationalsozialistischer Besatzung. Luxemburger berichten (Mainz, 1997), p. 133. Additional informationNotes on contributorsPaul Lesch Paul Lesch holds a Master's Degree in History from the University of Strasbourg and wrote a dissertation on American cinema during the Reagan era. He directed several TV documentaries, for instance, on Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier and on the American diplomat and party‐giver Perle Mesta. Currently a lecturer at Miami University's John E. Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg (MUDEC), Lesch has published several articles and books on national and international film history. He is also ‘collaborateur scientifique’ of the Centre National de I'Audiovisuel in Luxembourg. His Heim ins Ufa‐Reich? NS‐Filmpolitik und die Rezeption deutscher Filme in Luxemburg 1933–1944 was published by Wissenschaftlichet Verlag Trier (Trier, 2002). Paul Lesch holds a Master's Degree in History from the University of Strasbourg and wrote a dissertation on American cinema during the Reagan era. He directed several TV documentaries, for instance, on Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier and on the American diplomat and party‐giver Perle Mesta. Currently a lecturer at Miami University's John E. Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg (MUDEC), Lesch has published several articles and books on national and international film history. He is also ‘collaborateur scientifique’ of the Centre National de I'Audiovisuel in Luxembourg. His Heim ins Ufa‐Reich? NS‐Filmpolitik und die Rezeption deutscher Filme in Luxemburg 1933–1944 was published by Wissenschaftlichet Verlag Trier (Trier, 2002).