Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive

John Christopher Bechtler Collection

1938 and 1936

Germany
London, England

US Holocaust Memorial Museum

00:12:16

1938 color home movies of Kannenberg family in Germany. Two young girls (nieces) with Arthur Kannenberg and shiny black Mercedes flying small swastika. Intertitle: "Unser Vater an seinem 73.ten Geburtstag (Our father on his 73rd birthday) 21.6.38." Grandfather, grandmother, 3 young girls bring flowers. Family scenes, including storefront "Villa Luise." [1944 police document identifies Inger Poulsen of Elbingerode, niece of "Hausintendant Kannenberg", born 5 March 1923 in Kopenhagen, Denmark]

01:02:26 "Corporate Films Ltd. Present" "East London Blackshirt Rally" "Victoria Park 7th. June 1936" "Inspection by the Leader at Millbank Westminster" Oswald Mosley in black uniform and others in street, near Westminster. He reviews fascists on parade, then proceeds through streets standing in open car, people along side giving fascist salute. Groups of Union Jack flags. Motorcycles accompany car. 01:04:07 CS Mosley speaking. CU, wild-eyed. In uniform, armbands with lightning symbol. "The Leader Takes the Salute" March through streets, British policemen. March with Union Jacks along Millbank. Drum. Women's unit marching. Dark shirts, berets. Uniformed Fascists marching. "The Communist Meeting Prior to Our Arrival" B.U.F. (British Union of Fascists). "But When Mosley Arrives the Reds are Forgotten" "See How They Run" "Estimated Attendance 100,000" Oswald Mosley speaking, close view with microphone, hand moving with speech. Pan of crowds. Good close views of men & women in audience. Flags, police on horseback, among the crowd. 01:11:16 "We" "Want" "Mosely" Graphic of line of uniformed men. "Publications you should Read" Fascist book.

Handwritten title from original film can: "British Nazis, Mosley British Fascist 1936". Bechtler Collection Tape #2
VQ: New video transfers with color re-balanced were made 10/29/03. There is no PAL version of this tape.

Mute

Amateur

Yes

Good

Arthur Kannenberg was "Hausintendant" (house manager/major domo) to Adolf Hitler from mid-1930s to his end in the bunker in Berlin.

Surviving Hitler Begleitkommando Rochus Misch gave personal testimony re. Kannenberg's having two nieces and no daughters. (c.2003 in Berlin)

Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists, secretly married Diana Mitford October 6, 1936, in Berlin, reportedly at Josef Goebbels' villa, with Hitler attending as witness and/or guest.

John Christopher Bechtler was a U.S. soldier in Berchtesgaden in April-May 1945, serving with the Counter Intelligence Corps. He arrested and interrogated various Germans at the end of the war.

2003.122 Claranne Bechtler, the daughter of John Christopher Bechtler, donated her father's film materials to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in May 1995 [Accession Number 1995.A.875]. Most of these items were deaccessioned in March 2000; 18 reels of film, however, were transferred to the Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and were never officially deaccessioned or removed from the Museum's premises. They were officially "donated" again by Mrs. Bechtler in June 2003 with the Accession Number 2003.122.

AUTOMOBILES
BIRTHDAY
BRITISH UNION OF FASCISTS (BUF)
BUILDINGS
CHILDREN
CROWDS
ENGLAND
FASCISTS
FASCISTS (BRITISH)
FIGHTING
FLAGS
FLAGS (BRITISH)
GERMANY
KANNENBERG, ARTHUR
LONDON, ENGLAND
MARCHING
MOSLEY, OSWALD
MOTORCADES
PARADES
PARK
RALLIES
SPEECHES
STREET
SWASTIKAS
UNIFORM
WOMEN

Kannenberg

John Christopher Bechtler

16m Bwind orig color, b/w reversal and b/w positive print.

16mm, b/w & color, pos & interneg; Uncompressed QT; ProRes 422 HD HQ; Betacam SP (NTSC); VHS; H264

01:00:00 - 01:12:16

US Holocaust Memorial Museum, gift of Claranne Bechtler