Nominated for Best Documentary Feature
Q&A with Jascha Hannover
American historian Timothy Ryback examines the remains of Adolf Hitler’s private library which was home to 16,000 books at the end of his life. Many of these were bestsellers long before the Nazis took power in 1933 and are filled with ideas that paved the way for Hitler.
Ever since the horrific crimes against humanity masterminded by Adolf Hitler came to light, people from various disciplines and from all walks of life have tried to understand the mindset behind so much murder and suffering. Attempts to comprehend the Holocaust of the Jewish people and the Nazi German mass killing of other groups have looked at social and economic factors, psychology, and even Hitler’s frustration at failing to become a renowned artist. This fascinating documentary attempts to understand Hitler’s motivation by examining some of his favourite books.
At the time of his suicide, Hitler had amassed a personal library of 16,000 books, 1,300 of which are currently in the United States, the majority of them in the Library of Congress. Filmmakers Jascha Hannover and Claus Bredenbrock interview scholars and experts, including American historian Timothy W. Ryback, who studied these books for almost a decade. Their examination points to the disturbing fact that much of the racist, antisemitic and eugenicist thinking that shaped Hitler’s philosophy was around long before the 1930s and is still influencing right-wing extremism today.
The Books He Didn’t Burn is narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, and presents an impressive array of archival footage and photographs.
Anna Taborska
Supported by Artists for Change
Supported by German Films
