Jud Süß (1940)

Infamous anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda historical drama about Duke Karl Alexander of Württemberg and his treasurer Süß Oppenheimer.

Director:

Veit Harlan

Writers:

Veit Harlan (screenplay), Wolfgang Eberhard Möller (screenplay)

Stars:

Ferdinand Marian, Kristina Söderbaum, Heinrich George

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ferdinand Marian	...	Joseph Süß Oppenheimer
Kristina Söderbaum	...	Dorothea Sturm / Faber
Heinrich George	...	Karl Alexander, Herzog von Württemberg
Werner Krauss	...	Rabbi Loew / Levy - Oppenheimers Sekretär / Schächter Isaak / seniler Alte (as Werner Krauß)
Eugen Klöpfer	...	Landschaftskonsulent Sturm
Albert Florath	...	Obrist Röder
Malte Jaeger	...	Aktuarius Faber
Theodor Loos	...	Franz Joseph Freiherr von Remchingen
Hilde von Stolz	...	Herzogin von Württemberg
Else Elster	...	Luziana
Walter Werner	...	Herr Fiebelkorn
Jakob Tiedtke	...	Konsistorialrat
Otto F. Henning	...	Vorsitzender des Gerichts (as Otto Henning)
Emil Heß	...	Schmied Hans Bogner
Charlotte Schultz	...	Frau Fiebelkorn

Storyline

In this notorious Nazi propaganda historical costume melodrama, a conniving, ambitious Jewish businessman, Süß Oppenheimer, snares a post as treasurer to the Duke of Wurttemburg by showering the corrupt duke with treasure and promises of even greater riches. As the Jew's schemes grow more elaborate and his actions more brazen, the dukedom nearly erupts into civil war. Persuaded by the Jew, the Duke all but scuttles the constitution and alienates the assembly by lifting the local ban on Jews in Stuttgart. In a final outrage, the Jew rapes a wholesome German girl and tortures her father and fiancée. When the Duke succumbs to a sudden heart attack, the assembly of Elders try the Jew and sentence him to death for having "carnal knowledge of a Christian woman".

---

Plot Keywords:

nazi propaganda | propaganda | anti semitism | jew | wealthy man | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

1941 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Jew Süss

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Terra-Filmkunst

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Tobis-Klangfilm)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While the film is only partially based on Lion Feuchtwanger's 1925 historical novel "Jud Süß", as well as Wilhelm Hauff's 1827 novella, neither the film nor the written works correspond to the actual historic sources regarding the actual Joseph Süß Oppenheimer as still accessible at the Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg.

---

Goofs

The film tells that Joseph Süß Oppenheimer lived in the Jew Alley (Judengasse) in the ghetto in Frankfurt before he moved to Württemberg. Actually he lived in Württemberg, since his birth in Heidelberg. Even his first meeting with Karl Alexander, before he became Duke of Württemberg was in Bad Wildbad, a place in Württemberg

---

Quotes

Joseph Süß Oppenheimer: I thought Württemberg was rich?

---

Connections

Featured in Hitler's Hollywood (2017)

User Reviews

Diabolical History

All past comments about this notorious film have been proved correct: it IS rancid, fetid, despicable. The reasons why this film was made are equally above-board: Nazi Germany's number one goal was to descredit Jews the world over by propanganda so vile as to make the average person denounce Jews as vermin to be exterminated. It is said that when _Jud Suess_ was shown, crowds of people would set themselves wildly on Jews in the streets. That Veit Harlan, who as an actor and artist always showed a certain elegance, should have anything to do with this film (and as the director he had quite a lot to do with it), is amazing. One cannot forget that being assigned films had more to do with commands than with choice; nevertheless, he should have been leery of the project that was said to vie with _Der Ewige Jude_ as the start of the campaign of racial genocide.

A final tip when viewing _Jud Suess_: Pay close attention to Ferdinand Marian's diabolical portrayal of Suess Oppenheimer. In mannerisms, the easy refinity, the worldliness, the dropping of a bon mot, the wily insouciance of the "Jew" of yesteryears' imagination; it is all caught on celluloid Agfa film. Ferdinand Marian later committed suicide, said to be because of his remorse about his "greatest" acting role.