PODCAST:The Documentary Podcast
TITLE:Our House: Stories of the Holocaust
DATE:2024-01-16 00:00:00
URL:
MODEL:gpt-4-gizmo
inviting one of the surviving children, Ludwig, to visit his childhood home after nearly 80 years. This visit was deeply moving, bringing to life the history of the house and the tragic experiences of its former residents.
In Schöneberg, another resident, Marie, along with her mother, a historian, helped uncover the history of the Jewish families in their building. They found out that their apartment was a “Judenwohnung” – a place where Jews were forced to live after being evicted from their homes. Marie's discovery led to an annual event called “Denk Mal Am Ort,” where people commemorate the Jewish families by opening their homes to the public.
Bethan Griffiths, a historian, explains the Nazi policy in 1939 that forced Jews into “Juden houses” or “Jewish houses,” stripping them of their tenancy rights and seizing their properties. This policy was part of the larger plan to transform Berlin into a Nazi city, overseen by Albert Speer.
In another part of Berlin, Matthias Schmerer researched the history of his building, where he learned about the Jacobi family. The current residents, Erich and Angelica, reflect on the fear and uncertainty the Jacobi family must have experienced. Ruth, a survivor who lived in the apartment as a child, shares her poignant memories and stories of her life before escaping to England.
The podcast concludes with Glanville reflecting on the personal significance of these stories, as her own family was affected by the Holocaust. She emphasizes that through these individual acts of remembrance and the enduring memories of survivors like Ruth, the past continues to resonate in the present, keeping alive the stories of those who suffered during the Holocaust.
