HISTORY
The Auctioneers: Profiting From the Holocaust
52' (ENG), 45' (GER)
Historical data journalism brings to light the true story of Kristallnacht and thereafter.
The systematic antisemitism of the Nazis peaked with the pogroms of 1938/39, the outcome of which was incomparable violence and despotism towards Jewish citizens. The events that culminated into the ‘Reichspogromnacht’ also led to a massive wave of expropriation. The mind cannot begin to process the vast amount of monetary and material goods taken from the Jews on Kristallnacht and years to follow. But the stolen valuables were meticulously documented by a group known as the auctioneers. Their files place private stories in perspective with the major developments of Nazi-Germany, showing us those who’ve profited most from the property transfers.
Tax inspectors and bailiffs, pawnbrokers and auctioneers were the exploiters of Jewish property, from industrial enterprises to silver spoons. Especially the auctioneers are among the major profiteers of the Holocaust. Their files, which in many cities were only recently made accessible, paint a new and more detailed picture of the persecution of Jews in Germany.
The Auctioneers is a hunt for relics of the past that leads from private property to everyday life between 1938 and 1944, to those who’ve profited most from the property transfers, and finally to some sort of economic balance of the Holocaust.
Facts
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Original TitleDie Versteigerer - Profiteure des Holocaust
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Year2018
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Length52' (ENG), 45' (GER)
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ResolutionHD
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Produced by