List of Nazi propaganda films
The following is a list of Nazi propaganda films. Before and during the Second World War, the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda under Joseph Goebbels produced several propaganda films designed for the general public. Production of films made to serve a propaganda purpose was not limited to the Axis powers, but was produced by both sides, such as the Allies' production of propaganda films.
The list of films may contain films concerning several different subjects or genres, but who all functioned as propaganda films of the Third Reich. Subjects include antisemitism, promotion of National Socialist ideals such as the Führerprinzip, obedience, and gender roles, garnering support for aggression against other nations, rallying support for the war effort, or sway popular opinion on Nazi institutions such as the involuntary euthanasia program. Alongside documentaries, motion pictures played a role in the cinematic propaganda effort, with dramas, war films, biopics, action films, thrillers, and even comedies a part of Nazi cinema.
Legend
Release date: The date of the film's release (or premiere)
Original title: The film's original German title
English title: English language title (titles in italic marks official English title)
Running time: Length of the film as released
Type: Genre and function
Producer: The producer(s) of the film
Director: The director(s) of the film
Cast: Leading actors and actresses
Notes: Additional comments and notes, such as propaganda use and post-war history.
Before the War (1933–1939)
| Release date | Original title | English title | Running time | Type | Producer | Director | Cast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Eine Symphonie des Kampfwillens | A Symphony of the Will to Fight | 30 min (ca.) | Documentary silent film | NSDAP | Julius Lippert | Adolf Hitler; NSDAP members; Nuremberg Rally attendants | First film documentary of a Nuremberg Rally. |
| 1929 | Der Nürnberger Parteitag der NSDAP | The Nuremberg Convention of the NSDAP | 90 min (ca.) | Documentary silent film | NSDAP | Baldur von Schirach | NSDAP members; Nuremberg Rally attendants; Franz Ritter von Epp | Documents the 4th party convention of the NSDAP, which occurred at Nuremberg August 2, 1929 |
| June 14, 1933 | S.A.-Mann Brand | Storm Trooper Brand | 94 min | Motion picture | Franz Seitz | Franz Seitz | Heinz Klingenberg; Wera Liessem; Rolf Wenkhaus | |
| September 19, 1933 | Hitlerjunge Quex: Ein Film vom Opfergeist der deutschen Jugend | "Hitler Youth Quex" Our Flag Leads Us Forward (US) | 95 min 87 min (US) | Feature film | Karl Ritter | Hans Steinhoff | Jürgen Ohlsen; Heinrich George; Berta Drews; Claus Clausen | Today classified as a Vorbehaltsfilm in Germany |
| 1 December 1933 | Der Sieg des Glaubens | "The Victory of Faith" | 64 min | Documentary film | Leni Riefenstahl | Leni Riefenstahl | Adolf Hitler; Rudolf Hess; Hermann Göring; Julius Streicher; Joseph Goebbels; Ernst Röhm | First propaganda film directed by Leni Riefenstahl. Recounts the Fifth Party Rally of the Nazi Party, which occurred in Nuremberg from 30 August to 3 September 1933. |
| 8 December 1933 | Flüchtlinge | "Refugees" | 87 min | Feature film | Gustav Ucicky | Hans Albers; Käthe von Nagy; Eugen Klöpfer; Andrews Engelmann | ||
| 13 December 1933 | Hans Westmar. Einer von vielen. Ein deutsches Schicksal aus dem Jahre 1929 | "Hans Westmar. One of many. A German Fate from the Year 1929" | 132 min | Feature film | Robert Ernst | Franz Wenzler | Emil Lohkamp; Paul Wegener | |
| 28 December 1934 | Um das Menschenrecht. Ein Filmwerk aus der Freikorpszeit | "About human rights" | Motion picture | Hans Zöberlein (executive producer) | Hans Zöberlein; Ludwig Schmid-Wildy | Hans Schlenck; Kurt Holm; Ernst Martens; Beppo Brem, etc. | Released as Sturmtage 1919 in Austria | |
| 24 January 1935 | Nur nicht weich werden, Susanne! Eine Groteske aus vergangener Zeit | Don't Lose Heart, Suzanne! | Drama film | Arzén von Cserépy | Jessie Vihrog; Veit Harlan; Willi Schur; Hilde Krüger, etc. | |||
| 29 January 1935 | Der alte und der junge König | "The Old and the Young King" | 100 min | Historical film | Deka-Film GmbH | Hans Steinhoff | Emil Jannings; Leopoldine Konstantin | |
| 28 March 1935 | Triumph des Willens | Triumph of the Will | 114 min | Documentary film | Leni Riefenstahl | Leni Riefenstahl | Adolf Hitler; Heinrich Himmler; Viktor Lutze; other NSDAP leaders | Riefenstahl won several awards, not only in Germany but also in the United States, France, Sweden and other countries |
| 26 April 1935 | Das Mädchen Johanna | Joan of Arc | 87 min | Historical film | Bruno Duday | Gustav Ucicky | Angela Salloker; Gustaf Gründgens; Heinrich George | First female personification of the Führer |
| 19 November 1935 | Friesennot | Frisions in Distress (US) | 97 min | Motion picture | Alfred Bittins; Dr. Scheunemann; Hermann Schmidt | Peter Hagen | Friedrich Kayßler; Helene Fehdmer; Valéry Inkijinoff, etc. | Reissued as Dorf im roten Sturm in Germany |
| 30 December 1935 | Der höhere Befehl | The Higher Command | 93 min | Historical film | Bruno Duday | Gerhard Lamprecht | Lil Dagover; Karl Ludwig Diehl; Heli Finkenzeller; Friedrich Kayßler | Highlights German-British historical relations in an attempt to ensure an alliance with Great Britain. |
| 30 December 1935 | Tag der Freiheit: Unsere Wehrmacht | Day of Freedom: Our Armed Forces | 28 min | Documentary film | Leni Riefenstahl | Leni Riefenstahl | Adolf Hitler; Hermann Göring; Rudolf Hess; Heinrich Himmler | Recounts the Seventh Party Rally of the Nazi Party, which occurred in Nuremberg on September 10–16, 1935. |
| 1935 | Das Erbe | "The Inheritance" | 12 min | Short film | Harold Mayer | Carl Hartmann | ||
| 16 June 1936 | Traumulus | The Dreamer | 100 min | Drama film | Carl Froelich | Carl Froelich | Emil Jannings; Hilde Weissner; Harald Paulsen; Hildegard Barko | |
| 16 June 1936 | Ewiger Wald | Enchanted Forest | 75 min | Documentary film | Hanns Springer; Rolf von Sonjevski-Jamrowski | Albert Graf von Pestalozza | Günther Hadank; Heinz Herkommer; Paul Klinger | |
| 9 September 1936 | Verräter | The Traitor | 92 min | Drama war film | Hans Ritter | Karl Ritter | Lída Baarová; Willy Birgel; Irene von Meyendorff | |
| 1936 | Erbkrank | "The Hereditary Defective" | 25 min | Documentary short film | Herbert Gerdes | |||
| 5 January 1937 | Panzerkreuzer Sebastopol: "Weisse Sklaven" | Battleship Sevastopol: "White Slaves" | 111 min | Motion picture | Karl Anton | Theodor Loos; Gabriele Hoffmann; Camilla Horn; Karl John | Rereleased as Rote Bestien ("Red Beasts") | |
| 17 March 1937 | Der Herrscher | "The Master" | 103 min | Drama film | Veit Harlan | Emil Jannings; Paul Wagner; Hannes Stelzer | Propagandistic demonstration of the Führerprinzip of Nazi Germany.[1] | |
| 1937 | Alles Leben ist Kampf | "All Life is Struggle" | 27 min | Documentary short film | Herbert Gerdes; W. Hüttig | |||
| 1937 | Opfer der Vergangenheit: Die Sünde wider Blut und Rasse | Victims of the Past: The Sin against Blood and Race | 25 min | Documentary short film | Example | Gernot Bock-Stieber; Kurt Botner | Kurt Mühlhardt; Trude Haefelin; Max Lohmann | |
| 1937 | Festliches Nürnberg | "Festive Nuremberg" | 21 min | Documentary short film | Example | Example | Adolf Hitler; Hermann Göring; other NSDAP leaders | |
| 11 January 1938 | Urlaub auf Ehrenwort | "Leave on Word of Honour" | 87 min | Drama war film | Karl Ritter | Karl Ritter | Rolf Moebius; Fritz Kampers; Rene Deltgen; Otto Graf | |
| 28 March 1938 | Wort und Tat | "Words and Deeds" | 10 min | Documentary short film | Fritz Hippler; Ottoheinz Jahn; Gustav Ucicky; Eugen York | Joseph Goebbels; Adolf Hitler; Benito Mussolini | ||
| 20 April 1938 | Olympia | Olympia | 226 min | Documentary film | Leni Riefenstahl | Leni Riefenstahl | Documenting the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. | |
| 22 December 1938 | Pour le Mérite | Pour le Mérite | 121 min | War film | Karl Ritter | Paul Hartmann; Herbert A.E. Böhme; Albert Hehn | ||
| 8 March 1939 | Aufruhr in Damaskus | Uproar in Damascus | 103 min | Thriller film | Otto Lehmann | Gustav Ucicky | Brigitte Horney; Joachim Gottschalk; Hans Nielsen; Ernst von Klipstein | |
| 7 July 1939 | Robert und Bertram | Robert and Bertram | Example | Musical comedy film | Helmut Schreiber | Hans Heinz Zerlett | Rudi Godden; Kurt Seifert; Carla Rust; Fritz Kampers | |
| 10 August 1939 | Der Westwall | "The Westwall" | 46 min | Documentary film | Fritz Hippler | |||
| 5 September 1939 | Kadetten | Cadets | 94 min | Historical war film | Karl Ritter | Karl Ritter | Mathias Wieman; Carsta Löck; Andrews Engelmann; Theo Shall | General release date was 2 December 1941 due to its anti-Russian theme following the Nazi-Soviet Pact. |
Wartime films (1939–1945)
| Release date | Original title | English title | Running time | Type | Producer | Director | Cast | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 October 1939 | Leinen aus Irland | Linen from Ireland | 98 min | Drama film | Heinz Helbig | Otto Treßler; Irene von Meyendorff; Friedl Haerlin | ||
| 26 October 1939 | D III 88 | D III 88 | 109 min (ca.) | Action drama film | Fred Lyssa | Herbert Maisch; Hans Bertram | Christian Kayßler; Otto Wernicke; Heinz Welzel; Hermann Braun | |
| 8 February 1940 | Feldzug in Polen | "The Campaign in Poland" | 69 min | Documentary film | Fritz Hippler | Adolf Hitler | ||
| February 1940 | Der Marsch zum Führer | "The March to the Führer" | 45 min | Documentary film | Rudolf Hess; Adolf Hitler; Baldur von Schirach | Documents the nationwide march of Hitler Youth to Nuremberg for the Nazi Party Rally. | ||
| 5 April 1940 | Feuertaufe | "Baptism by fire" | 90 min | Documentary film | Hans Bertram | Herbert Gernot; Hermann Göring; Adolf Hitler | Showed to ambassadors from the Scandinavian countries on the eve of Operation Weserübung. Documents the destruction of Polish cities by the Luftwaffe. | |
| 24 April 1940 | Der Fuchs von Glenarvon | The Fox of Glenarvon | 91 min | Motion picture | Herbert Engelsing | Max W. Kimmich | Olga Tschechowa; Karl Ludwig Diehl; Ferdinand Marian; Elisabeth Flickenschildt | |
| 24 April 1940 | Der Postmeister | "The Postmaster"/"The Station Master" | 92 min | Drama film | Gustav Ucicky | Heinrich George; Hilde Krahl; Siegfried Breuer | ||
| 17 July 1940 | Die Rothschilds | The Rothschilds | 97 min | Motion picture | C.M. Köhn | Erich Waschneck | Erich Ponto; Carl Kuhlmann; Herbert Hübner | |
| 24 September 1940 | Jud Süß | "Süss the Jew" | 98 minutes | Drama film | Otto Lehmann | Veit Harlan | Ferdinand Marian; Werner Krauss; Heinrich George; Kristina Söderbaum | |
| 1 November 1940 | Das Herz der Königin | "The Heart of the Queen" | 112 min | Historical film | Carl Froelich | Carl Froelich | Zarah Leander | |
| 28 November 1940 | Der Ewige Jude | The Eternal Jew | 62 min | Fiction/Documentary film | Deutsche Film Gesellschaft | Fritz Hippler | Harry Giese | |
| 6 December 1940 | Bismarck | Bismarck | 118 min | Historical film | Heinrich Jonen; Willi Wiesner | Wolfgang Liebeneiner | Paul Hartmann; Friedrich Kayßler; Lil Dagover | |
| 30 December 1940 | Wunschkonzert | "Request Concert" | 103 min | Drama film | Felix Pfitzner | Eduard von Borsody | Ilse Werner; Carl Raddatz; Joachim Brennecke | |
| 1940 | Vom Bäumlein, das andere Blätter hat gewollt | "Of the little tree which wished for different leaves" | 7 min | Short cartoon | Hubert Schonger | Heinz Tischmeyer | ||
| 1940 | Kampf um Norwegen – Feldzug 1940 | "Battle for Norway - 1940 Campaign" | 81 min | Documentary film | Martin Rikli; Werner Buhre | Never screened. Assumed lost until copy resurfaced in 2006. | ||
| 1940–1945 | Die Deutsche Wochenschau | "The German Weekly Review" | Unified newsreel series | |||||
| 17 February 1941 | Mein Leben für Irland | My Life for Ireland | 90 min | Motion picture | Max W. Kimmich | Anna Dammann; René Deltgen; Paul Wegener; Werner Hinz | ||
| 28 February 1941 | Kampfgeschwader Lützow | "Fighting Squadron Lützow" | 109 min | War film | Hans Bertram | Christian Kayßler; Hermann Braun; Heinz Welzel | Classified as a Vorbehaltsfilm today in Germany | |
| 21 March 1941 | Über alles in der Welt | Above All Else in the World | 85 min | Drama film | Karl Ritter | Karl Ritter | Paul Hartmann; Hannes Stelzer; Fritz Kampers | |
| 21 March 1941 | Carl Peters | Carl Peters | 110 min | Historical drama film | Herbert Selpin | Hans Albers | ||
| 23 March 1941 | Sieg im Westen | "Victory in the West" | 114 min | Documentary film | Fritz Hippler | Svend Noldan | Erwin Rommel; Adolf Hitler | |
| 4 April 1941 | Ohm Krüger | "Uncle Krüger" | 135 min | Biographical film | Emil Jannings | Hans Steinhoff | Emil Jannings; Lucie Höflich; Werner Hinz | |
| 17 April 1941 | Liebe ist zollfrei | Love Is Duty Free | Comedy film | E.W. Emo | Hans Moser; Susi Peter; Theodor Danegger | |||
| 27 June 1941 | Stukas | Stukas | 101 min | Motion picture | Karl Ritter | Carl Raddatz; Hannes Stelzer; Ernst von Klipstein | Staatsauftragsfilm | |
| 9 May 1941 | U-Boote westwärts! | U-boat Westward! | 98 min | Motion picture | Günther Rittau | Herbert Wilk | ||
| 4 June 1941 | Venus vor Gericht | Venus on Trial | 90 min | Drama film | Ottmar Ostermayr | Hans H. Zerlett | Hannes Stelzer; Hansi Knoteck; Paul Dahlke; Siegfried Breuer | |
| 29 August 1941 | Ich klage an | I Accuse | 125 min | Drama film | Wolfgang Liebeneiner | Heidemarie Hatheyer; Paul Hartmann; Mathias Wieman | ||
| 31 August 1941 | Heimkehr | "Homecoming" | 94 min | Drama film | Karl Hartl; Wien-Film | Gustav Ucicky | Paula Wessely; Attila Hörbiger; Carl Raddatz | |
| 19 December 1941 | Menschen im Sturm | "People in the Storm" | 80 min | Drama film | Fritz Peter Buch | Gustav Diessl; Olga Tschechowa; Hannelore Schroth | Propaganda to justify an invasion of Slovenia | |
| 3 March 1942 | Der große König | The Great King | 118 min | Drama film | Veit Harlan | Otto Gebühr | ||
| 12 June 1942 | Die große Liebe | "The Great Love" | 100 min | Drama film | Walter Bolz for Universum Film AG | Rolf Hansen | Zarah Leander; Viktor Staal | The most commercially successful film in the history of the Third Reich. |
| 14 August 1942 | G.P.U. | The Red Terror | 99 min | Action film | Karl Ritter | Karl Ritter | Laura Solari; Will Quadflieg; Marina von Ditmar | |
| 25 August 1942 | Anschlag auf Baku | Attack on Baku | 91 min | Thriller film | Hans Weidemann | Fritz Kirchhoff | Willy Fritsch; René Deltgen; Fritz Kampers; Hans Zesch-Ballot | |
| 25 August 1942 | Der 5. Juni | 5 June | 99 min | War film | Walter Ulbrich | Fritz Kirchhoff | Carl Raddatz; Joachim Brennecke; Karl Ludwig Diehl; Gisela Uhlen | |
| 3 September 1942 | Die goldene Stadt | "The Golden City" | 110 min | Drama film | Veit Harlan | Veit Harlan; Wolfgang Schleif | Kristina Söderbaum; Eugen Klöpfer; Annie Rosar | |
| 9 September 1941 | Annelie | Annelie | 99 min | Drama film | Josef von Báky | Luise Ullrich; Werner Krauss; Käthe Haack | Portrays the National Socialist woman | |
| 6 October 1942 | Die Entlassung | Bismarck's Dismissal | 110 min | Biographical film | Emil Jannings; Fritz Klotsch; Walter Lehmann | Wolfgang Liebeneiner | Emil Jannings; Margarete Schön; Christian Kayßler | Also known as Schicksalswende (West German rerun title) and Wilhelm II. und Bismarck (new West German title) |
| 3 March 1943 | Münchhausen | Münchhausen | 105 min | Fantasy comedy film | Eberhard Schmidt | Josef von Báky | Hans Albers; Wilhelm Bendow | |
| 26 August 1943 | Wien 1910 | Vienna 1910 | 92 min | Biographical film | Emerich Walter Emo | Rudolf Forster; Heinrich George; Lil Dagover | ||
| 10 November 1943 | Titanic | Titanic | 85 min | Drama film | Willy Reiber | Herbert Selpin; Werner Klingler | Sybille Schmitz; Hans Nielsen | |
| November 1943 | Besatzung Dora | The Crew of the Dora | 91 min | Drama war film | Karl Ritter | Josef Dahmen; Hannes Stelzer | ||
| 6 July 1944 | Die Degenhardts | The Degenhardts | 93 min | Drama film | Heinrich George | Werner Klingler | Heinrich George; Ernst Schröder; Gunnar Möller | |
| 8 December 1944 | Opfergang | "Rite of Sacrifice" | 98 min | Drama film | Veit Harlan | Kristina Söderbaum; Carl Raddatz; Irene von Meyendorff | ||
| 1944 | Theresienstadt. Ein Dokumentarfilm aus dem jüdischen Siedlungsgebiet | "Theresienstadt: A Documentary Film from the Jewish Settlement Area" | 90 min (ca.) | Documentary short film | Karel Pečený (Aktualita Prag) for the SS-Central Office for the Settlement of the Jewish Question in Bohemia and Moravia | Kurt Gerron (under Hans Günther & Karl Rahm) | Only 22 minutes of footage extant. | |
| 1944 | Panorama | Panorama | Newsreel series | Quarterly colour newsreel series | ||||
| 30 January 1945 | Kolberg | Kolberg | 110 min | Historical film | Veit Harlan | Veit Harlan | Kristina Söderbaum; Heinrich George; Paul Wegener; Horst Caspar |
See also
References
- Erwin Leiser, Nazi Cinema p. 49 ISBN 0-02-570230-0
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