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Is it bad, is it egoistic when people
who have been placed in certain positions

try to do something that
is beneficial for them,

even when they know that by doing so
they end up harming someone else?

But we don′t think that far.
Indifference and short-sightedness.

I have, perhaps, worked with more
criminals in my life than I know.

You don′t know that before.

And during the time when and I must say,
I didn′t work with him, but worked for him,

he was for me, of course, one of
the top bosses, straight after Hitler.

The Führer has commanded,
and we will follow him.

In this hour of national
reflection and contemplation,

we believe firmly and
unshakably in victory.

We see it before us,
we need only reach for it.

We must resolve to
subordinate everything to it.

That is the duty of the hour.

Let the slogan be: Now, people rise up
and let the storm break loose!

The only thing you can say about Goebbels
is that he was an outstanding actor.

He was a good actor.

No other actor could have been any
better at performing the transformation

from a civilised, serious person into that
ranting and raving rowdy than himself.

That′s for certain. You wouldn′t have
believed it was the same person.

That finally became clear
at the Sportpalast event.

To experience him directly at
a distance of 10-15 meters,

someone whom you
saw almost every day,

who came into the office all smart and
elegant, with a kind of noble elegance

and then to see him there
like a raging midget.

Well, you just couldn′t
imagine a greater contrast.

Cowboys and Indians

Indians lying in ambush

A clueless hiker comes along

The holdup

Tied to a tree

Help is on the way

Liberated

It may sound a bit strange, but I can even
recall the outbreak of the First World War.

Papa received a telegram: ‶Come
immediately, conscription order.″

The war had broken out and my father
was one of the first who was drafted.

He came back after the war had ended, in
November anyway, he was home for Xmas.

We children thought: What′s this
strange man doing in our flat?

The first thing my father did was to
remove all the bedpans from under our beds.

We each had our own
bedpan under the bed.

After that, we had to creep
through the flat in pitch dark,

which was full of witches and
evil spirits during the night.

Just because Papa banned the bedpans. Those
are some of my earliest childhood memories.

We weren′t particularly
open-minded in Germany, back then.

It was a different
world at that time,

that′s what people living
today can′t comprehend.

It was such a different,
narrow-minded life.

It started with the children′s upbringing,
if you were naughty, you were thrashed.

You didn′t get far with
love and understanding.

Sometimes we weren′t immediately
punished and Papa might then say:

‶Right, all of you.
Get lined up.″

And then we were all spanked with
the carpet beater, including me.

It became part of family life, to
follow the rules but, at the same time,

to also cheat a bit, to lie or
put the blame on someone else.

This awakened things in children
that were not actually in them before.

It has always
remained part of me.

This Prussian something,
this sense of duty.

And a bit of this well,
subordination goes too far,

but you certainly had to
integrate yourself into the family clan.

For us that certainly was a Sunday
that was very different from the rest.

There was a great atmosphere with flags and
music and posters and life all over Berlin.

Election days were
really something grand.

But that it was all about politics - we
children were in no way involved in that.

There were quite
a few elections;

we always wanted to know ‶Who did you
vote for?″ ‶That′s none of your business!″

You shouldn′t say something like that,
I might have developed differently.

Would have learnt
something about responsibility,

would have wanted to become
something more responsible.

So I ended up being rather
frivolous, somewhat superficial.

Anyway, it certainly helped
me, being the way I was!

I sometimes admire young people
today, from what I′ve seen on TV,

and the way they are already
grappling with such problems.

We never did that. No way.
For me, they are far more mature and

I really give them
recognition for that.

I wish we had been brought up
like that, but we had to be more obedient,

and that′s easier to achieve through
strictness and occasional punishment.

Everything works better,
there′s more order to it.

Whether that is more
desirable, is another question.

And what may I
ask is an Aryan?

I dont know myself.

But let us see,

what our present, so called
authorities have to say about it.

They say he is tall,

slender,

blue eyed

and blonde.

There is no Aryan race,

and more important:
there is no master-race.

There are people who may
find these ideas convenient,

but sience can not support them.

There is no scientific proof
that there is any correlation

between a mans racial characteristics
and his native ability or character.

In all racial groups we find
the same range of potentialities,

we find idiots and geniuses,

we find criminals and philanthropists.

We must judge each
man as an individual

and not by the colour of his skin,

or his eyes or the
length of his nose.

Come in gentlemen,

make yourselves comfortable.

There are many differences
between individuals,

we each have different capabilities,

different backgrounds, different
views about whats right and wrong.

Like the difference between
me and these gentlemen

who have just arrived.

But that is not
the difference in race,

it is a difference
in the way we think:

Remember that.

And remember, that
there is no master-race.

That is a scientific truth.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.

Should I open myself to the accusation
that I wasn't interested in politics?

Not at all,
it might be good.

The idealism of youth might
have lead you to a side

which could have
easily broken your neck.

Back then, I had a boyfriend,
a student from Heidelberg.

No big love, but he
was my first boyfriend.

My girlfriends already had one, and went
out with them and I still didn′t have one.

And so they did a
bit of matchmaking.

And eventually I got him
to the point where he said:

‶I′ve got two tickets
for the Sportpalast.″

The Sportpalast was always
a real spectacle in Berlin.

They had boxing fights, and these wonderful
show races on ice skates and so on.

That′s why the Sportpalast was well-known.
So I went with him to the Sportpalast.

Yes, I looked forward to that
because I didn′t know what to expect.

What I found there was
a load of stinking men,

all sitting on benches
waiting for something.

We were also waiting. Then the
music started, loud music,

and then this fat man came in - that
was Göring no idea who that was.

I′d never heard of him before. Göring held
a speech that didn′t interest me at all.

Politics. Why should I?
I′m a woman, I don′t need to.

I just said to Heinz: ‶You′ll never
get me into something like that again."

That was really boring.

And I′m sure he said: "That′s just what
I′d expected." He didn′t even try to convince me

that a party was being
formed that would free Germany

from the Jews,
nothing like that.

He thought I was too stupid
for that, too immature.

As long as in
the heart, within,

A Jewish soul
still yearns

Our hope is
not yet lost,

The ancient hope,

To return to the
land of our fathers,

The city where
David encamped

To return to the
land of our fathers,

An eye still
looks toward Zion

Of course I went with my
boyfriend Heinz to the Brandenburg Gate

on the 30th of January 1933,
he dragged me along.

That′s where we waved
to our beloved Führer.

Of course I did.
Why not? That was a new man.

No idea what was coming our way.
There were only a few who knew that.

For me, life went on. Back then in 1933,
I was still working for Dr. Hugo Goldberg.

Well, of course I didn′t tell him that I
had cheered Hitler on the 30th of January.

I was too kind for that. You just
couldn′t do that to the poor Jew.

You don′t do
that kind of thing.

There was a major shift,
but we didn′t see it as such.

An overview was only
actually possible in hindsight,

to see how we would have
simply carried on living like that.

It was nice in Berlin up until ′36.
Berlin was a nice city, a well-kept city.

We were getting ready for the Olympic Games.
Foreigners came to Germany at last.

Mostly Dutch and Danish, the French
had never really been our friends, anyway.

But it was lively.
The city was full of life.

The Kurfürstendamm - maybe
that′s how life in Paris was like.

Everyone was cheerful and
the weather was good too.

It was a celebration, the celebration,
which dear God had given the Führer.

That was Berlin's
flair in 1936.

It was a wonderful time.

You got to know foreigners. I remember
a girlfriend calling me up and saying:

‶Hey, I got to know
someone yesterday″,

an Indian or a Japanese, in any case,
someone from a totally alien world.

And he had heard that she knew
somebody who worked in broadcasting,

and he′d love to see
the broadcasting station.

And so she asked me
if I could arrange that.

‶I′ve sent him to you, he′ll be arriving
shortly, just so that you are prepared.″

Oh my God, I think it was an Indian or
a Japanese, some really foreign species.

It was really sensational
to even be together

with a person who spoke
a different language.

That was something special.

All over Austria, the German
soldiers were welcomed like brothers.

The welcome they received in Styria
and Carinthia was particularly hearty.

- When did you leave? -

- Last Thursday...
Well, take your time.

What things were you
thinking of when we arrived? -

- We were looking
forward to you -

- You were expecting us,
weren't you? Yes, I'm sure! -

- What are you, actually? -

- I′m a sergeant,
I'm just a small cog -

It's the same
for all things.

Everything that is
beautiful is also tainted.

And whatever's horrible
also has its bright side.

Nothing's black and white. There's
always a bit of grey in everything.

At that time, I was working
for my dear Jewish Dr. Goldberg,

who I was pretty sure was
going to close up his office

and sell off his
flat in Germany.

In any case, he had already
downsized his office to such a degree

that he only let me work part-time,
and also only paid me half the money

Yes, and then, my friend Heinz,
Heinz was his name, he knew some people.

Amongst them, a writer and Air Force
Lieutenant from the First World War.

He wanted to write his memoirs but
just wasn′t making any progress,

he had a typewriter, mind you, but
didn′t have anyone to do the typing

and Heinz suggested that I could do it.
Yes sure, for money. I′d be happy to do it.

And so I worked for
Dr. Goldberg in the morning

and for Herr Bley,
the Nazi in the afternoon.

And then one day, just before
Christmas, he said to me:

One more election and the National
Socialists will have succeeded.

Then he'd be a made man for the rest
of his life. He'd have a great job then.

There were hundreds of people

who were being rewarded
by getting some job or other.

Herr Bley said: ‶I'll have a word
with the Broadcasting Corporation,

so that they give
you the contract.

You are in the party, aren't you?″
I said: ‶No. I'm not.″

He said: ‶Well then, you'd better
join up soon, that's very important.″

It had just opened up again.

When the party seized
power, it was closed

because the whole of Germany
wanted to be in the party.

Now the Nazis were in power
and everyone wanted to join the party.

Well, most of them did.

National Socialism has pledged not to
allow any German citizen to suffer hunger

whilst we are unable
to give you jobs.

Next winter, we shall give you jobs
instead of food, you deserve no less than that.

My friend Eva Lowenthal, a Jew,
came round to see me in the afternoon

and we wanted to
go out for a coffee.

I told her: ‶Eva, I can′t,
I′ve got to go and join the NSDAP.″

‶Oh,″ she said,
‶I′ll come along.″

In Südende, a large sign had
been put up in front of a villa:

NSDAP membership until the 31st,
and it just happened to be the 30th.

There was a long queue
of men in front of the door,

at least 70 or 80 so
to the back of the queue.

‶Are you all joining the party?″
All of them were joining the party!

Almost all of them were men, just a
few women. And so I also queued up there.

Eva said: ‶I′ll
wait for you here.″

There was a garden fence
there she sat herself down.

We proceeded swiftly, the
queue got shorter, well, actually,

it got longer, but we
still proceeded swiftly.

Inside, I gave
them my details,

you just had to give them your name,
age and ten Marks admission fee.

And I just happened to have them
on me. That was pure coincidence.

At that time, I didn′t use to walk
around with ten Marks in my pocket.

The ten Marks were all
I had for the next 14 days.

And now I had to spend it all
on the admission fee to the party,

they then issued me my
provisional party membership book.

When I came back out again,
Eva was still sitting there.

I said: ‶Eva! That
just cost me ten Marks.″

‶Oh my!″ she said, ‶What a stupid
thing to do something like that.″

‶But I might, perhaps, have a chance
of working in the broadcasting station.

At least that′s what
Herr Bley promised me.

It′ll be worth it then, but at the
moment I′m really terribly unhappy.″

Oh my, how I missed
those ten Marks.

That was all the money I had. We could
forget going for a coffee, that was sure.

I was still working for Dr. Hugo
Goldberg for just 55 Marks a month.

But I still signed up.
Because I thought that

if it all worked out with the
job at the broadcasting station,

I′d forget the ten Marks
then. And it all worked out.

So that′s how
I got into the party.

Nazi heads look normal from the outside.

What makes these heads different
is what goes on inside.

This little thinking
machine specializes

in perfecting methods of destruction.

The most ingenious weapon that
this brain perfected, is this:

‶Race Hatred″

‶Religious Hatred″

The Nazis developed this
weapon in peace time.

The german citizen
was the guinea pig.

They poured this stuff on,

and if his right arm went up,

he was certified as a member
of the great master-race.

Others weren′t eligible.
Inferior races.

Not good enough to breath
the same air as Adolf Hitler.

With a lot of mumbo jambo
about nordic, Aryan, superman

the weapon had worked at home.

Now it can go to work abroad.

Preparing the ground for military conquest.
Fertilizing the soil for the quislings.

A weapon of war, play race against race:

Aryan, Aryan, Aryan‶

this race, that race‶

And hate and suspicion,

prejudicing and hatred
have done their work in Europe.

Split up for Nazi conquest.

I started at the Ministry
of Propaganda in 1942.

Everything was still
quite all right, back then.

Before that, I was earning 250, 275 Marks
at the broadcasting station. A good salary.

None of my friends who were
working for insurance companies

or in other areas,
earned more than 150.

They all envied me because of my
high salary at the broadcasting station.

And what was on the pay slip? It had the
salary from the broadcasting corporation.

Plus ministry allowance, tax free,
60 Marks! And what else was there?

The ministerial office allowance,
tax free, another 50 Marks!

I was paid out more salary
than I even used to gross.

Still, that wasn′t much use to me,
there was nothing to buy.

But it was a nice feeling, and sometimes
you were able to set something up.

I knew a seamstress who had connections
to France. She sometimes called me up

and said: ‶Frau Pomsel,
I have got some lovely material,

and we′d be able to
get a cute dress out of it.″

So I′d visit her the same evening. ‶And
what will it cost?″ ‶Oh, much too much.″

‶Never mind, do it anyway.″
That, I really enjoyed.

But that all had nothing to do
with the Ministry of Propaganda.

I didn′t even ask for it.
I just couldn't say no.

So that was my fate.
Who's got control over their fate?

Especially in times
of such upheaval.

The least of us can say, I did this
and that for this or that reason.

It just happened to us.

When they started building
the concentration camps,

when you first started hearing about them
we thought that′s where the people go

who had said something against the
government, or had started fights.

Well, sure. You didn′t want to put
them into prison straight away, did you?

They were sent to a
concentration camp for correction.

For correction, well nobody
gave it much thought, really.

Our first announcer at the broadcasting
station Jule Jänisch a wonderful man;

without him the whole broadcasting
station wouldn′t have existed.

He read the news in the morning,
at lunchtime and in the evening.

Jule Jänisch had been sent
to a concentration camp.

‶Why′s that?″ ‶They say he′s supposed
to be gay.″ ‶Oh my God! Him, gay!″

Gay was, well, it was just terrible,
gay was... What sort of a person is that?

And Jule Jänisch was such a nice, friendly
man. ‶Yes, they are friendly, but gay.″

And how they, or what they did exactly
was something you just didn′t want to know.

That was just simply unimaginable.
We really were an uptight lot.

They always used to tell
us that the Sudeten Germans

were all coming
back to the Reich

and that their villages were empty
and needed to be populated again.

That′s where all the Jews were being put.
Then they would all be together at last.

Yes, we believed that. We swallowed it.
Well it seemed plausible enough.

There were so many
foreigners here, all of a sudden.

Their songs were different,
their language was different,

they were looking for
flats and they lived here.

And the Jews went over there.
Whether they wanted to, or not.

What really happened no one ever believes
us. Everyone thinks we all knew everything.

We knew nothing. That was all
kept well secret and it worked.

I was very good friends with
Eva. But she was very poor and

her family was suffering
really badly in the final years.

We all helped Eva out a bit.

Whenever we went out for a coffee
or a beer, Eva was always invited by us.

Someone would always pay for her beer;
someone would always pay for her coffee.

I was already working for the broadcasting
station, she often visited me there.

She was clearly recognisable. She
wasn′t very tall, she had red hair,

very dainty, very petite. But she
really had a big Jewish hook nose.

But she was very pretty,
she had wonderful eyes.

She often visited me when I was
working in the news department.

She didn′t have any money or a job
so she went for long walks through Berlin.

And so she would come
over to Masuren Avenue and

I′ll go and visit ‶Pomseline″
now. And then she′d be here.

My men, I always called the reporters,
my men, they all really liked her.

Because she was really
funny and quick-witted.

They had a lot
of fun with her.

And sometimes someone
would say: ‶Isn't she Jewish?″

‶Yes, I′d say, I think there′s a bit
of it in her.″ But she was a proper Jew.

I knew the father and the mother.
You couldn′t be more Jewish than her.

But the people
who today say...

say they would have done more
for those poor, persecuted Jews

I really believe that they sincerely mean
it. But they wouldn′t have done it either.

By then the whole country
was under some kind of a dome.

We ourselves were all
inside a huge concentration camp.

Goebbels was a
good looking man.

He wasn′t tall, a bit short, he could
have been taller to really be something.

But he was really well-kept, had great
suits, best cloth. Always had a light tan.

Well groomed hands, he probably
had a manicure done every day.

There was nothing to criticise,
nothing you could find fault with.

But no matter how elegant and
well-fitting his suits were, he limped.

You felt a bit
sorry for him.

He made up for it though by being slightly
arrogant. Arrogant and self-confident.

He was quite a gentleman when
he came. I never saw him step out of line.

You can imagine what kind
of people came to see him and

the discussions they had.
They were quite heated.

There was one occasion,
which I still remember:

He was really shouting.
Shouting and yelling at somebody.

All of us, we couldn′t believe it.
It never happened again. Only the once.

He was a man with, what did we say?
Someone who had countenance, composure.

It was somewhat elitist. Yes, and it
was rather nice working there very nice.

Everything was really
pleasant, I really liked it.

Well-dressed people. Friendly people.
Oh God, I was so superficial at that time.

Very foolish.

You the true Aryan Germans,

will share the glorious
destiny of our fatherland.

You are the pure blooded,
the master race.

It is your divine right to rule.

And the Nazi party stands
right here to put you into power.

It is for you
to command all Germany

and some day the entire world.

That′s how Hans
became a Superman.

They gave him a uniform
and they pumped up his ego.

He wasnt just a little fellow out of work anymore,
he was a member of the master race.

His wife couldnt quite understand.

Even though he was a Superman,
there wasnt any food in the house.

Stupid woman. Didnt she realise,

that the Nazis are going
to make jobs for everybody.

There would be plenty of food
and clothing, and a new house.

Everything they wanted.

The glorious future of
Germany was to be theirs.

and their children would
some day rule the world.

But his wife - silly woman - was still
wondering where the next meal is coming from.

Hans didnt like that kind
of talk, it was dangerous.

For that kind of talk
people should be put in jail

The children often
came around lunchtime,

not all of them, usually
just two and the large dog.

They had a lovely, large Airedale.
They came to pick up their father and

make their way home together.

They were very well behaved. It was very
exciting for them to be in Papa′s office.

We had lots of typewriters there.
‶Is that a typewriter?″ ‶Yes!″

‶Have you ever seen one before?″
‶Not so close up.″

You could have a chat with them.
‶Can I have a go?″ Of course they could.

So we would go and insert a sheet of
paper so they could write something.

Happy children.

Then father came, and they all
went home, ‶Goodbye!″ and off they were.

‶Heil Hitler.″
Heil Hitler, of course.

Reich Propaganda
Minister visits Venice.

In a spontaneous gathering
on San Marco Square,

the people gave a hearty welcome to
the representative of a befriended nation.

His Excellence and Minister Alfieri made an
appearance on the balcony of the palace.

After greeting the Duce
in perfectly spoken Italian,

his Excellence Goebbels and
Minister Alfieri mingled with the crowd.

In their elegant and cosmopolitan
manner, they took a table at the

time-honoured Cafe Florian. From
there, he was full of admiration

as he took in the unique spectacle
of Venice illuminated by night.

Goebbels and his wife
were at the Biennale in Venice.

They were staying
there for a few days.

One of their aides had somehow heard that
Goebbels wanted to have his dog with him.

The dog′s name was Tell.
‶If only Tell were here.″

So someone who was particularly
eager then phoned our office:

‶The minister would like
to have his dog in Venice.″

We thought: ‶They′re crazy over there,
to fly in a dog to the Biennale in Venice.

Haven′t they got any other worries?″
and all that in wartime, as well.

Every day The Chief Press Officer, a Herr
von something or other, flew over to Venice

with the latest news,
fresh off the press.

He always flew to Venice so that
the Minister could keep an overview.

He flew to Venice with the dog.

And was promptly confronted
with the greatest displeasure.

Goebbels was furious.
What idiot had the great idea

of bringing over his
highly sensitive pet?

The dog was a bit shy. It was big
and lovely, but whenever you took

a step towards it, it would
back away. It was spoiled somehow.

Oh, the episode with
the dog was a big thing.

So the dog was sent back. And all
that in the third year of the war.

I think I′ve made a lot of
mistakes during my life.

And at that time, I just didn′t think
about things. It was where I belonged.

I was always very
duty-conscious.

My work was something you could
always rely on, that functioned, that′s right.

When I was given a position,
it was my duty to fill it.

I′ve been like that my whole
life, at that time as well.

Whether it was good or bad
you′ve got to stand somewhere.

Whether I worked for the broadcasting
station or the Propaganda Ministry.

There was no real difference.
What did it matter?

I'm not the kind of person
to resist. I wouldn′t dare to.

I′d say: ‶No,
I can't do that!″

I′m one of
the cowards.

That′s what I always try to
explain to the people of today.

I′d also be asking stupid and
naive questions if I were their age.

I′d say ‶I′d have known
how to exclude myself.

I′d have been able to decide
things for myself.″ No, you couldn′t.

Whoever did, put their lives at risk.

Even if they weren′t aware of that
fact. The facts are proof enough.

You couldn′t dare be
against it in any way.

That wasn′t possible or you
had to put your life on the line.

You had to expect the worst.
There are plenty examples of that.

The red dawn of
freedom is ablaze

over Poland′s
forthcoming days

our strength will
defeat the occupying power,

A new world is born,
today, this hour

The time for
revenge now, is ours

For all the crimes,
pain and bloody hours

Jesus and Mary!
Reach for your weapons.

That was also the time
of the ‶White Rose″.

We had absolutely no
insight into those files.

Things like that were kept in a
locked safe, we had no access to them.

I was working for Herr Frowein then,
he was one of Goebbels′ personal advisors.

He once gave me the whole file,
the court file that was the Scholl case,

what else was there,
there were more things.

Yes, that was the siblings Scholl
The file was not sealed. He gave it to me.

I was to put it into the safe that
was there especially for those things.

My boss had asked me, he said:
‶I′m relying on you not to look inside.″

It was very urgent, he then left. He left
me alone with the stuff and I didn′t peek.

And I thought, oh my God,
how I would love to.

But I′m not going to, he′s depending
on me not to do it, so I won′t.

I was quite chuffed with myself,
that the trust he′d given me

was stronger than my curiosity.

I thought that was very noble
of me. I′ll never forget that.

Hey! On the roads
the storm is blowing

The rainy weather,
mud and heavy going.

For us soldiers on
foot, we don′t care

It could even be the
Devil himself there!

For our attack
company does not dread

any obstacles or
roads of disaster

Whoever stands in our way
gets a grenade on his head!

Don′t get hit and
follow your master!

"German dogs only!"

They were young people
who still thought that

victory would fall to those who
were better. Not to suffer defeat.

But everyone has to do their bit for
that to happen. They did what they could.

It was so silly of them
to do things like that.

If they had kept their mouths shut,
they would still be alive today.

All because of that bloody
piece of paper, all because of a leaflet.

The sentence they got
back then was so gruesome.

Our whole attitude basically
snapped, along with our supplies.

Everything was greatly intensified,
penalties became far more severe.

Everything was stricter.
Stalingrad created a major upheaval.

That was also
noticeable in the Ministry.

The first few months there were wonderful.
After initially having my doubts:

‶Do I really have to work there″,
I liked it there very much, straight away.

The whole package, the nice
furniture, the nice people.

It wasn′t really a question
of ‶Party″, I liked it.

All of that just snapped.

The whole atmosphere
suddenly changed.

I am firmly convinced
that the German people

have been deeply moved by
the blow of fate at Stalingrad.

It has looked into the face of hard and
pitiless war. It knows the terrible truth.

It is resolved to follow the
Führer through thick and thin.

I still remember the famous ‶Do you
want total war?″ event at the Sportpalast.

We knew that Goebbels was going
to hold a speech that afternoon.

At that time, all events had
been switched to the afternoons,

because every evening after six thirty or
seven o′clock, the sirens used to go off.

Whether planes came or not they always
came. False alarms were very seldom.

So, there were no events
scheduled for the evening anymore,

there were no evening performances at
the theatre anymore, no cinema screenings,

everything was
moved to the afternoons.

Even Herr Goebbels'
speech at the Sportpalast.

Words just fail me to describe how he
managed to get the hundreds of people

to rise up from their seats so they were
just jumping and screaming and cheering.

But he managed it. I don′t think
he knew how that happened, either.

I remember, we were holding hands ever
so tightly, Dettchen, my dear colleague

and me. We were awestruck
by what was happening.

A man from the SS
stood behind us and

tapped us on the shoulder saying:
‶The least you could do is to clap″.

So everyone was clapping and we still
just stood there stunned by what we saw.

And then we started clapping, of course.
We had to. He told us to, as well.

There was no way of excluding
yourself. We clapped along with them.

We didn′t even realise what
the speech was all about.

It was just the impression
of the raging crowd.

People, who themselves had no
idea as to why they were raging.

It was a
natural phenomenon.

The whole crowd couldn′t help it.
Neither could he, probably.

My God!
Just to think of it.

Whilst today, after so many years have
passed, and so much has happened

in the meantime, I see it all very
differently. Deeper and more sinister.

But no less
incomprehensible.

That one person, one person was
able to get hundreds of people

to shout, shout and shout:
‶Yes, we want total war!″

If you tell that to someone today,
surely they will shake their heads and say:

‶Were they all
drunk or something?″

Why did all those people start
shouting like that? Well, they had to.

They were all put under
a single person′s spell.

Judaism is a contagious
infection. Enemy nations may raise

hypocritical protests against
our measures against Judaism

and cry crocodile tears, but that will not
stop us from doing that which is necessary.

Germany, in any event, has no intention
of bowing before the Jewish threat,

but rather intends to take the most radical
measures, if necessary, in good time.

In the meantime, Eva no
longer lived near us in Südende.

She had moved somewhere else with
her parents, to some other suburb.

I visited her there once.
Oh God, they lived so poorly.

What′s more, I was embarrassed;
you see I′d brought cigarettes along.

At that time, I should
have taken some bread along.

When I met Eva on the bus
one day, she said to me:

‶I′ve got to come along and
visit you and your nice men again.″

And I told her ‶I′m no longer in
the Funkhaus, I now work for Goebbels

in Wilhelmstrasse, forget your visit.
Its better you don′t come.″

I simply didn′t want her to come along
there. And she also immediately said:

‶For God′s sake, I′m not coming over
there.″ She was still free at that time.

We used to get, but that was
already towards the end of the war,

we used to get coloured sheets
of paper. I think they were pink.

They were only for the ministerial
office. They listed the latest truths and

included numbers concerning
losses on the battlefields.

But what really devastated us girls
was the information concerning rapes.

Women were being raped
by the Russians, of course.

Yes, that was just before
the end of everything.

It was unbelievable, but when it
said that 20 women had been raped

in such and such village, we
changed it to 30 and so on.

These things were exaggerated
before being passed on to the people.

So, we multiplied all the terrible
crimes committed by the enemy.

In the same way that the
Hitler Youth, of its own free will,

pledged allegiance to the
Führer in times of fighting,

they have, today, become the
movement of the war volunteer.

At a rally held at
a historical site,

the Führer was notified of the
number of war volunteers born in 1928:

The region of East Prussia reports
9,482 war volunteers of the Hitler Youth.

The region of Cologne Aachen reports
9,715 war volunteers of the Hitler Youth.

The region of Moselland reports 6,112
war volunteers of the Hitler Youth.

Today, I report to my Führer that
70% of the Hitler Youth born in 1928

have registered for national service.
The spirit of the voluntary military

service of our youths live on in
their morale on the battlefield.

One day after Hitler′s birthday
which was on the 20th of April,

we went down
into this bunker.

We never came out of it again.
That was it. The end.

I felt as if something inside me had
died. I′ve often felt fear in my life.

This feeling, however, was different.
I was cold as ice, numbed.

I′d say: All my feelings had gone.
There wasn′t even room for fear.

We tried to make sure that we didn′t run
out of alcohol. That was urgently needed.

Perhaps not by everyone. But there
certainly was a lot of tippling going on.

You had to numb yourself. We
didn′t have any work anymore, either.

I was in this bunker when Lieutenant
Schwägermann, Goebbel′s assistant,

came along and said:

‶Hitler has committed suicide.″ That
was the first thing we got to know.

Yes, everyone knew
what that meant.

The war was over and we′d lost.
That was clear to us all.

I can recall, there was a longer time span
in between, at least a day and a night.

Schwägermann came and said:
‶Goebbels has committed suicide.″

That hit us more
than the other news had.

‶And his wife as well?″

‶Yes.″

‶And the children too!″

We were dumbstruck.

In the bunker we found flour, rice
and noodles, all in really big sacks.

Everything was emptied out and
the sacks, they were roughly so big,

they were cut apart and we had to
sew a huge white flag together.

We didn′t even have
anything to sew with.

But somehow, we managed to
do it. We sewed a white flag.

The highest ranking person who was
with us in the cellar, was Hans Fritsche.

The chief editor, he was also the deputy
‶Gauleiter″ (provincial head) of Berlin.

Fritsche said: he was going out there now,
even though there was constant gunfire,

and was going make it
through to Bendlerstrasse

in order to speak
to the Russians.

Anyway, Fritsche went off
with some other people,

and just left us on our own.
But he did say: Stay here,

I′ll take care of you. We are going to
Bendlerstrasse with the white flag″

That was where the Russian
military high command was based.

After they had been gone for a number
of hours, this hoard of Russians piled in.

We weren′t just a bunch of poor souls;
we no longer had any leadership, either.

On top of that, Herr Fritsche, whom
we all liked and regarded, had gone off

and left us in the lurch. So, there
we sat, like animals for the slaughter.

And when we came out,
surrounded by those Russian soldiers,

a group came round the corner
carrying the same white flag.

It was all torn, but
still recognisable as a flag.

It′s difficult when you
have been through times like that;

sometimes on top,
sometimes at the bottom,

like being among the waves, and
all you did was to think of your own life;

‶my fate, mine, mine,″
and at the end of the day,

all you′d ever done was
to consider yourself.

Sometimes I do have a bit
of a guilty conscience, though.

Somehow it′s always your own fault
and I′m even thankful and think to myself:

‶Actually, you managed get through all
of that pretty well, time and time again.″

When we were all sitting together
waiting to be interrogated, we considered

a variety of things: ‶We′ll just say
that we were on our way through town and

sought refuge from the shooting in
this house, the Propaganda Ministry.″

Others then said:
‶No, we don′t want any contradictions.″

One person saying this and
another person saying that.

I thought I′d tell the truth: ‶I worked
there. Not as a secretary, of course, but

as a shorthand typist in the Propaganda
Ministry for that terrible Dr. Goebbels.

I never got to see him because it′s
such a big house and I was a much too

insignificant girl for anything like that.
I never saw him, but I worked there.″

I really do feel that I have
been treated very badly and

wrongly by being taken
away by the Russians.

Because I didn′t do anything
but type in Goebbels′ office.

And I had no idea of
what was behind all that.

Well, very little, anyway.

No, I wouldn′t see
myself as being guilty.

Unless you end up blaming
the entire German population

for ultimately enabling that
government to take control.

That was all of us.
Including me.

Just the matter
of the Jews.

Nobody believes me, but I only got to
know about all that after I returned home

after five years
imprisonment by the Russians.

I had known for ages that
there were concentration camps,

but that they had
been burning people

When I imagine that I myself
had stood under something like that

when we showered
in Buchenwald.

To think that people were
being killed in the same place

where we would look forward to going
to because of the warm water there.

You see, you only had
cold water in the barracks.

To think that they used
the same things, gas or something,

I'm not sure what they used,
but they killed the Jews with it.

Evil does exist.

I′m not quite sure
how to put this.

God doesn′t exist, but
the Devil certainly does.

There is no justice, however.

Justice doesn't exist at all.

Many years after my time in prison
when the Holocaust Memorial was erected,

I visited Berlin
to see it for myself.

I then went to the
office below and asked them:

‶Can you give me any
information on missing people?″

‶Yes, if you can
give us some details.″

‶Yes, I′m missing a
certain Eva Lowenthal.″

"Please follow me.″

Then he went over to some machine where the
names just kept on rolling down the screen.

And we found her there,
we found an Eva Lowenthal,

a year older or a year younger
than myself. That was her.

Deceased. That′s all it said.
And the year: 1945.

That was all you
could find out.

Yes, they′ve all gone,
that′s for certain.

Eva used to sit at the table with us all.
Always. Eva was one of us, she was.

The allied generals have ordered that these
atrocities be shown to the German public.

So that all Germans can convince
themselves of the Nazis monstrous deeds.

For the same reason, we are
showing you this official film.

We are showing you these truckloads of
corpses so that you shall never forget.

You are much better off than your
fellow citizens who had to experience

the stench of death. These women who
could be your mothers, sisters or wives,

will one day be able
to tell you all about it.

We want them to
remember this for all time.

We want you to be reminded of
this for ever more. Your silence

in connection with these atrocities
have made you all into accomplices.

It was only right that the
populace was forced to bury the dead.

Now, you and your
countrymen shall watch them and

accompany them through
the streets of German cities.

You shall be witness
to this procession.

You too shall see
the open coffins.

So that you shall
never, never forget.