Stuttgart at war: revelations about the secret film chronicle!

Stuttgart at war: revelations about the secret film chronicle!

A historical film project caused a stir in Stuttgart. The “Stuttgart War Film Chronicle”, consisting of a total of 58 black and white films, impressively documents everyday life and the administration of the city during the Second World War. The man behind this ambitious project may have been Jean Lommen. Lommen was a director and member of the NSDAP who was given the task of recording the city administration's performance in a “filmed administrative report”. But the project, which was filmed between 1941 and 1944, was dominated by war politics and also served propaganda purposes. Stuttgarter Nachrichten reports that Lommen desperately tried to kill Stuttgart's Nazi mayor Karl To convince Strölin of his plan.

The films, which are owned by the Stuttgart City Archives, are around 7,800 meters long. Although Lommen's plan to produce a major image film for Stuttgart was thwarted by the defeat of Nazi Germany, the film remains a fascinating document of the city's history. “This treasure makes the city’s history tangible,” said Joachim Dorfs, editor-in-chief of the Stuttgarter Zeitung, at a discussion event about the project.

The project and its relevance

An important part of the project is to digitize these historical films and make them available to the public. From March 26, 2025, the films will be presented online in a 14-part series and highlighted in accompanying articles. The city archive, in cooperation with the Stuttgarter Zeitung and the Stuttgarter Nachrichten, wants to provide new access to the history of the city during the war. The aim is not only to present the organizational work of the city administration, but also to illustrate people's everyday lives in these turbulent times, explains the [city portal Stuttgart].

Construction of air raid shelters, shortage economy and the storage of prisoners of war are some of the thematic focuses that are dealt with in the films. The project aims to open up new perspectives on the reality in Stuttgart during the war that were hardly known until now. Dr. Fabian Mayer, first mayor, thanked those involved for their great commitment to this important project. Those interested can already look forward to exciting insights into the city's history.

A legacy of the past

The fact that the “Stuttgart War Film Chronicle” has met with such a great response is not only due to its historical interest. Rather, the project shows how fleeting the perception of history can be and how important it is to deal with the past. As part of the final event in the city palace, more than 100 participants gathered to follow the debate about the film project and its aftermath. Krzbb reported on a lively exchange and interesting discussions that demonstrated the wealth of these filmic testimonies underlined.

The upcoming presentations as part of the project offer the opportunity to look not only at the achievements of the city administration, but also at the reality of life for the Stuttgart population during the war. It remains to be seen what new perspectives viewers can gain from these historical documents and how they will influence the city's history today.