Geraint Talfan Davies Gohebwyr


Geraint Talfan Davies

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-As children,

-we only think of the future.

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-We expect all our relatives

-to live forever...

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-..to fill in the gaps of the past.

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-It's only after

-they've left this world...

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-..that we realize how much of our

-personal history is lost with them.

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-Uncle Idris died in his nineties

-in the year 2000.

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-All that remains of him are a few

-boxes of photographs and documents.

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-And a diary that he gave me

-just before his death.

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-It recounts the story of a momentous

-year in a young man's life.

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-A year where Idris

-came face-to-face...

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-..with one of Adolf Hitler's

-right-hand men...

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-..and the mysterious death

-of a close friend.

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-What drove Idris to return

-to his old diary in his old age?

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-To type his handwritten

-English words...

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-..and bind it so meticulously?

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-Was it something

-to fill the empty hours?

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-Nostalgia?

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-Or was it an unresolved story?

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-Eighty years later, I've come

-to Berlin to find some answers.

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-Idris Morgan came to Berlin in 1933

-as an employee of Barclays Bank...

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-..for a twelve-month exchange

-with Dresdner Bank...

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-..one of Germany's

-largest banking corporations.

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-He was a 27-year-old bachelor.

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-The city was a far cry from Penmark

-in the Vale of Glamorgan.

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-It was a great leap...

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-..from Barry's narrow streets

-to Berlin's boulevards.

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-He only travelled

-a few hundred miles...

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-..but arrived

-in a totally different world.

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-Berlin was a trendy

-and fashionable city...

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-..nowhere more so than the clubs

-and cafes around the Kurfurstendamm.

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-But this hedonistic city...

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-..was now facing the might

-of the Nazis.

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-In January 1933,

-Hitler was appointed chancellor...

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-..as part of a fragile coalition.

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-Despite his power,

-there were frustrations.

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-There were rumours of an uprising

-amid Nazi ranks...

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-..and mounting tension

-between Hitler and Ernst Rohm...

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-..head of the Nazi paramilitaries,

-the SA.

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-The following twelve months

-would prove critical for both men.

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-It was to this situation

-in September 1933...

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-..that the young, shy, studious man

-reached the Dresdner Bank...

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-..at Depka 54.

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-This is where he would spend

-the majority of that year.

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-It was an ordinary job...

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-..but it was no ordinary workplace

-and these were no ordinary times.

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-"The Depka was closed

-from 12.45pm until 2.00pm...

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-"..while Hitler made his speech

-from the Siemens factory.

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-"Wireless was installed

-to broadcast the speech.

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-"There was one minute's silence

-at 1.00pm.

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-"All work stopped for one hour

-so everyone could hear the speech."

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-What do I care of the intelligentsia

-or the middle classes?

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-What do I care of the proletariat?

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-My only concern

-is the German people, my race.

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-The nation I fight for.

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-And on 12 November...

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-..the world will see the German

-people in all their glory!

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-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

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-I've come to the bank's

-present headquarters...

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-..to see if there is any evidence

-of Idris's time in the city.

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-Professor Johannes Baehr, an

-authority on the bank's history...

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-..has something to show me.

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-That is incredible, isn't it?

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-It really is, after 80 years.

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-John-Idris Morgan.

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-They've even given him a hyphen!

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-Born in 1906.

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-What do we have here?

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-Oh, it's his photograph.

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-This is the first piece of evidence

-of Idris's presence in Berlin...

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-..apart from the diary, of course.

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-He has written a synopsis

-of his life and career.

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-"Born 25 January 1906 at Pontyclun.

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-"My family moved to Barry in 1911.

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-"I entered Barry County School,

-leaving it in 1922...

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-"..with a matriculation certificate

-of the Central Welsh Board...

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-"..senior school examination."

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-It's the handwriting I recognize.

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-Frankly, it's more legible

-on this form...

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-..than on some of the letters

-he wrote to me.

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-And there's a list

-of other questions he had to answer.

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-There's a word

-at the bottom. "Arier".

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-What is "Arier"?

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-Every Dresdner Bank employee...

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-..had to declare

-if he was a Jew or non-Jew.

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-Every member of staff would have

-to answer that question...

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-..although I notice

-that Idris has not answered it.

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-Idris did not have to answer.

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-As a British citizen,

-he could avoid it.

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-He may have got away with it.

-Others didn't.

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-During this period...

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-..anti-Semitic messages were

-increasingly frequent and explicit.

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-This blatant propaganda was designed

-to instil suspicion and fear.

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-It's hard to say

-how this affected Idris.

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-But like many German people

-at that time...

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-..he sought the path

-of least resistance.

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-"Have given notice to Fraulein Heise

-that I would leave Pension Enslin.

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-"I want to live with a family

-in order to talk more German.

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-"A Jewish member of staff suggested

-I live with a Jewish lady...

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-"..who has an apartment

-near the Tiergarten.

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-"Such a move would be inadvisable

-in the present climate of opinion...

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-"..so I put him off."

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-It's easy to excuse

-Idris's nervous response.

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-After all, he was a young man

-in a foreign country.

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-Knowing that a relative of mine

-had reached such a decision...

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-..makes me feel uncomfortable.

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-Idris finally chose to live

-on Wurttembergische Strasse...

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-..a stone's throw from the bank.

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-He lodged with a family...

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-..in the same block as colleague

-Fritz Sommer and his wife, Anny.

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-I'm in the affluent

-Wilmersdorf district...

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-..to find the building that was

-home to Idris and the Sommers.

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-This is the address...

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-..but the modern apartment block

-is obviously not the same building.

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-I'm feeling frustrated...

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-..but I suspect that is inevitable

-in a city with such a history.

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-I've come to the Landesarchiv,

-the city archives...

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-..in the hope of finding

-images of the street.

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-Historian Michael Bienert

-has been searching the records.

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-What have you got now?

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-These are the original plans

-for Wurttembergische Strasse 27-8.

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-Oh, look at this.

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-Isn't that wonderful?

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-It's fantastic.

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-It's truly wonderful

-and much better than a photograph!

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-It's interesting

-that there was a social order...

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-..within the apartment block.

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-The most desirable apartments

-were on the first floor.

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-This is where the rich lived.

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-The higher you go,

-the lower the rent.

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-You get a social mix

-in a block like this.

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-The Sommers lived on the top floor

-which would have been cheaper.

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-Yes, the flats on the top floor

-were the cheapest.

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-The plans show the number of stairs

-they had to climb.

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-Whilst in his new home...

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-..Idris grew closer

-to Fritz and Anny Sommer...

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-..and their 21-year-old daughter,

-Gerda.

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-The beautiful and fun-loving Gerda

-was my uncle's guide to Berlin.

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-She introduced him to the city

-and all its attractions.

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-"18 November.

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-"Took Fraulein Sommer to the dance

-of the Dresdner Bank Sportverein.

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-"She persuaded me to go on to

-Cafe Roesch on the Kurfurstendamm...

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-"..where we met Herr Kuley

-and his friends.

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-"I eventually reached home

-at 4.30am!"

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-I can remember Idris

-in his later years...

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-..as a rather formal man.

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-It's a bit of shock to read that

-in the run-up to Christmas 1933...

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-..that Idris regularly stayed out

-into the early hours...

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-..attending parties with Gerda

-and her best friend, Hilde Wittke.

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-They often partied until dawn!

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-As the year drew to a close...

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-..Idris's friendship

-with the Sommers deepened.

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-The diary makes it clear that the

-family had taken a shine to him.

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-"At midday,

-Gerda Sommer called at the bank...

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-"..and we arranged to meet

-in the evening.

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-"We had coffee at Cafe Kranzler

-and bought chocolates and stockings.

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-"Afterwards, I bought

-an extra suitcase for myself...

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-"..some cognac and cigarettes.

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-"After dinner, I visited the Sommers

-with my offerings.

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-"I also took the book of Welsh songs

-I had from my sister, Mary...

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-"..and we had some music."

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-This was a happy time for Idris.

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-I suspect the Sommers represented

-the family unit he'd never had.

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-His sister, Alys,

-died when he was four.

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-Two years later...

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-..his mother died whilst

-giving birth to my mother, Mary.

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-He then followed his father from

-one failed business to the next.

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-It was a lost childhood.

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-I wonder if Idris found himself

-a place to call home...

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-..with the Sommers in Berlin.

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-But Christmas 1933 was the last

-Christmas they would be together...

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-..before tragedy struck.

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-Life for the Sommers, and Idris too,

-would never be the same again.

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-.

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-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

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-The new year enabled Idris

-to spend a few days...

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-..at the prestigious headquarters

-of the Dresdner Bank.

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-Today, it's a five-star hotel.

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-Despite heavy bombing

-during World War II...

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-..much of the original building

-has survived.

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-The banking hall in the heart of the

-building is the most lavish feature.

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-This is the historical part.

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-Was this a balcony

-or were these arches here before?

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-It was open, and you can imagine

-the director walking around.

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-Looking at the money coming in.

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-That's exactly what was going on.

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-Despite its grand facade...

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-..in the early 1930s...

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-..the bank had to be rescued

-following the financial crash.

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-But by 1933, state support

-entailed another price to pay.

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-Over the next few years, over 500

-Jewish members of staff were sacked.

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-The effect of Nazi propaganda

-spread far beyond the workplace.

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-"Went with the Sommers

-to the Bockbierfest at Cafe Berg.

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-"I thought it pleasant.

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-"However, Frau Sommer was upset

-and did not want to go there again.

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-"She was convinced it was a nest

-of Jews and anti-Nazis.

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-"I was surprised at this.

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-"I did not think the Sommers were

-supporters of the Hitler party."

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-The new year brought other tensions.

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-Fritz and Anny

-grew increasingly worried...

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-..about Gerda and Hilde Wittke's

-endless partying.

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-"The Sommers confided in me...

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-"..about the difficulties

-they were having with Gerda.

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-"Herr Sommer got worked up

-and left at 1.30am...

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-"..to look for Gerda and Hilde.

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-"He came back with them

-in a nasty temper."

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-Gerda couldn't afford

-to lead this lifestyle.

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-She didn't have a job.

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-This could explain

-the host of men in her orbit.

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-I knew Idris as a very proper man...

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-..so I can't imagine that

-he approved of Gerda's lifestyle.

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-Nevertheless, he lent her money...

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-..so she could catch the train

-to Leipzig with Hilde...

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-..unbeknown to her parents.

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-"I must not get mixed up...

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-"..in her complicated relations

-with her parents.

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-"Perhaps I ought not to have

-given her the money.

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-"But she can be persuasive and uses

-her looks to her own advantage."

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-As the spring became

-an exceptionally hot summer...

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-..Idris's relationship

-with Fritz and Anny blossomed.

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-The three regularly visited

-Lindwerder Island...

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-..where the bank kept boats

-for its staff.

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-They were happy days.

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-But Gerda is conspicuously absent

-from all the photographs.

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-Idris was concerned for his friend.

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-One morning,

-he saw her at the breakfast table.

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-"Gerda put in an appearance.

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-"She looked a complete disillusion

-after another late night.

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-"If she goes on as she does now,

-then long before her thirties...

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-"..she will have lost

-all her good looks."

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-Idris was right to be worried.

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-There was a new man in her life.

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-Oberleutnant Wilhelm Bruckner

-was Adolf Hitler's chief adjutant.

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-He was twice her age.

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-What do we know about Bruckner?

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-Heike Gortemaker

-can answer that question.

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-She's an expert

-on Hitler's inner circle.

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-Bruckner managed

-Hitler's relationship...

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-..with the outside world.

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-The Fuhrer was keen to emphasize

-his singular position...

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-..by keeping his distance

-from his Nazi colleagues...

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-..and the outside world.

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-If anyone wanted to see Hitler...

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-..they had

-to go through Bruckner first.

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-Hitler trusted Bruckner.

-They shared a common history.

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-In 1923, Hitler and Bruckner

-were imprisoned at Landsberg...

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-..following the first Nazi revolt

-in Munich.

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-They shared a close bond...

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-..and Hitler appointed Bruckner

-as his chief adjutant in 1930.

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-Bruckner was tall and blonde.

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-The Aryan ideal.

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-Hitler felt safe knowing

-that Bruckner was at his side.

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-On the night that Gerda revealed

-her relationship with Bruckner...

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-..she was defensive and emphasized

-there was no open access to her bed!

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-Idris responded sharply.

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-"I never said there was open access

-to her bed and I never sought it."

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-A week later

-on the morning of Friday 8 June...

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-..Idris started work early

-at Depka 54.

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-He went to the canteen...

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-..and heard the shattering news

-that Gerda had been found dead...

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-..in Wilhelm Bruckner's apartment.

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-Idris was shaken by the news

-and raced across the city...

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-..to Bruckner's apartment.

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-This is where my uncle,

-Idris Morgan...

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-..came face-to-face

-with Adolf Hitler's chief adjutant.

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-"Frau Sommer and Fritz Sommer

-were there.

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-"Gerda's body lay sprawled,

-fully clothed on the bed.

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-"She looked terrible

-and had not washed off her make-up.

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-"There were yellow and pink streaks

-on her mouth.

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-"Bruckner came in.

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-"A tall man,

-over six foot and broad...

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-"..with student duelling scars

-on his face.

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-"I put him at about forty.

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-"He said the body could be moved.

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-"He and the undertakers

-had arranged everything.

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-"There would be no inquest."

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-Idris suggests that Bruckner wanted

-to deal with the situation quickly.

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-Was it to protect his reputation

-or to conceal foul play?

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-The official verdict was suicide

-as a result of gas poisoning.

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-But if that was the

-obvious explanation for her death...

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-..why was there never an inquest?

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-Gerda Sommer's unfortunate death...

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-..was problematic for Bruckner

-for two reasons.

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-First,

-he was engaged to Sophie Stork...

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-..a close friend of Eva Braun...

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-..and very much a part of Hitler's

-inner circle in the Berghof.

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-Bruckner would have

-rightly feared Hitler.

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-Such a breach of trust towards

-Sophie Stork was unacceptable.

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-The second reason

-was a more pressing issue.

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-The tension between Hitler and

-the leader of the SA, Ernst Rohm...

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-..was at fever pitch.

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-It wasn't the best time to fall out

-of favour with the Fuhrer.

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-The plan to assassinate Ernst Rohm

-was already in motion.

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-In June 1934...

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-..Hermann Goering

-and Joseph Goebbels...

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-..had compiled a list

-of people close to Ernst Rohm...

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-..who would be killed.

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-It was a death list.

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-Bruckner was in

-a very precarious situation...

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-..and a private scandal of this

-measure would be extremely damaging.

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-Against this turbulent backdrop...

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-..Idris and the Sommers would

-struggle to uncover the truth...

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-..about Gerda's death.

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-.

0:22:170:22:18

-Subtitles

0:22:190:22:19

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

0:22:190:22:21

-There was no time to dwell

-on their daughter's death...

0:22:290:22:33

-..or Bruckner's eagerness

-to dispose of her body...

0:22:330:22:37

-..because Fritz and Anny

-had to organize her burial.

0:22:370:22:41

-The official verdict was suicide,

-but Gerda was a Catholic...

0:22:410:22:46

-..and this presented them

-with a problem.

0:22:460:22:49

-In the Roman Catholic Church,

-suicide is considered a mortal sin.

0:22:490:22:54

-It's a violation of the commandment

-"Thou shalt not kill."

0:22:540:22:58

-An added source of grief for Anny,

-who was also a Catholic...

0:22:580:23:04

-..was the thought that her daughter

-could be denied a Christian burial.

0:23:040:23:10

-And so, on the morning

-of Saturday 9 June...

0:23:170:23:20

-..Gerda's mother and grandmother,

-Frau Scheffels...

0:23:210:23:25

-..came to this church to plead

-with their priest, Father Milz.

0:23:250:23:29

-After the devastation

-of World War II...

0:23:330:23:35

-..does a record of that sad meeting

-still exist?

0:23:360:23:41

-Now then.

0:23:410:23:43

-Nothing.

0:23:580:24:00

-Oh, goodness.

0:24:060:24:08

-I don't understand that.

0:24:140:24:16

-Good heavens!

0:24:190:24:21

-In the middle of this ledger...

0:24:230:24:26

-..a child has drawn a picture

-of a massive tank.

0:24:260:24:31

-A large German tank.

0:24:320:24:34

-There is a story that a tank

-actually defended this church.

0:24:340:24:40

-Right then.

0:24:500:24:52

-What do we have

-in this other ledger?

0:24:520:24:55

-March 1934.

0:25:030:25:07

-May.

0:25:070:25:09

-June.

0:25:100:25:12

-Here it is.

0:25:130:25:15

-This is it.

0:25:150:25:17

-Gerda Sommer, 7 June 1934.

0:25:190:25:23

-The date of her death.

0:25:230:25:25

-The date of her funeral

-which was 12 June.

0:25:250:25:29

-What does it say

-about the cause of death?

0:25:300:25:34

-"Unglucksfall. Gasvergiftung."

0:25:340:25:37

-An accident and not suicide.

0:25:370:25:40

-An accident and not suicide.

0:25:410:25:44

-Why the discrepancy? Was it an act

-of compassion by Father Milz?

0:25:440:25:48

-The relationship between

-a priest and his parishioners...

0:25:490:25:53

-..was very different

-to what it is today.

0:25:530:25:56

-It was much, much closer.

0:25:570:26:00

-It is essential

-for every priest to remember...

0:26:020:26:06

-..that the individuals involved

-must remain central.

0:26:060:26:11

-His or her situation is important.

0:26:120:26:15

-I also think that Father Milz...

0:26:160:26:18

-..who spent many years

-as a priest at St Ludwig's Church...

0:26:190:26:23

-..had a good understanding of the

-political developments in Berlin.

0:26:240:26:29

-The fact that he gave

-a Christian burial...

0:26:300:26:35

-..to someone

-who may have committed suicide...

0:26:350:26:38

-..gives a clear signal...

0:26:380:26:40

-..of his beliefs

-and those of his church.

0:26:410:26:46

-Persuading Father Milz wasn't

-the only hurdle the Sommers faced.

0:26:500:26:56

-"Frau Sommer told me

-how short of money they were.

0:26:560:27:00

-"They had drawn

-Fritz's monthly salary...

0:27:000:27:03

-"..and were obliged to get a bank

-loan to meet the funeral expenses.

0:27:040:27:08

-"I naturally offered to do

-anything I could to help them."

0:27:080:27:13

-I often feel that Idris

-was closer to Anny than to Gerda.

0:27:180:27:23

-In his diary, it's Anny rather

-than Gerda who gets his attention.

0:27:230:27:29

-Did Anny take the place

-of the mother he lost as a child?

0:27:290:27:33

-Gerda was the last

-of the Sommer family.

0:27:370:27:41

-I've come

-to the Stahnsdorf Cemetery...

0:27:410:27:44

-..to see if there is any record

-of her burial.

0:27:440:27:48

-This is the record card

-from the file.

0:27:490:27:52

-It says 7 June, date of death.

-12 June, date of funeral.

0:27:520:27:56

-Does it say where she was buried?

0:27:560:27:59

-Despite borrowing money, the Sommers

-still couldn't afford a gravestone.

0:28:030:28:08

-This sheds some doubt

-on the exact location of the grave.

0:28:090:28:13

-This is the burial record.

0:28:140:28:17

-It's for Gerda Sommer.

0:28:180:28:20

-There's a lot of details

-about the cost...

0:28:200:28:23

-..and the cause of death

-is also noted.

0:28:240:28:26

-It's really expensive.

0:28:260:28:28

-It's really expensive.

-

-It is expensive.

0:28:280:28:29

-It was 234 Reichsmarks.

0:28:300:28:33

-That was a lot of money.

0:28:340:28:36

-This is what a worker would earn

-in a month.

0:28:360:28:40

-Earn in a month. Right, right.

0:28:400:28:43

-Gerda's body lay in the crypt

-of this chapel for four days.

0:28:440:28:50

-Very little has changed

-since those days.

0:28:500:28:54

-"Saturday, 9 June.

0:29:070:29:09

-"We went to Stahnsdorf and

-chose a place for Gerda's burial...

0:29:090:29:14

-"..and saw her again afterwards.

0:29:140:29:16

-"She was properly laid out

-and looked much better.

0:29:160:29:20

-"White and peaceful."

0:29:210:29:23

-This is the very room...

0:29:350:29:37

-..where Fritz and Anny

-viewed the body of their only child.

0:29:370:29:41

-It's the worst nightmare

-of any parent.

0:29:410:29:44

-An experience

-Idris's own parents endured...

0:29:440:29:47

-..when they lost

-their eldest daughter, Alys.

0:29:480:29:51

-But it was very different

-for Fritz and Anny.

0:29:510:29:55

-They suspected murder.

0:29:550:29:58

-With these suspicions in the air...

0:30:030:30:06

-..Idris and the Sommers

-gathered at Stahnsdorf on 12 June...

0:30:060:30:10

-..for the funeral.

0:30:100:30:12

-It was a small, private funeral...

0:30:210:30:23

-..with only family

-and close friends in attendance.

0:30:230:30:27

-And Bruckner?

0:30:280:30:30

-Idris wrote...

0:30:300:30:33

-"Bruckner did not attend...

0:30:330:30:35

-"..but sent an SS officer

-as his representative...

0:30:350:30:39

-"..with a wreath."

0:30:390:30:41

-"Come unto me, all ye that are heavy

-laden, and I will give you rest."

0:31:020:31:07

-.

0:31:090:31:10

-Subtitles

0:31:120:31:12

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

0:31:120:31:14

-Back in Berlin, the Sommers

-set their sights on Bruckner.

0:31:150:31:19

-They wanted an explanation

-for their daughter's death.

0:31:190:31:24

-This is Albrecht-Achilles-Strasse

-in the west of the city.

0:31:260:31:31

-According to the church records...

0:31:310:31:34

-..they found Gerda's body

-at number five.

0:31:340:31:38

-This is Albrecht-Achilles-Strasse.

0:31:520:31:55

-But is this the building that

-Idris raced to on that morning...

0:31:550:31:59

-..where he saw Gerda's corpse

-on the bed?

0:32:000:32:02

-I'm not sure.

0:32:030:32:04

-Is this the actual building

-where Gerda died?

0:32:070:32:11

-This isn't the house.

0:32:180:32:19

-It's the right street

-but the numbers have changed.

0:32:200:32:23

-It's quite common in Berlin,

-especially after World War II.

0:32:240:32:29

-We can look at the photographs...

0:32:290:32:33

-..that were taken after the war.

0:32:330:32:36

-This was number five.

0:32:360:32:38

-Yes, that is number five.

0:32:390:32:41

-We can see that the entire building

-was demolished in the early 1950s.

0:32:410:32:47

-So much of the past

-has been destroyed.

0:32:490:32:52

-Only one faded photograph remains

-of the place where Gerda died.

0:32:520:32:58

-But what else has Michael found?

0:33:000:33:02

-We have found the police records

-of the case.

0:33:030:33:09

-On 8 June,

-the police in Schoeneberg...

0:33:100:33:13

-..noted that Gerda Sommer

-had been found on 7 June.

0:33:140:33:17

-On 7 June 1934.

0:33:180:33:21

-It's interesting as it suggests

-the existence of another document...

0:33:220:33:27

-..in the state attorney's files.

0:33:270:33:29

-This is the file

-of the prosecution authorities.

0:33:290:33:34

-This is where we find Gerda Sommer.

0:33:340:33:37

-Here she is.

0:33:390:33:41

-File 189.

0:33:410:33:43

-File 189.

-

-Correct.

0:33:430:33:44

-Some action was taken. We don't have

-the documents. They were destroyed.

0:33:440:33:50

-Is this significant?

0:33:540:33:57

-It's impossible to say.

0:33:570:33:59

-But there is another mystery.

0:33:590:34:01

-According to the diary...

0:34:020:34:03

-..24 hours passed

-between the discovery of her body...

0:34:040:34:07

-..and any contact with the family.

0:34:080:34:10

-A day for the corpse to lie in the

-heat of the scorching Berlin summer.

0:34:100:34:16

-The morning after the funeral,

-Idris wrote...

0:34:160:34:20

-"Fritz told me

-of their suspicions of foul play...

0:34:200:34:24

-"..and of their wish for an

-investigation and a proper inquest.

0:34:240:34:28

-"I felt it was

-none of my business...

0:34:290:34:31

-"..but at the same time,

-I cautioned him to be careful.

0:34:310:34:35

-"An investigation could give rise to

-insinuations about Gerda's life...

0:34:350:34:40

-"..and her behaviour in recent weeks

-that might cause her parents pain...

0:34:410:34:45

-"..and reveal

-what might best lie hidden."

0:34:450:34:48

-Idris clearly cared deeply

-for the Sommers.

0:34:480:34:51

-But was there a basis

-to their suspicions?

0:34:520:34:55

-If we look at the facts...

0:34:560:34:58

-..it's possible to argue that

-Gerda Sommer did not kill herself.

0:34:580:35:04

-The fact that the corpse

-was left to lie for 24 hours...

0:35:050:35:11

-..before calling the police...

0:35:110:35:14

-..or informing the family...

0:35:150:35:19

-..certainly suggests that someone

-was trying to hide something.

0:35:190:35:24

-According to Idris's diary...

0:35:250:35:27

-..Bruckner was summoned

-to Hitler's HQ at 2.00am on 7 June.

0:35:270:35:32

-He left Gerda in his apartment with

-his maid, Erika, and her mother.

0:35:320:35:37

-Bruckner returned later that morning

-and discovered Gerda's body.

0:35:370:35:43

-But why did Bruckner return

-to the office at such a late hour?

0:35:430:35:49

-There could be many reasons.

0:35:490:35:52

-It is a well-known fact that Hitler

-kept very irregular hours...

0:35:520:35:58

-..and often worked day and night.

0:35:580:36:00

-It's perfectly plausible that

-Bruckner was called to a meeting...

0:36:020:36:08

-..in the Reich Chancellery

-in the early hours.

0:36:080:36:13

-It was an incredibly tense month.

0:36:130:36:16

-Plans to kill leading SA figures

-and Ernst Rohm were in motion.

0:36:160:36:22

-It was not a good time to be caught

-having an affair with a young woman.

0:36:220:36:28

-The diary states that Bruckner

-was reluctant to allow Gerda...

0:36:280:36:34

-..to spend the night

-in his apartment.

0:36:350:36:38

-It's possible that he was trying

-to end the relationship.

0:36:390:36:44

-He had a room of his own

-at the Reich Chancellery.

0:36:450:36:50

-It's possible that he stayed there

-as opposed to staying with Gerda.

0:36:500:36:56

-The Sommers wanted to know

-who was responsible.

0:36:570:37:00

-Was the maid jealous of Gerda?

0:37:010:37:03

-Or was it Dr Widtmann...

0:37:030:37:05

-..who had access to Bruckner's

-apartment via an adjoining door?

0:37:050:37:10

-Or Bruckner himself?

0:37:110:37:12

-New evidence

-fuelled their suspicions.

0:37:130:37:16

-"Frau Sommer had talked to the

-firemen who were first to be called.

0:37:160:37:21

-"They told her that Gerda

-had blue marks on her throat."

0:37:210:37:25

-Is it further evidence

-against Bruckner?

0:37:260:37:28

-During that hot summer...

0:37:290:37:30

-..Fritz and Anny waited for him to

-answer their requests for a meeting.

0:37:310:37:35

-But all they had

-were broken promises and silence.

0:37:360:37:40

-It came as no surprise to Idris.

0:37:400:37:43

-"My feeling is that he will not

-countenance any investigation...

0:37:460:37:50

-"..but will see

-that everything is kept quiet...

0:37:500:37:54

-"..for the sake

-of his own reputation."

0:37:540:37:57

-The aeroplane carrying Herr Hitler

-comes to rest at Venice.

0:37:590:38:03

-On 14 June,

-two days after Gerda's funeral...

0:38:040:38:08

-..Bruckner travelled to Italy

-with Hitler.

0:38:080:38:11

-Was it the planning

-of this state visit...

0:38:110:38:14

-..that called him back to the office

-on the night that Gerda died?

0:38:150:38:20

-The Sommers

-were desperate for answers.

0:38:200:38:23

-Bruckner finally agreed

-to meet with them on 27 June.

0:38:230:38:29

-But when the day arrived,

-he was nowhere to be found.

0:38:290:38:32

-He was making preparations with

-Hitler to arrest the SA leaders.

0:38:330:38:38

-Over the following three days...

0:38:390:38:41

-..over 200 members, including

-Ernst Rohm, were massacred.

0:38:410:38:45

-This became known

-as the Night of the Long Knives.

0:38:460:38:49

-It sent shock waves

-around the world...

0:38:520:38:55

-..despite the regime's attempts

-to put a spin on it.

0:38:560:39:00

-The Fuhrer

-has punished the guilty...

0:39:050:39:09

-..and our relationship with the SA

-is once again as it was.

0:39:090:39:14

-This was a turning point

-in the history of Germany.

0:39:150:39:19

-There was no going back

-from this moment...

0:39:190:39:22

-..and the Sommers lost all hope

-in their search for answers.

0:39:230:39:28

-"Later, I visited the Sommers.

0:39:290:39:31

-"Both are upset over events,

-especially Frau Sommer...

0:39:310:39:35

-"..who is worried that Gerda

-was mixing with people in the SA...

0:39:350:39:39

-"..and who, like Bruckner,

-were part of the massacres...

0:39:400:39:44

-"..and has a dread of what

-may happen if they go too far...

0:39:440:39:48

-"..in the request for investigations

-into how Gerda died.

0:39:480:39:52

-"Both have lost faith in the

-Socialist Party and the government.

0:39:520:39:58

-"Fritz went as far as

-to despair of Germany altogether."

0:39:580:40:02

-The warden of Stahnsdorf Cemetery

-and I...

0:40:090:40:11

-..have come to find where Gerda

-was buried in this massive cemetery.

0:40:120:40:17

-This is where my uncle stood with

-Gerda's family eight decades ago.

0:40:170:40:23

-Do you think

-it's around here somewhere?

0:40:260:40:29

-Are you saying

-that you are looking for grave 188?

0:40:300:40:34

-She is in 176.

0:40:340:40:37

-Do you think that may be 188?

0:40:370:40:39

-Do you think that may be 188?

-

-Yes, I think so.

0:40:390:40:41

-Let's see.

0:40:410:40:42

-We can check with the name.

0:40:430:40:45

-Yes, that's correct.

0:40:500:40:53

-Wassil Babamoff.

0:40:530:40:55

-And we can try

-to take the difference...

0:40:570:41:01

-..between this grave

-and this place here.

0:41:010:41:04

-So we'll measure that.

0:41:040:41:06

-We have to take three metres.

0:41:060:41:09

-A little bit more.

0:41:090:41:11

-We know that Gerda's grave

-would be to the left of grave 188.

0:41:110:41:16

-Yes, to the left.

0:41:170:41:18

-Yes, to the left.

-

-This area here.

0:41:180:41:19

-There's a place for Gerda Sommer.

0:41:200:41:22

-And in fact there's a slight dip

-in the ground.

0:41:220:41:25

-This is a typical sign.

0:41:260:41:28

-There was a coffin under the ground.

0:41:280:41:31

-After a long time,

-it's deeper in the area.

0:41:310:41:34

-It's a real find.

0:41:340:41:35

-It's the place for Gerda Sommer.

0:41:350:41:38

-That is amazing that we found it.

0:41:380:41:41

-We wouldn't have found it

-without you.

0:41:410:41:45

-It's a very special moment.

0:41:450:41:48

-Thank you.

0:41:480:41:50

-You're welcome.

0:41:500:41:52

-It's incredibly sad to think

-of Gerda laid here all alone.

0:42:040:42:09

-There is no gravestone.

0:42:090:42:12

-The family couldn't afford one.

0:42:120:42:15

-This means that the diary

-is her only memorial.

0:42:160:42:21

-Gerda was the last of the Sommers...

0:42:420:42:44

-..but I've tracked down descendants

-of Anny's sister, Frau von Furich.

0:42:440:42:49

-She was in Stahnsdorf on the day

-of the funeral with her son, Heinz.

0:42:500:42:56

-I'm in Ulm in southern Germany

-to meet Heinz's children...

0:42:560:43:00

-..Helga and Klaus-Dieter von Furich.

0:43:000:43:03

-Thank you so much.

0:43:030:43:05

-I'm very afraid. Please come in.

0:43:050:43:06

-I'm very afraid. Please come in.

-

-Thank you very much.

0:43:060:43:09

-We have here a photograph...

0:43:120:43:17

-..of Fritz, Anny Sommer,

-Frau Scheffles.

0:43:170:43:23

-Is that your...?

0:43:230:43:24

-Is that your...?

-

-She's my great grandmother.

0:43:240:43:26

-And there's Gerda Sommer

-and my uncle, Idris.

0:43:260:43:30

-There's the whole family at home

-in Wurttembergische Strasse.

0:43:300:43:35

-It's lovely. We have a picture too.

0:43:360:43:38

-It's lovely. We have a picture too.

-

-It's Gerda.

0:43:380:43:40

-This is Gerda.

0:43:400:43:41

-This is Gerda.

-

-Yes, it's Gerda.

0:43:410:43:43

-Look at it.

-That's exactly the same face.

0:43:430:43:47

-You knew about the story of Gerda.

0:43:470:43:50

-Yes, I did.

0:43:500:43:53

-I spent a year in Berlin and visited

-my great grandmother and Anny.

0:43:530:43:59

-That was in 1964.

0:44:000:44:02

-They told me the stories

-but I don't remember them very well.

0:44:020:44:07

-They told me that Gerda was friendly

-with one of Hitler's adjutants...

0:44:080:44:14

-..or they were having a relationship

-but nobody was sure.

0:44:140:44:18

-What did Anny Sommer believe

-really happened to Gerda?

0:44:180:44:23

-She was convinced

-that Gerda did not commit suicide.

0:44:240:44:29

-That was certain.

0:44:290:44:30

-She put it down

-to Hitler's machinations.

0:44:310:44:38

-She believed that Gerda

-had discovered a secret plot.

0:44:380:44:42

-That is why

-they had to get rid of her.

0:44:420:44:45

-The other thing we have here...

0:44:450:44:48

-..is a menu card

-from the Palais Am Zoo...

0:44:480:44:53

-..from Christmas 1933.

0:44:530:44:55

-It was a family gathering

-and everybody has signed it.

0:44:550:44:59

-Oh, that's interesting.

0:44:590:45:01

-That is Frau Scheffels.

0:45:020:45:04

-Gerda Sommer.

0:45:040:45:06

-Fritz Sommer.

0:45:060:45:07

-Frau Anny Sommer.

0:45:070:45:09

-Frau Clara von Furich,

-who was my great grandmother.

0:45:090:45:13

-And this is my father,

-Heinz von Furich.

0:45:130:45:17

-It was a very happy time

-for the family.

0:45:180:45:22

-Yes, I believe so.

0:45:230:45:24

-Unfortunately,

-1934 was a more difficult year.

0:45:240:45:29

-It's so interesting.

0:45:290:45:30

-Everyone gathered for Christmas.

0:45:310:45:33

-It's beautiful and brings back

-many happy memories.

0:45:350:45:39

-Thank you.

0:45:390:45:41

-My uncle.

0:45:420:45:44

-His mother died

-when he was very young...

0:45:440:45:47

-..and his own background...

0:45:470:45:50

-The family was broken.

0:45:500:45:52

-Yes, OK.

0:45:520:45:54

-And I think he got very close

-to Fritz and Anny Sommer.

0:45:540:45:58

-They were his surrogate family

-during his time in Berlin.

0:45:580:46:02

-That's right.

0:46:020:46:05

-I think it was a very important time

-in his life.

0:46:050:46:09

-Why did Idris return to this diary

-in his old age?

0:46:140:46:18

-Does the answer

-lie in his passion for history...

0:46:180:46:22

-..and his understanding of the

-importance of every act of witness?

0:46:220:46:27

-Or was this the one year where

-he experienced a close family unit?

0:46:270:46:33

-They were not without

-their own problems...

0:46:330:46:36

-..but they were lively

-and welcoming.

0:46:360:46:39

-A family unit that escaped him

-for the rest of his solitary life.

0:46:390:46:44

-I'm certain of one thing.

0:46:490:46:52

-The memory of his year in Berlin

-never left him...

0:46:520:46:57

-..even at the end of his days.

0:46:570:47:00

-On his final night in the city,

-the Sommers gave Idris a book.

0:47:010:47:06

-Inside the cover...

0:47:060:47:08

-..Fritz had written a quote from the

-work of the German author, Goethe.

0:47:080:47:13

-"If one thinks of it only in terms

-of mountains, rivers and cities...

0:47:150:47:20

-"..then the world

-is such a desolate place.

0:47:200:47:23

-"But as soon as we meet someone...

0:47:230:47:26

-"..who is sympathetic

-to our way of thinking...

0:47:260:47:29

-"..with whom we can commune

-in silence...

0:47:300:47:32

-"..the desolate globe is transformed

-into an inhabited paradise."

0:47:330:47:38

-Fritz Sommer died in the Dresdner

-Bank when Berlin was bombed in 1945.

0:47:440:47:50

-Anny Sommer survived the war

-and died in Berlin in 1971.

0:47:500:47:56

-Bruckner married an 18-year-old girl

-in 1937.

0:48:000:48:03

-He was loyal to Hitler until his

-dismissal in 1940 and died in 1954.

0:48:040:48:10

-Idris served in North Africa

-during World War II.

0:48:140:48:17

-He returned to Barclays Bank

-in London and died aged 94 in 2000.

0:48:180:48:24

-S4C Subtitles by Tinopolis

0:48:470:48:49

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0:48:490:48:49

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