Jud Süß

infobox Book |
name = Jud Süß
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Wilhelm Hauff
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = Kingdom of Württemberg
language = German
series =
genre = Novella
publisher =
release_date = 1827
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages =
isbn = NA
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Jud Süß" ("The Jew Süss") was the nickname of Joseph Süss Oppenheimer and is the title of an 1827 novella by Wilhelm Hauff, a 1925 historical novel by Lion Feuchtwanger, a 1934 British film and a Nazi propaganda film made in 1940 by Veit Harlan, all of which are stories with a title character modelled on Oppenheimer. The Feuchtwanger book and the 1934 film based on it were both condemnations of anti-Semitism. The 1934 film was also intended as a satire of Nazi anti-Semitism.

Plot summary

The original novella by Wilhelm Hauff was about a businessman who believes he is a Jew, but whose unfair business practices result in the betrayal of an innocent girl. Consequently, he is arrested and sentenced to be hanged. While he waits to be executed, he discovers that he is not Jewish, but he prefers to face his sentence rather than turning his back on the community he grew up in.

In his 1925 historical novel, Feuchtwanger tells the story of a Jewish businessman who, because of his exceptional talent for finances and politics, becomes the top advisor for the Duke of Württemberg. Surrounded by jealous and hateful enemies, Süß helps the Duke create a corrupt state that engrosses them both into immense wealth and power. In the meantime, Süß discovers he is the illegitimate son of a respected nobleman, but decides to continue living as a Jew, as he is proud of having achieved such a position despite this. In the meantime, the Duke finds out about his Jew’s hidden daughter and when trying to rape her accidentally kills her. Süß is devastated. He plans and executes his revenge. After he encourages and then exposes the Duke's plan to overthrow the Parliament, thus infuriating the Duke to death, Süß realizes nothing will bring back his daughter, and apathetically turns himself over. He is found innocent but spitefully and under the pressure of the people he is finally sentenced to death by hanging. Despite it being his last chance for survival, he never reveals his noble origins nor converts to Christianity, and dies reciting the Shema Yisrael, the most important prayer in Judaism.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Infobox_Film
name = Jud Süß


imdb_id = 0032653
director = Veit Harlan
writer = Veit Harlan
Eberhard Wolfgang Möller
starring = Ferdinand Marian
Werner Krauss
Heinrich George
Kristina Söderbaum
producer = Otto Lehmann
distributor =
released = 1940
runtime = 98 minutes
language = German
music = Wolfgang Zeller
budget =

The first film adaptation of "Jud Süß" was made in 1934 by Michael Balcon, head of production at Gaumont British in the 1930s. The film was directed by Lothar Mendes and starred German actor Conrad Veidt in the role of Joseph Süss Oppenheimer. British censors would not have allowed a movie to openly criticize the persecution of Jews, since it would have appeared as an attack on German policy and lead to a diplomatic incident. The movie had little success in America or most of Europe, but a great political impact in Vienna, where it was banned. Unlike the 1940 version, the 1934 version is based on Feuchtwanger's novel and is a condemnation of anti-Semitism, not a justification of it.

The infamous German movie adaptation made in 1940 by Veit Harlan under the supervision of Joseph Goebbels is a justification of anti-Semitism and is considered one of the most hateful depictions of Jews on film. The 1940 Süß, played by Ferdinand Marian, is different from the original character on the following points: He is a real Jew; he represented Nazi propaganda stereotypes of Jews having hooked noses and greasy hair.

The 1940 film achieved Nazi objectives and was a great success in Germany and abroad. It was shown to SS units about to sent against Jews, to non-Jewish populations of areas where Jews were about to be deported, and to concentration camp guards. [Erwin Leiser, "Nazi Cinema", IBSN 0-02-570230-0 p 84-5] Anti-Jewish violence was reported after its projection in Marseille, for example. The impact of this movie was such that its director, Veit Harlan, received the 1943 Universum Film Archiv award (the UFA was the major commercial German film studio in the early part of the 20th century), and was put on trial after the war but Harlan defended himself by arguing that the Nazis controlled his work.

In Sweden, the film was banned in early 1941. The company Nordisk Tonefilm had sought to distribute it in the country. During the war the movie was never screened in public, although the German embassy arranged screenings for special invitees. ["Statens Offentliga Utredningar 1946:86. Den tyska propagandan i Sverige under krigsåren 1939-1945." Stockholm: Socialdepartementet, 1946. p. 179]

The film was shown in Budapest, Hungary, in July 2008, by Sandor and Tibor Gede in public showings [ [http://www.antisemitism.org.il/eng/events/32921/Hungary_-_Pro-Nazi_film_screened_in_Budapest Pro-Nazi film screened in Budapest] , CFCA] [ [http://nol.hu/cikk/498668/ Népszabadság Online: Ünnep az odúban ] ] illegally, without the permission and consent of the copyright owner [ [http://belfold.ma.hu/tart/cikk/a/0/18877/1/belfold/Nem_jarult_hozza_a_Jud_Suss_budapesti_vetitesehez_az_illetekes_nemet_alapitvany ma.hu: Az alapítvány jogi úton vizsgálja a történteket - Nem járult hozzá a Jud Süss budapesti vetítéséhez az illetékes német alapítvány] ] [ [http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/0,1518,567091,00.html Der Spiegel: Hetzfilm In Budapest] - Nazi-Sympathisanten zeigen "Jud Süß"] . The exclusive copyright owner is the German [http://www.murnau-stiftung.de Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Foundation] . A highly controversial, openly fascistic Hungarian web portal is distributing the DVD version (also illegally) in Hungary.

ee also

*"Der Ewige Jude" ("The Eternal Jew") on another example of a historical documentary and anti-Semitic Nazi film propaganda
*List of German films 1933-1945
*Nazism and cinema

References

External links

* [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2584/is_n2_v15/ai_17221909 The politics of censorship: Britain's "Jew Suss" in London, New York and Vienna - 1934] "Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television"
* [http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/judsuss2.htm German Propaganda Archive: Jud Süss] extracts from the program of the 1940 movie adaptation.
*imdb title|id=0032653|title=Jud Süss" (1940)
* [http://www.britmovie.co.uk/studios/gains/filmography/1934/008.html Britmovie: Jew Suss (1934)]
*imdb title|id=0025329|title=Jew Süss", aka "Power" (1934)