HITLER - THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS

Chronic of a Rise to Power

Author & Director:

Juergen Ast | Kerstin Mauersberger

Commissioning Editors:

Jens Stubenrauch | Juergen Tomm

Duration:

2 x 45'

Coproduction:

astfilm productions | for ORB | SFB

Potsdam in the spring of 1933. March 21st. The handshake between Adolf Hitler and Paul von Hindenburg in front of the Garrison Church. A picture that turned the world, a million times reproduced. The script that was written by the Nazis for the so called "day of Potsdam", it only had one intention, it was suppose to be the symbolic "unification of the former greatness and the new strength" in Germany. The scenario didn't fail, it had an incredible impact on millions of Germans. After the defeat in the 1st World War, the inflation and unemployment, the Germans were longing for a "new order" and a "strong leader". Later, this faith ended in a disaster for Germany, for Europe and for the whole world. Much of the course for it was set within the first hundred days of the Nazi's rule.

The first part of the documentary recalls the moments when Hitler entered the Reich Chancellery on January 30th 1933, the momentous fire at the Reichstag, up to the "enthronement" of Hitler at the Garrison Church in Potsdam. The second part tells of the first concentration camps already set up on the "day of Potsdam", the boycott of Jewish shops, up to the public burning of books in May 1933.