In his speech, Lord Mayor Frank Frühauf pointed out that the city and Schalom have been holding a joint event to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day since 2005, each highlighting different aspects of National Socialist tyranny: "This day reminds us not to forget the lessons of the past and to take responsibility for the future." The Holocaust is not just a chapter in German history, but a crime against humanity that calls for vigilance worldwide. Therefore, "every act of discrimination, every sign of anti-Semitism, racism or intolerance must be resolutely combated." Mayor Frühauf also apologized to State Secretary Daniel Stich from the Mainz Ministry of the Interior, who unfortunately had to cancel his participation in the commemorative event at short notice. His ministry supported the event via the crime prevention control center.
The film 'Jud Süß' was shown during the commemorative event as an example of Nazi propaganda films. It is considered one of the worst works of propaganda in film history and is one of the so-called 'reserved films' that were banned by the Allied military governments after the Second World War. Today, they are in the collection of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung Wiesbaden and may only be shown if accompanied by an expert. Arndt Klingelhöfer from the Institute for Cinema and Film Culture (IKF) took on this task. In a short introductory lecture, he first explained the historical background of film propaganda, which was used by the Nazis for 'spiritual warfare'. Joseph Goebbels in particular was aware of the suggestive power of moving images. As early as 1934, he wrote in an article in the magazine 'Der Kinematograph': "We are convinced that film is one of the most modern means of influencing the masses [...]. A government must therefore not leave film to its own devices." With this in mind, the National Socialists used and promoted the medium of film as part of their comprehensive propaganda apparatus. They ensured that 'Jud Süß', which celebrated its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5, 1940, was seen by a total of 19.6 million viewers. By comparison, the 1997 film 'Titanic' had 19 million viewers in Germany.
With the knowledge of its anti-Semitic and propagandistic aims, the screening of 'Jud Süß' was anything but a pleasure for the audience. In the subsequent analysis and discussion with the audience, Arndt Klingelhöfer worked out the mechanisms and stylistic devices of the hate film in an expert yet relaxed dialog. Of course, director Veit Harlan made use of the timeless stereotypes about Jews. The title character Joseph Süß Oppenheimer in particular combined them all. This ensured the demonization of the person, but also of the Jews as a whole, who were portrayed as absolute evil. This principle is still used today to stigmatize certain groups and declare them scapegoats for existing problems. No wonder Joseph Goebbels noted in his diary about 'Jud Süß': "A great, ingenious work. The kind of anti-Semitic film we could only wish for." It is well known that Nazi propaganda did not fail to have its intended effect at the time.
In her closing remarks, Deputy Shalom Chairwoman Roswitha Klee-Emmerich pointed out that during the Nazi regime, anti-Semitic crimes were not only committed in the big cities, but also in the provinces, including the Birkenfeld district. And almost all the well-known hate films were shown here too, including 'Jud Süß'. In addition to eight stationary cinemas, several film vans stationed in Kirn, which were on the road in 54 villages in the region in February 1943 alone, ensured this. In conclusion, Klee-Emerich emphasized: "If we are serious about the appeal 'Never again!', we have to keep offering commemorative events like today so that we don't fall into the backward path that some people want to take."