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Inside Hitler's Killing Machine

May 1945: With the end of the war and the surrender of the Third Reich, the world discovered the full horror of a genocidal system on a scale never before seen in the history of humanity. The elimination of millions of individuals had been meticulously planned by a regime whose organization and methods were just beginning to be understood. 

 

The Banker Of The Third Reich
 
Hjalmar Schacht is a largely forgotten figure. And yet, Hitler’s rise to power depended on him. Adapted from the novel The Devil’s Banker by Jean-François Bouchard, this documentary paints the portrait of a fascinating character, at once intellectually brilliant and imbued with an icy cynicism, and who, paradoxically, was never a member of the Nazi party, despite being one of its pillars.

 

Hitler's Evil Scientists

It is a word that sends a chill down the spine: "Ahnenerbe". This was the name of the research institute set up to prove the scientific foundation of Nazi ideology. Driven by a scientific megalomania, the race for new discoveries led the institution to carry out countless acts of barbarism. Stored on  hundreds of microfilms which are only now available, the reports from this institution reveal the gruesome secrets of science according to Hitler.

 

The Nazi Camps - An Architecture of Murder

It took less than 10 years for Hitler to set up the concentration camps, many of which became centers for mass killing. As research and archaeological exploration continue, this documentary reveals the established historiographical elements to explain how a system of concentrating populations so quickly became the rationalized apparatus of genocide.

 

Aribert Heim: The Doctor Death of Mauthausen

Autumn 1941: a young Austrian doctor was deployed to Mauthausen concentration camp. Barely six weeks later he had already caused hundreds of deaths. His name was Aribert Heim. He was nicknamed "Dr. Death" or the "Butcher of Mauthausen" and was one of the concentration camp’s most evil torturers.

Who was this man who seemed so pleasant, cheery and jovial? How did he become this bloodthirsty monster, a veritable butcher, and great admirer of Adolf Hitler, who used prisoners to carry out experiments? This documentary looks back at the improbable destiny of this man who never repented, and whose violence was tainted with the greatest perversity.

Episode 1: The Banker Of The Third Reich

Episode 2: Hitler's Evil Scientists

Episode 3: The Nazi Camps - An Architecture of Murder

Episode 4: Aribert Heim: The Doctor Death of Mauthausen

Direction: François Pomès, Quentin Domart & Angèle Berland

Production: Label News for RMC Découverte and Paris Première.

Languages: French, English

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