Love History

Love History offers a personal view on the political developments in Austria regarding the denazification over the last 60 years. The film Love History emphasizes the personal experiences of women coming to terms with their Nazi family history. How do these women look back on their childhood with Nazi perpetrators as parents or grandparents? How is their relationship with their family members? And, most importantly, how is history affecting their daily life? The women freely talk about their feelings of guilt, shame and anger. Amongst descendants of ordinary female Nazi perpetrators is Katrin Himmler, family member of the infamous Heinrich Himmler.

Historic Relevance
On April 27, 1945 chancellor Karl Renner declared Austria’s independence and denazification started. The victim theory regarding the Anschluss became an important topic in Austrian politics. Measures were created to aid the war generation, including incriminated Nazis. The former Nazi members were politically represented in The Federation of Independents, predecessor of the Freedom Party of Austria. After the Eichmann trial and the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials, the Holocaust became a global issue. Austria sought closure on the issue; legal proceedings of Austrian Nazi perpetrators often ended with acquittals. Later, Austria gained international attention because of politician Jorg Haider, son of a Nazi couple, praising Nazi policies.