Braunau in change: a film about past and responsibility

<p> <strong> Braunau in change: a film about past and responsibility </strong> </p>

The name "Braunau" awakens emotions and associations in many places - not surprising, since this city is known as Adolf Hitler's place of birth. But reality looks very different. Braunau changed a lot in the years after the Second World War and is now a consistently social democratic place. The filmmaker Günter Schwaiger is in his new documentary "Who is afraid of Braunau?" dealt with the image of the city and states: "There is no place where it is easier to be an anti -fascist than in Braunau."

The documentary is not only about the city itself, but also about the so-called "Hitler House", which plays a central role in dealing with the past. Schwaiger, who was born in Neumarkt on Lake Wallers in 1965 and has already implemented several films, explains that the idea of shooting a documentary has literally obtained him. After learning from the planned conversion of the former birthplace into a social institution, he saw his chance to artistically record the changes in the region.

The way to documentation

In the course of the film project, Schwaiger came across surprising twists when the police intervened and redesigned the films. Originally, the idea was to accompany the redesign of the house, but soon the question arose how the city of Braunau can deal responsibly with its own, contaminated history. The investigations caused the documentary to accept an investigative approach and also focus on the boundary conditions of the construction work.

An exciting element of the documentation is the examination of the deeply rooted myths about the history of Austria and the projection of responsibility. Schwaiger emphasizes that Austria historically conveys a picture in which the Nazi past was often swept under the carpet. "A picture is presented that was shaped by a few fanatics, while most of the population was innocent," explains the filmmaker.

The representations of Austrian history, for example through the romantized "Sissi" films, are also on the dock. This idyll is a distortion of reality that does not correspond to the actual historical conditions and influences the collective memory. Schwaiger criticizes this historical revisionism and warns that too easy life with your own past only leads to it is repeated.

"Braunau is like an unwanted child" - this metaphor describes the responsibility that the city bears for Austrian history. Despite its beautiful surroundings, the city often bears the stigma of the "Nazi nest", which is not easy for citizens. However, the reality shows that Braunau is actively working on dealing with its history and deals with its identity, in contrast to many other places in Austria.

Schwaiger is optimistic that the film will contribute to the formation of consciousness. "There is nothing more important than dealing with one's own history," he emphasizes, "because this is the only way to prevent dark chapters of history." The documentary therefore not only offers insights into the past, but also appeals to everyone to stand up for the fact that such errors are never repeated.

For more details and information about the documentation "Who is afraid of Braunau?" as well as the discussed topics, see the report on taz.de .