Fact-Checking the Series "Das Deutsche Haus"
How historically accurate is the Disney+ series? And what does it have to do with Frankfurt's city history?
Together with Michael Rahlwes. Edited by Ellen Rinner.
How historically accurate is the series? And what does the Disney+ miniseries have to do with Frankfurt’s city history?
The adaptation of Annette Hess’s bestseller takes us back to 1960s Frankfurt - right into the era of the first Auschwitz Trial (December 1963 - August 1965). The official name was Criminal proceedings against Robert Mulka and others (4 Ks 2/63).
Film Set versus Historical Locations
The prison on Hammelsgasse Defendant Wilhelm Boger was held in pre-trial detention here. The building was demolished in 1973.
The Frankfurt Römer Since there was no courtroom large enough, proceedings were moved to the city council chamber. The Auschwitz Trial opened there on 20 December 1963.
The SAALBAU Gallus From April 1964 until the verdict in August 1965, the trial took place in the community centre in the Gallus district.
Post-War Society and the Processing of Nazi Crimes
The fictional protagonist Eva Bruhns represents a young generation of Germans who in the early 1960s had never heard of the Auschwitz extermination camp, or had suppressed the knowledge. Annette Hess explains: “Eva’s naïve perspective is essentially modelled on my mother’s.”
Fritz Bauer reportedly said that he entered enemy territory whenever he left his office. In January 1959, the Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office began investigating 1,200 individuals. Ultimately 22 people were indicted and 181 survivors gave testimony.
Did the Interpreter Eva Bruhns Really Exist?
Sixteen interpreters were employed at the main hearing; five of them were women. Wera Kapkajew was a self-confident lawyer who interpreted simultaneously and was by no means overwhelmed - unlike the fictional Eva.
The Witnesses at the Auschwitz Trial
Many witnesses came from around the world, spoke no German, and were left to fend for themselves after arriving. Some were accommodated in the same hotel as the defendants. In April 1964, Emmi Bonhoeffer and Ursula Wirth established a privately organised support initiative. In the first year alone they accompanied 170 survivors to court.
The Trial and Its Portrayal in the Series
Author Annette Hess immersed herself in the audio recordings of the trial, which are accessible on the Fritz Bauer Institute’s website. The on-site visit to Auschwitz, which actually took place, is addressed in the series - but the dramatised portrayal differs considerably from reality: the actual visit was accompanied by numerous international journalists.
Who Is David Miller?
David Miller, the young Canadian prosecutor in the series, is entirely fictional. The Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office consisted exclusively of German lawyers: Hanns Großmann, Georg Friedrich Vogel, Joachim Kügler and Gerhard Wiese.
Fritz Bauer
Fritz Bauer plays only a supporting role in the series. In retrospect, he had a central and pioneering significance for the legal reckoning with Nazi crimes in Germany.
Is the Series Suitable for Classroom Use?
The series is well suited for German and History in upper secondary school. A comparison of the portrayals in Episode 1 (Eva Bruhn) and Episode 2 (Rachel Cohen) with historical primary sources - such as the audio recordings from the Fritz Bauer Institute - is particularly worthwhile.