Elisabeth of Berlin
This groundbreaking film was created especially for the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nazi’s “Night of Broken Glass,” which many mark as the beginning of the Holocaust. After witnessing the violence of this pogrom against Germany’s Jews, Elisabeth Schmitz knew that life could no longer continue normally: her Christian faith compelled her to put her own life at risk in order to live on behalf of others.
Her most important writing was a twenty-four page memorandum that described, in detail, hardships endured by Jews across Germany. It was written to church leadership in order to urge them to take action. Because writing something like this was illegal in those days, she wrote it anonymously. Although it was well-known after the war was over, an archivist attributed it’s authorship to someone else.
Elisabeth Schmitz was forgotten until her handwritten draft was discovered in a dusty church basement in her hometown.
Elisabeth of Berlin features interviews with:
- Bishop Wolfgang Huber, Evangelical Church of Germany
- David Gushee, Professor, Mercer University
- Rudolf Weckerling, oldest surviving pastor of the Confessing Church, eyewitness
- Andreas Pangritz, Professor, Bonn University
- Gerhard Luedecke, discoverer of the handwritten draft of her denkschrift
- students and friends of Elisabeth Schmitz
This film is part biography, part historical narrative, and part detective story. It has brought fascination and inspiration to adults and children alike. Above all this film shows us the importance of always broadening our circle of friendships, especially during dangerous times.
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