La Maison Allemande

A dramatic look at the in-between generation of German children, born in the 1930s, who were never told the truth about Die Zeit des Nationalsozialismus (the Nazi times). Eva is an Posish interpreter who is learning about the horrors through the testimony of witnesses in the Frankfurt trial of mid- to lower-level SS personnel at Auschwitz-Birkenau in the early 1960s (Der Auschwitz-Prozess).

Search Hulu for "Deutsches Haus" for the German version. Both the German and (dubbed) English versions are available. The dubbed version is not worth watching because it does not accurately translate the German. The English captions in the dubbed version are correct, but it's hard to listen to the discrepant audio that goes with them.

The Frankfurt Ausschwitz trials are an important topic in Holocaust history and the series potrayal of the trial is where the series shines.

Unfortunately it suffers from the same problem that much of German "history-TV" (like Babylon Berlin or Charité) has: to draw in viewers it contains numerous side plots that are supposed to fluff out the historical period but are very clichéd. I get that it is important to set a historical context, but the side plots remain completely shallow and especially clash with the horrifying descriptions of Ausschwitz in the trial.

A further (minor) point: it feels very much that the series only included an anti-Nazi old person in the form of the fiancé's father to reassure German viewers that "not everyone was bad" in their grandparent's generation. It's a shame that German productions still feel they cannot ask more of their audience.

This is a good series with very fine cast. The focus on the main character's increasing awareness is perfect. The episodes falter when unnecessary digressions dealing with the young Jewish lawyer, his angst, prostitution, outbursts. The courtroom scenes are great and even minor roles are realized quite brilliantly. I recommend this series highly, but one must be patient enough to get thru the unnecessary digressions in order to get the magic. These people tackled a difficult subject. The music score stimulates a feeling of reality hidden inside the insanity. There are surprises that enliven the drama just when you think you've seen it all. Characters, for once, have contrasting sides to their being so one never knows what will be revealed and 'that' is one of the strengthens of this drama.

I definitely recommend this show because of different reasons.

The show is an impressive piece of cinema (although it is a mini series).

Character development is done with a lot of empathy and patience. Actors adding an authentic play to this really emotional story.

Sometimes it is not what they say - more how they say it (or not)

Technically it is brilliant as well. Every shot has its purpose and the light is always a support to the scene. Sounds and even silence are well done and also with a purpose.

Although the history is well known and a lot of movies were made - this one contributes in a unique way.

The series shows no real sense of the authoritarian spirit of the early sixties, before the public recognition of the Holocaust, not least through the Auschwitz trials in Frankfurt depicted here. As is unfortunately so often the case with historical series, the current taste in history is catered to, which unfortunately makes the characters appear historically implausible. The same goes for the chemistry of the main figure and her fiance.

A wasted opportunity.

The two film adaptations of the life of the Hessian Attorney General Fritz Bauer, on whose initiative and persistence the aforementioned Auschwitz trial took place, are much better done and should be watched instead.