National Socialism

The world's most illustrious orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, marked its 125th anniversary in 2007 by commissioning this documentary covering the years when it was under Nazi control from 1933 to 1945. The moral ambiguities and failings of the period are evoked by a combination of archival footage and interviews with surviving performers as well as descendants of former members of the orchestra. The exclusion of Jewish musicians, choices made by individuals on how closely to align themselves with the regime, the orchestra's privileged status under the direct supervision of Joseph Goebbels, and the complex role of its most eminent conductor, Wilhelm Furtwängler, are all addressed in detail.

The world's most illustrious orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, marked its 125th anniversary in 2007 by commissioning this documentary covering the years when it was under Nazi control from 1933 to 1945.