Maximilian Kaufmann

Department	Department of Communication Studies
PhD Supervisor	Assoz. Prof. PD Mag Dr. Sascha Trültzsch-Wijnen
PhD Co-Supervisor	Univ.-Prof.in Dr. Christine Lohmeier
Start	WiSe 2024/25
Contact
Theme/Title	Between the monarchist middle classes and Nazi propaganda. A sociological analysis of Veit Harlan’s films.

Abstract

Hardly any filmmaker is as controversial as Veit Harlan – a mere theatre actor during the Weimar Republic, he became one of the regime’s most prominent directors during the Nazi era, creating some of the most notorious propaganda films in cinematic history, such as *Jud Süß* and *Kolberg*. After the war, Harlan was charged with aiding and abetting crimes against humanity and acquitted in a sensational trial, after which he went on to make several more films during the German economic miracle. This doctoral thesis not only examines Harlan’s cinematic oeuvre, but also explores his biography, his experiences of socialisation, and the social and political contexts in which Harlan’s films were made. From a sociological perspective on film, Harlan’s example is used to highlight continuities in the German cultural sphere which – as in the case under investigation – were shaped and influenced by several fundamentally different political systems. The aim of this research project is not only to present this career – which is in many respects typical of 20th-century Germany – but also to fill significant gaps in Harlan research and to demonstrate the extent to which his films, in particular, are indispensable for understanding filmmaking under National Socialism.

^{© Alois Pluschkowitz}