Over 2000 Rare and Out-of-Print Classic German Videos  for Sale or Rent in the USA Division of Heidelberg Haus Established 1968 German Language Video Center 7625 Pendleton Pike Indianapolis, Indiana 46226-5298 USA Phone 1 + (317) 547-1257 1+ (800) 252-1957 FAX 1 + (317) 547-1263

The swift collapse of the Third Reich in the spring of 1945 brought, with the surrender, mountains of films and documents covering the entire period of the Nazi regime. Perhaps no other period in history is as well documented. Many of these films are now historical documents of a time when madness and hate overran mankind. Some films made in those years do not reflect current official views of Germany, its people, or other nations and should be used only with extreme parental discretion and guidance. Almost 55 years have passed since the terrible holocaust. The memories and the consequences are still with us today. HOW...WHY... could such a system have arisen and flourished? How many times have the questions been asked? How many answers have been offered? The voices on these video tapes are the voices of history... perhaps those who listen today can help answer the questions posed by these terrible years!

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Der Stern von Afrika / The Star of Africa
1957, ca. 105 min. - German language w/English subtitles. Witness the dashing exploits of the Star of Africa, the Eagle of the Desert: Hans-Joachim Marseille, a Luftwaffe Ace with 158 confirmed kills. Marseille, born into a wealthy family, quickly gained a reputation for being a fearless flyer, thanks to tricks performed while at the Luftwaffe's flight school. Brazen and uncompromising, he repeatedly ran into conflict with the German "Iron Code" of discipline. During W.W.II Marseille gained glory as an attack-loving "Flying Devil." His ability to turn inside an opponent and his mastery of deflection shooting made him one of Germany's best Aces. This was proved on September 1, 1942 when Marseille shot down 17 aircraft in a single day. Marseille won the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds as well as the Italian gold Medal for Bravery, which was awarded to only three men in W.W.II. Starring Joachim Hansen and Marianne Koch, directed by Alfred Weidemann.

Sieg im Westen (Victory in the West)DVD
Germany, 1941, b&w, 120 minutes, original German sound, English subtitles. Sound quality: variable. Hitler's greatest military victory--the conquest of Holland, Belgium and France in the spring of 1940--is graphically documented in this special Nazi feature. Here is the onslaught of panzers, aircraft and infantry that stunned the World. Film from special front-line camera crews, captured Allied footage and animated maps enhance the viewer's understanding of this awesome blitzkrieg.

The Smashing of the Reich
U.S.A., 1962, ca. 84 min. - The fall of the German war machine, with emphasis on air power. Includes much footage never before seen: The Normandy landings, Bastogne, the Elbe River assault and the liberation of Paris concentration camp survivors.

The Speeches Collection - Adolf Hitler
German dialogue, English subtitles, b/w, ca. 50 min. - The World will never forget the horrific consequences of Adolf Hitler's words. Before, only German-speaking people could understand Hitler's messages of propaganda and hatred. Now, through scrupulous research and translation, this startling video will present his most dramatic speeches, revealing the demonic phrases he used to hypnotize the masses. This is a unique opportunity to own Hitler's words that kill.

Albert Speer
ca. 70 min., b&w/Color - Albert Speer, Hitler's personal architect, confidant and protege, was Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production. At the end of World War II, he was the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany. In this exclusive film interview, Albert Speer - the man who helped build (as well as destroy) the Third Reich - provides revealing, first-hand insight into the leadership of one of the most monstrous regimes the world has ever known. An active member of the Nazi party in the 1920's, Speer designed the famous backdrops of the Nuremberg rallies. In 1938, he became Hitler's official architect and, in 1941, was named Reich Minister of Armaments. The only defendant at Nuremberg to plead guilty to war crimes, Speer served 20 years at Spandau.

The Scharnhorst Part 1
English commentary and subtitles, b&w/color, ca. 75 min. - From 1935 to Operations Tiberius 1942. The origins of the Scharnhorst can be traced as far back as 1928. However, as a result of the strict conditions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, the early ships were overdeveloped in terms of speed and poor in terms of stability. Additionally, there was a discrepancy between the number of guns and their calibre. When the national Socialists came to power in 1933, German foreign policy was focused on amendments to the Treaty. With the Anglo German Treaty of 1935, Hitler finally succeeded in getting rid of many of the restrictions. This meant that the construction of ships of the Scharnhorst class, originally planned in secret, had been legalized. The battleship Scharnhorst and her sister ship Gneisenau heralded the first large German warships since 1918. These newly developed craft represented a successful merging of the former liners and battle cruisers from the time of the first World War. The construction of so-called "Speed Battleships" began in the mid-thirties with these two models. The Scharnhorst took part in a variety of operations during the second World War. Her most legendary exploit was, together with her sister ship the Gneisenau, and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, the breakthrough of the Channel in 1942 (Operation Cerberus). 
This video covers the period from construction, sea trials and early active service, from the dash along the English Channel in broad daylight home to Wilhelmshaven, Germany in February 1942.

The Scharnhorst Part 2
English commentary and subtitles, color/b&w, ca. 56 min. - After the loss of her sister ship "Gneisenau", the good fortunes of the Scharnhorst ran out; while intercepting a Murmansk bound Allied convoy in December 1943, the Scharnhorst was attacked by two British warship groups. Putting up a valiant fight against hopeless odds, the Scharnhorst was finally sunk after sustaining 15 torpedo hits. Out of 1,968 crewmen, only 36 survived.

Sniper: The invisible Enemy
Silent, motionless and deadly, German snipers lurked on the European battlefields of World War 2, hunting enemy sharpshooters, supporting assaults and laying diabolical traps on defense. Drawn from two German military training films made in 1944, this program provides fascinating views of tactics, weapons and camouflage techniques that are still viable today. Germany, 1944, b&w, 67 minutes, English commentary and subtitles.
WARNING: This program is a serious educational presentation on the subject of snipers and sniping. It is intended solely for study by military and law-enforcement personnel, qualified hunters and students of modern battlefield tactics and strategies. No other use is intended, contemplated or suggested by International Historic Films, Inc.

The Secret Life of Adolf Hitler
U.S.A. 1958, 60 min., English language, b&w - Narrated by Westbrook van Voorhis. Hitler's rise to power includes rare footage, as well as an interview with Eva Braun.

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Die Tausendjaehrige Potsdam
A chronicle of the city in pictures by Peter F. Leopold and Heike Leopold. Germany,
1989, b&w, 60 minutes, German dialogue.

Tag der Freiheit
Germany, 1935, b&w, 21 minutes. A warning of things to come is given in this featurette depicting a mock battle staged by German troops during the colorful ceremonies at Nuremberg on German Armed Forces Day 1935. The camera follows the soldiers from their early-morning preparations in their "tent city" as they march singing to the vast parade grounds where a miniature war involving infantry, cavalry, aircraft, flak guns and the first public appearance of Germany's new "forbidden" tank is presented before Hitler and thousands of spectators. This beautifully photographed, light-hearted film created by Leni Riefenstahl is a supplement to her earlier "Triumph of the Will" as a special tribute to the Germany Army. Complete and uncut. Music by Peter Kreuder.

The Third Reich in Color
Germany, 2001, Color, ca. 100 minutes, English commentary. Third Reich In Color: This remarkable trove of color footage, assembled from far-flung private and state collections, presents Hitler's Europe as never seen before. Amateur film enthusiasts -- soldiers, tourists, Hitler's own pilot, even Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun -- began experimenting with color film in the late 1930s, their camera eye recording the Third Reich from every angle. Some of this film was only recently uncovered in former Soviet-bloc archives, hidden for almost 60 years; all of it, thanks to digital technology, has been newly transferred to video with surprising clarity. Home movie segments -- Hitler with his inner circle, Goebbels' children at play, and a vacationing Marlene Dietrich on the French Riviera with a young John F. Kennedy -- capture the era's leading actors with an often unsettling intimacy. Nazi festivals, rallies, pageants and military parades (including a bizarrely risqué Night of Amazons in Munich), Wartime coverage includes new found combat film from almost every major campaign of the war - Blitzkriegs of Poland, Norway, Yugoslavia, the invasion of Russia, Afrika Korps troops in Tunisia, day to day life of German soldiers. D-day and the final desperate defense of Germany and the fall of Berlin. Authentic footage of the execution of partisans. The brutalities of the Eastern Front and the horrors of the Warsaw Ghetto, new weapons in action, including V-2 rocket launchings -- these and more are here presented, uncensored and unrehearsed, with color's startling realism. Our images of this period, long frozen in iconic black & white, will never be the same.

The Third Reich in Color Part II
Germany, 2001, Color, ca. 100 minutes, English commentary. This sequel to Third Reich in Color Part 1 features more remarkable color footage, masterfully assembled to provide a sweeping account of Hitler's Germany and World War II. The revelations here include vivid combat sequences from The Spanish Civil War, Invasion of Norway, Operation Barbarossa, Northern Africa, The War in the Pacific, and The Invasion of Normandy. Particularly revealing film sequences from The Wars final chapters: The Wehrmacht in Retreat, Soviet Soldiers in Berlin, Hermann Goering in Allied Captivity, and Soviet Victory Parade in Moscow. Sequences from two UFA color propaganda feature films are also included: "Artillery Strikes" (1940) and "Alert At The Pass" (1943) featuring German Mountain Troops in the Caucasus. These and more are presented uncensored, unrehearsed and with color's startling realism.

Tito Visits Moscow
USSR, 1956, b&w, 30 minutes, Russian narration, English subtitles. The 1956 Moscow visit of Josip Broz Tito, Communist president of Yugoslavia, is depicted in three separate Soviet newsreels. Included is a rare synchronous-sound Russian-language speech by Tito.

Traitors to Hitler (German Bomb Plot)
Documentary, English language, color/b&w, ca. 65 min. - A great fascinating account to the efforts of some German generals to eliminate Hitler and the very interesting trial by the Nazis. A video you surely must see!

Triumph of the Will
1934, b&w, English sub-titles, ca. 110 min. - May be the most enduringly controversial film ever made, justly both despised and admired. A shamelessly biased, unabashedly subjective rendering of the infamous 1934 Nuremberg rallies of the Nazi party, Triumph of the Will was commissioned by Hitler from his favorite actress-turned-director Leni Riefenstahl. An essential document of Hitler the orator and mesmerizer of the masses, Triumph of the Will revels in the monumental architecture of Albert Speer, the formal precision of the marching cadres, and above all, the almost religious exaltation of Hitler as the mystical personification of the dreams and ideals of his people, capturing kinetically with a mastery of technique that is both breathtaking and revolting.

The True Glory
U.S.A., 1945, ca. 86 min. - Official war department film, introduced by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. How the Allied armies defeated Hitler's war machine. Winner of an Academy Award

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Der U-Boot Krieg
1991, German language, 55 min., b&w - The story of the German U-boats, using very rare footage, only recently obtained from the Eastern Bloc and not seen since the war. "Sie waren das Einzige, wovor ich wirklich Angst hatte." Dies sagte der sonst immer unerschuetterliche Winston Churchill ueber die U-Boot Flotte der deutschen Marine. Zusammen mit der gefuerchteten Flotte oberhalb des Wassers forderten die U-Boote die traditionellen Beherrscher der Weltmeere heraus, die britische Royal Navy. Angefuehrt von Admiral Karl Doenitz zerstoerten sie Schiffladungen, schnitten den Nachschub ab und operierten inmitten alliierter Konvois. Die Geschichte dieses Kampfes wird unter Verwendung von seltenem Filmmaterial gezeigt.

Please inquire about purchasing a video tape that is listed for "rental"
from our extensive video library.

U-Boot War
Same as above only In English language, b&w/Color, ca. 55 min. A decade of secret rebuilding had brought forth capital ships like the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen - names to strike fear into any Allied seafarer. But it was from under the water that the biggest threat was to come. Commanded by Admiral Karl Doenitz, the submarines laid waste to shipping, cutting supply lines and striking from within convoys where Allied escorts dare not use guns. The U-Boat captains were the equivalent of Luftwaffe aces - ruthless, cunning and ice-cool under pressure. Enduring harsh conditions for months on end and working in darkness with no chance of escape, this was truly a war of nerves.

U-Boat am Feind
b&w, 12 minutes. Both films on one videocassette. Total running time 42 minutes. An original German Wartime documentary depicting life on board a submarine during an actual mission. Germany, 1940, b&w, 30 minutes, English subtitles. NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: An official US Navy film showing the German submarine U--505 boarded and captured on June 4th, 1944 off Cape Bianco, French West Africa, by Task Group 22.3 of the US Atlantic Fleet. This was the only German submarine ever boarded and captured at sea, and the first foreign man-of-war so captured by the US Navy since 1815.

Ueberleben hinter Stacheldraht
Germany, 1978, b&w, 46 minutes, German commentary. A detailed picture of German prisoners of war during and after World War 2, including their living conditions, forced labor, education during imprisonment, homecomings, and relationships with warders' countrymen. The film shows how Germany's "unconditional surrender" led to prisoners being treated badly and demonstrates that Eastern Front prisoners fared worse than those in other areas.

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V-2/German Rocket Tests
U.S.A. 1946, 18 min., b&w - Postwar V-2 rocket tests in the New Mexico Desert. Germany (ca. 1944), silent, 10 min., Color - Actual film footage of V-2 tests at Peenemuende with a visit by Himmler. Extremely rare footage.
Both programs on one videocassette.

Vlasov: General for Two Devils
Germany, 1995, b&w/Color, 59 minutes, English commentary and subtitles. Patriot or traitor? More than one-half century after his execution, General Andrei Vlasov remains one of World War II's most controversial figures. A brilliant Soviet commander, Vlasov was captured by the German Wehrmacht in July, 1942, and soon became central to the campaign by junior German officers to launch a Russian Liberation Army (usually referred to as the ROA) against Stalin's regime. These plans ran up against Nazi dogmas of Lebensraum and Slavic inferiority, however, and Vlasov spent much of the war under house arrest. Only in the last months of the war did the Germans consent to sponsor a truncated version of his Liberation Army, with predictably futile results. Yet Vlasov's vision--of a Russia freed of Stalin's yoke, with guaranteed freedoms for its peoples--survived his battlefield defeats; that he sought to attain his goals through German Nazi sponsorship underlines the tragedy of his--and Soviet Russia's-- predicament.
This new documentary offers newly-found film footage and extensive interviews with Vlasov's surviving associates, lieutenants, and foot soldiers, including Igor Novosiltzev, Constantine Sacharevitsch, Nikolai Kozlov, Nikolai Numerov, Nikolas Vastchenko, and Nikolai A. Chiketov. The views of Vlasov's German backers are represented by Hans von Herwath, Robert Krötz, and Helmuth Schwenninger, while William Sloane Coffin, Arthur Cowgill, Frank Roberts, and Tom Dennis comment upon the U.S.-British supervised repatriation of Vlasov's surviving troops to the Soviet Union in 1945.
With its multiple perspectives and rich visual documentation, this solidly-researched film provides the clearest picture yet of this difficult subject, revealing Vlasov's tortured legacy in its many dimensions.

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War Stories
English language, b&w/color, ca. 95 min. - Seven women share their extraordinary true love stories set during the Second World War in New Zealand.

The Winter War (Talvisota)
English language, 1990, ca. 125 min. - The overwhelming Soviet army ceaselessly stormed tiny Finland's borders with massive artillery, a powerful air force and well-armed infantry for 105 days during the Soviet invasion of 1939-40. What gave the defenders of a small nation the strength to hold back an awesome enemy? The Winter War is the first film made about this epic struggle; recounting the war from the soldiers' point of view, letting us experience the brutality of daily life in the trenches. The screenplay, based on Antti Tuuri's book Talvisota, is a dignified tribute to the tenacious Finnish heroes who preserved their country's independence.

Waffen - SS
1990, English language, 60 min. - The SS had its beginnings in the turbulent street politics of the Weimar Republic. It became Heinrich Himmler's personal powerbase and under him the SS grew into a vast private army and state-within-the-state. It was a chaotic, corrupt and often grossly inefficient organization. But one part of it - the "Waffen"" or "Armed" SS, formed initially as a fighting force - achieved worldwide fame and notoriety. The Waffen-SS won a unique reputation for daring elan and unfailing professionalism in combat. Yet if their courage was unquestioned, so too was the fear and loathing which they elicited - even, eventually, amongst their own people, and in the regular soldiers alongside whom they fought.

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