Germanization of cinematographic leisure
The Nazis carried out a complete Germanization of cinema as a leisure activity. The old French names of cinemas, which sometimes remained in use for a short while, were eventually and swiftly replaced by German names. This symbolic transformation was part of a wider process of cultural and linguistic reorganisation of the city. Consequently, the authorities decided to carry out a detailed survey of the cinemas to identify those that could be preserved and subsequently reopened once they had been brought into line with ‘German safety standards.’
In 1940, all the programmed films were German films. Whilst a few films produced by Germany’s allies did eventually appear during the annexation – mainly Italian films (which became numerous from 1942–1943 onwards) – from then on, no French, British or American films were screened in Alsace and Moselle.
This Germanization led to an organization specific to the Third Reich. The screenings consisted of :
- Advertisements,
- A recent newsreel: the Deutsche Wochenschau,
- A short documentary film: the Kulturfilm
- The main feature film : the Spielfilm.
The Deutsche Wochenschau and the Kulturfilm made up the Opening Programm (Vorprogramm).
A cinema screening lasted on average between 2 hours and 2 hours 20 minutes. In order to watch the film, the audience first had to watch the newsreel. It is precisely in these images that one of the keys to the manipulation of the masses lies: the Deutsches Wochenschau didn’t merely report the news; it sought to impose an ideological interpretation of events, rewriting history as it unfolded.
Photo 42 : AVES (1Fi146-109 et 1Fi146-95) – Photographs of the entrance to the cinema at 21 Place Broglie in Strasbourg (which later became Adolf-Hitler-Platz). The Broglie-Palace cinema was initially known as the Broglie Lichtspiele for one week before being completely Germanised and renamed RheinGold.
Photo 43 : BNUS – Strassburger neueste Nachrichten, 02/01/1943. Manipulated newsreel footage is more essential when the regime is faltering, as was the case in the winter of 1942–1943, hence the article’s title, “Wochenschau stärker als der Spielfilm” (Newsreels are more powerful than feature films).
Photo 44 : Archives d’Alsace – Technical inspection on September 4, 1940 for the Brasserie de la Krütenau cinema (7 Feggasse, i.e. Rue des Balayeurs). The report states that the projection booth is too small and that the walls and ceilings are not heat-resistant. The emergency exit is also problematic. Major renovation work is required.