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During the Nazi era in Germany, Hollywood films were prohibited, and more than 1,200 new movies were produced. Most of these films served as propaganda tools. While many appear exaggerated and unconvincing today, some were crafted so skillfully that they remain potentially harmful to audiences even now.
To this day, 40 of these films are restricted from television broadcasts or DVD releases by the German authorities. Regrettably, a few of these movies had a profound impact on the populace of the Third Reich.
10. Triumph Of The Will
This documentary captures the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg, showcasing its events and speeches. Similar to his book, Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler utilized this film to disseminate his ideologies to the masses.
The film depicts massive crowds of enthusiastic supporters, grand parades, dazzling fireworks, and symbols of strength and prosperity. It consistently conveys a message of optimism, suggesting that Germany’s struggling economy will flourish under Hitler’s leadership.
In his speeches, Hitler assures the public that the class system will be abolished and that all loyal, courageous Germans will be provided for. He encourages them to unite and build an ideal German society together.
Although many viewers accept the footage as historical truth, experts contend that numerous scenes may have been staged. Similar to modern reality TV, many parts of the film were scripted, rehearsed, and reshot rather than captured spontaneously.
9. Jud Suss
This movie draws inspiration from an 18th-century true story. Karl Alexander, the new Duke of Wurttemberg, appoints Joseph Oppenheimer, a Jewish banker, to manage his financial matters. When Oppenheimer increases taxes for German citizens, both men amass wealth. In return, the duke permits Jews to settle in the town, leading to a significant influx of Jewish migrants.
As Oppenheimer collaborates with a rabbi, they repeatedly declare their intention to seize control of Germany in the name of Israel. A young married couple becomes victims of Oppenheimer’s schemes. The husband endures torture, the wife is assaulted, and her lifeless body is later retrieved from the river by her husband. The Jewish community is expelled from the town, and Oppenheimer faces execution.
Historical records of Joseph Oppenheimer’s death cite his misuse of fortune and provision of harmful advice. In contemporary terms, these actions would be classified as fraud and embezzlement.
The film amplifies the story of a single greedy man, portraying him as a terrorist and rapist to vilify the entire Jewish community. The movie concludes with a stark warning to viewers: Trusting Jews will lead to disaster for your town.
8. I Accuse
In 1941, Ich Klage An, or I Accuse, effectively persuaded thousands of Germans to support the Nazi T4 program, which authorized the mass euthanasia of individuals with terminal illnesses and disabilities.
The narrative revolves around a charming young woman married to a doctor who is advancing in his career. She embodies the ideal German housewife—kind, joyful, and devoted. Their lives take a tragic turn when she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
After enduring excruciating pain, she pleads with her husband to administer a lethal injection, allowing her to end her suffering before becoming a burden. He complies, and the film explores the moral and legal implications of assisted suicide.
The Nazis exploited this debate to obscure their practice of killing individuals with mental and physical disabilities without consent. They aimed to suppress the belief that disabilities could be overcome and that those affected could lead fulfilling, productive lives.
7. Homecoming
In 1939, Hitler declared the invasion of Poland, claiming it was to rescue the “oppressed German people.” This film was crafted to present a fabricated narrative that justified his actions to the German public.
The movie portrays German immigrants in Poland as a persecuted minority. Their properties and schools are seized by Polish authorities, they face exorbitant taxes, are denied medical care, and many characters suffer brutal attacks, including stoning.
Later, Germans are forcibly gathered, confined in cramped cages, and subjected to cruel conditions. The imprisoned Germans weep and sing, longing to return to their homeland. Ultimately, German soldiers intervene, liberating the captives and enabling their return.
The events depicted in the film are entirely fictional, yet they are presented as historical truth. Homecoming remains banned on German television to prevent young viewers from forming biased opinions against Polish people or mistakenly believing the invasion of Poland was justified.
6. Hitler Youth Quex
This film follows Heini, a gentle boy nicknamed “Quex” or “Quicksilver,” who endures abuse from his Communist father and struggles to find stability. Heini encounters a group of Nazi boys who treat him with kindness, making him feel like he has finally found a sense of belonging and family.
Heini overhears his parents’ Communist associates plotting to destroy a Nazi building with explosives. He warns the Nazis, saving their lives. Devastated by her son’s betrayal, Heini’s mother attempts to kill them both by gassing the house while he sleeps.
While his mother dies, Heini survives, only to be hunted and fatally stabbed by a group of Communists. His Hitler Youth friends arrive too late to rescue him but hear his final words—a Nazi song lyric.
The film’s central message was that Nazism represented the new order and the solution to Germany’s Communist issues.
5. The Great Love
Produced in 1942, The Great Love tells the story of Paul, a German army lieutenant, who falls for Hanna, a renowned singer. When Paul is called back to war, Hanna performs a heart-wrenching ballad, “Ich Weiss es Wird Einmal ein Wunder Geschehen,” expressing the pain of being separated from a loved one. The song gained international fame.
Although it appears to be a romantic tale, The Great Love served as Nazi propaganda, aiming to convince German women of the necessity of sacrifices for the Third Reich’s success.
The Great Love became the highest-grossing film in Nazi Germany. It was later removed from the banned list during efforts to denazify films and was released to the public in 1963 after removing Nazi symbols.
4. The Rothschilds
Produced in 1940, this film depicts the Rothschild family’s rise to wealth in the 1800s. They deceive and manipulate the stock market to amass fortunes, with one character stating, “We can earn vast sums, but only if there is plenty of bloodshed.”
The Rothschilds grow immensely wealthy by capitalizing on others’ misfortunes. While the film claims to be “based on a true story,” it portrays the family in an overwhelmingly negative manner.
The movie concludes with the Rothschilds dispersing family members across Europe’s major cities, using the Star of David to mark their influence on a map. A recurring theme in Nazi anti-Jewish propaganda was the fear that Jews aimed to dominate Europe through financial power.
3. Stukas
The protagonist, a soldier suffering from what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder, returns to Germany. After attending an opera, he overcomes his trauma by rekindling his profound love for his homeland.
By the film’s conclusion, the soldier laughs about the “excitement” of bombing enemies and appears eager to return to battle. In the final scene, German pilots are shown flying off to bomb England, singing in unison.
The movie aimed to persuade the public that personal feelings are secondary to national interests, emphasizing self-sacrifice for the Nazi Party. It promoted unquestioning obedience to authority, even to the extent of finding joy in their duties.
2. The Eternal Jew
This documentary stands as one of the most blatant and extreme anti-Semitic films ever produced. Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, even deemed the initial version “too aggressive,” recognizing that audiences might reject its harsh portrayal of Jewish people.
In the film, Jews are likened to hordes of rats threatening to overrun cities if not controlled. They are labeled as the “force behind humanity’s corruption.”
The film features footage from Polish ghettos, where Jews were compelled to live in squalid conditions. However, it falsely claims that Jews chose to hoard wealth and live in such filth. The movie’s goal was to depict Jewish people as unclean, uncivilized, lazy, deceitful, overly ambitious, and conspiring to dominate the world.
While many Nazi propaganda films lack English subtitles, this one includes an English voice-over on YouTube, as it continues to be distributed as neo-Nazi propaganda even today.
1. Uncle Kruger
Set in South Africa’s Orange Free State, the film focuses on the Boers, descendants of German and Dutch settlers, who are drawn into war with England. While the men fight, women are herded into concentration camps. England also recruits native Africans to join their fight against the Boers.
As depicted in the clip above, a German woman attempts to protest but is gunned down by English soldiers. The soldiers then turn on the crowd, indiscriminately shooting at women. Another woman, clutching a baby, collapses, leaving her children without aid.
While England’s colonization of Africa and its use of slavery are historical facts, this film exaggerates British brutality and ruthless strategies to an extreme degree. The events depicted are entirely fictional but presented as historical truth.
The movie was screened for German audiences to mentally prepare them for the impending conflict with England. It was the first Nazi propaganda film to earn the “Film of the Nation” award.
