Synopsis
Crimes against Humanity in the Context of Everyday Working LifeA film by Aldo Gugolz
When millions of human beings were killed in Auschwitz and the other German concentration and extermination camps, the murderers were faced with technical problems. The killing and disposal of the corpses was to be carried out continuously and inexpensively in a manner which economized on fuel and left as little evidence behind as possible. In order to contrive such a system, the SS had to rely on civilian experts who had no scruples about thinking their way into the practical problems of extermination and developing appropriate solutions. The Erfurt family business J. A. Topf & Sons played a decisive role in this process. The subject of the film is the history of this perfectly normal German company – a history beginning in nineteenth-century Erfurt and leading to the Auschwitz crematoria.
The film sets out in search of historical traces at the former workplaces of the company’s owners and engineers in buildings over a hundred years old. Historical documents testify to the mentality and activities of the chief protagonists – contrasted with images of Buchenwald and Auschwitz Concentration Camps.
Film duration: 30 minutes
Format: PAL 16:9
Language: German
Stereo
