My Review and Thoughts:
Hitler's children is a 2012 documentary. This showcases the
struggle in the life of family members that have the blood lineage of Adolf
Hitler's diabolical henchmen. The descendants of major Nazi criminals talk
about the struggle, the pain, suffering, heartbreak of knowing the past actions
of their relatives and loved ones to try and cope with who they are related to.
Some of the most powerful figures in the Nazi regime, such
as Heinrich Himmler, Hans Frank, Hermann Göring and Rudolf Höss are showcased.
This is a powerful touching emotional tour de force of a documentary because
not only do you have the children that love their parents but you have the
children that also loathe their parents for the crimes they've done, and yet at
times the admiration of a child to the parent is always there.
To love a monster and to hate a monster, it's a bittersweet
concept in this documentary. This showcases the ordeal in a stark haunting and
beautiful aspect. The children of these war monsters seek out in trying to find
peace and some do it through exploring the victims’ families of those their
fathers have slaughtered. Their struggle seems at times seeking some kind of
forgiveness or some kind of understanding.
We can all blame the monsters, they did what they did but
the families, the children of those that did it, will always be marked and it's
sad that we stick a stereotype or Scarlet Letter on those relatives of the
killers. The shadows of horrors forcing them to change their names, hiding from
the public view, from the history their names are stained with.
This is a landmark film for history. Here they are in this
documentary, exploring, becoming a part of history. Trying to teach the wrong
their parents or loved ones have done. Trying to come to terms with the
struggles that they have gone through. The director of the film Chanoch Zeevi,
came up with the idea after meeting with Adolf Hitler's personal secretary in
her home in 1999. He went on to state about the documentary
"When I sat in front of her I suddenly understood that
the need to try and understand the evil that led to the horrors of the
Holocaust was an integral part of the narrative. I understood that the dialogue
with the “other side” can teach us many new things on the fertile ground on
which the hatred grew and in parallel convey a message of hope for the future”.
“My intention is that the film will successfully touch many varied audiences and
by doing that it may restart the discussion on the story of the holocaust of
European Jewry in an intelligent manner and from a new point of view, and along
the way, provide an indisputable answer to Holocaust deniers."
You're introduced to Bettina Goering. Herman Goering was her
great uncle. Goering was one of the main leaders in Hitler's inner circle. A
leader of the Nazi regiment. He was the one of the first to order the
extermination of the European Jews. He was the leader and commander of the
Luftwaffe the aerial branch of the Nazi army. After the war he was sentenced to
death at Nuremberg. But before his hanging he committed suicide by swallowing
cyanide.
Bettina lives in Santa Fe New Mexico. She stated that when
she came to America she changed her name to her husbands and it was like she
was free. It was like she was able to live her life without the burden of her
family's name. It was like she was no longer looked at by giving the last name
of a monster. She states and focuses on that living in Germany was a constant
reminder. Living in America is like being free. In Germany people have to deal
with it every day knowing about their past and what they were a part of.
You then are introduced to Katrin Himmler. Her great uncle
is Heinrich Himmler possibly the worst monster and Nazi in history. He was the
second in command and the creator of the SS. He was the one that put into plan
the final solution to kill all Jews through extermination. Himmler was the evil
that the Nazi party was about. If there is such a thing as evil, the monster
under the bed or in the dark he was that creature. He created the death camps
that millions upon millions of Jews were systematically murdered.
He committed suicide after he was captured. His name is
forever a mark in history. She talks about how she studied foreign languages to
make sure she would get rid of her German accent. She tried her hardest to
separate herself for the reality of her families past, it was a forever stain
on her family.
You then are introduced to Rainer Hoess. His grandfather
Rudolph Hoss the commander of the Auschwitz extermination camp. Rudolph was the
true mass murderer and in reality had no conscience. You then witness Rainer
showing a third generation Holocaust survivor his fathers and grandfathers
items from the Auschwitz Camp.
Rainer's father lived in with his mother and relatives with
Rudolph Hoess on the grounds of Auschwitz. The house surrounded by block walls,
past those walls consisted of the extermination ovens. The trains bringing the
lambs to slaughter. A single gate separated the reality. Which Rainer called
the gate to hell?
What is really disturbing and almost sickening is when
Rainer talks about how right outside the gate was all the murders and here
inside the gate his father played swimming, frolicking, dancing, laughing,
family pictures show the kids smiling enjoying themselves and not even a few
feet away outside that gate was Auschwitz. The sounds of the train. The smoke
from the ovens. To think of that is truly disturbing.
I can't help but have very mixed emotions as I watched this
documentary and I think this documentary is going give mixed emotions. It makes
you think. It makes you guess. It makes you want to ask questions and the
frustration knowing you will not get answers.
I think Rainer Is one of the key figures of the documentary
because you can see his struggle in trying to come to terms with his father and
his grandfather and his family knowing that they knew what was happening yet it
was normal. It was no big deal. It was just another day. Another moment in the
life of a Nazi.
You then are introduced to Nicklas Frank. He is the son of
Hans Frank. Hans was Hitler's closest associate. He was with him during his
rise of power. He was known as the Gov. Gen. of the occupied Poland. He was
responsible for the ghettos and also the death camps. He was eventually
convicted of war crimes and hanged. To showcase his father’s evil Nicklas goes
around to schools and reads from his two books about his childhood and his
parents. He greatly hates his parents and their legacy. He preaches against
them and the horrors they did. He states both his parents were monsters. He had
no love or care from either of them.
You then are introduced to Monika Goeth the most important
and direct child, a direct daughter to a pure bloodied monster from hell.
She is the daughter of Amon Goeth. The true sadistic
demented individual commander of the Plaszow concentration camp in Poland. This
story telling by her is a true highlight of the documentary. She talks about
how growing up she always thought her father was a good man that her father was
a simple commander at a work camp. Her mother would fell her with lies that her
father did no wrong until she finally slowly discovered who her real father
was.
Amon Goeth was made famous for today's generation being a
focal character in Steven Spielberg's 1993 masterpiece Schindler's List where
Ralph Fiennes played his nightmarish character. Amon Goeth he was accused of
the murder by his own hands of 10,000 Jews. He enjoyed target practice shooting
with his rifle the Jews that crossed his path. He enjoyed releasing his German
Shepard's after Jews.
The greatest story that is told is by Monika when she
relates to finding out who her father really was. The experience of pain she
suffered in a life altering way as she came to terms with the true reality of
her father and mother. She was a full grown woman before she ever knew or
realized who her daddy was or what her daddy did. It took questions and a Jew
at a bar and Spielberg's movie to showcase the truth for her.
There's an amazing and wonderful comment made by Bettina in
this documentary and goes like, it seems that German culture became Nazi
culture. Sadly that's what has happened where you think of Germany you think of
Nazis but there's so much more to Germany than just Nazi Germany. Germany
existed before Nazis. Nazis stained the German population. Nazi's stained German
culture and the most important thing history needs to do is to remember the
history, food, the stories of Germany and we must separate the evil of the
Nazi's from the German culture because German where not the only killer's in
the Nazi party.
You have to look beyond Nazi's and not destroy the culture
of Germany's past. Just because one man and all his horror and his monsters
that followed him did an unspeakable genocide does not me the land of Germany
and its roots and culture had anything to do with it.
This documentary will always leave a lasting impression on
me and I think any viewer that watches is it will come out with a lasting mark.
Especially the trip Rainer takes to Auschwitz with the third-generation
holocaust survivor. Rainer the grandson of Rudolph Hoess traces his father's
roots to that house where they plays and swam along while the Jews where
burning right outside their houses gate. There are many moments that are eye
opening. Many moments that are truly emotional you can't help but feel these
relatives emotional turmoil and torment and the evil part of history they are a
part of.
Chanoch Zeevi who created this powerful piece deserves a
standing ovation. Deserves an award in expressing true thought provoking
reality that should always be remembered. I give my hand for I wish to shake
this passionate powerful spokesperson hand because he brought forth the truth.
Next I want to show honor and praise for those relatives that stood up and
showcased their lives for this film. They showcased great pain and passion and
suffering in expressing the torment of their blood linage and for that they
have my praise.
If there ever is a film that needs to be seen. That needs to
be shown to children that needs to be taught in a lesson format it's this film.
This is an amazing, gut wrenching reality wake up for this generation and all
generations. It's a part of history that should never be forgotten and sadly you’re
slowly starting to see that happen. There are more and more people that believe
the holocaust did not happen. There are more and more people starting to
question and remark against the Jewish nation and the horrors they went
through. For there was a time when a single man stood up and started preaching
against. Followers started following. Beliefs started to spread and next thing
you know he is in powerful. Who was that man that started talking against a
culture, started causing questions and denying history, his name was Adolf
Hitler.
There's a comment by one of the people that live at
Auschwitz area. Villagers that live in the houses outside (Yes I found it truly
shocking that people still live there). The comment sticks with me even after I
finished the documentary. It's a comment that is staying with me for the rest
of my life because it hammered itself into me after I heard it. It's a comment
that can give nightmares. A villager said that his grandmother used to say,
make sure you wash the strawberries because of the ash, referring to the
burning of the Jews.