OLLI Talks: The Erosion of Democracy in 1930s Germany: A Visual History (DRAKE HALL)

Democracy is receiving renewed attention. In the U.S., it has long been taken for granted. Now people are marching in its defense and questioning how many assaults it can withstand. Terms such as Nazi and fascist appear on signs at demonstrations and in daily media conversation. The talk will take a close look at conditions and events in Germany after the First World War and through the years when German democracy evolved into the Third Reich. The session will include a 38-minute video, The Path to Nazi Genocide, directed by Raye Farr for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and widely distributed for educational use by the museum and the United Nations. It focuses primarily on the prewar period in Germany and the changes that quickly followed Hitler's appointment as chancellor in 1933. Though it contains some disturbing images, it is intended for general classroom use to encourage broader discussion of these issues. Raye Farr will begin with a brief description of her path to documentary films and visual history, including her 23 years at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

*Raye Farr is a retired documentary filmmaker and former Exhibition Director at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. She went on to direct the museum's Steven Spielberg Film & Video Archive and created videos for the museum, including The Path to Nazi Genocide. She was a co-producer of HBO's One Survivor Remembers (Academy & Emmy Awards).

Notes

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