The Commandant’s Shadow – Facing The Truth

Jul 8, 2024 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susan Rosenbluth, Two Sues on the Aisle [Updated]

“The Commandant’s Shadow” is a documentary featuring Hans Jürgen Höss the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss the Camp Commandant of Auschwitz, and his inability to understand and take accountability for his father’s actions. The film chronicles how his son Kai Höss, a Christian preacher, guides him to acknowledge their families’ past. Kai refers to his grandfather as “the greatest mass murderer in human history” the mastermind, who designed and oversaw Auschwitz.

Hans and Kai meet a holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch (age 98), a German-Jewish cellist, and her daughter, Maya. Anita was part of the band that played at the concentration camp and watched as the women and children were marched to the gas chambers. “The Commandant’s Shadow,” is a story of the real people, the daughter of a survivor, Maya Lasker-Wallfisch, and the grandson of the Commandant, both looking for closure. They met in Anita’s London living room, sharing coffee, understanding how easily this could happen again.

“The Commandant’s Shadow” is written, produced, and directed by Daniela Völker as an answer to the recently fictionalized account featured in the Academy Award-winning “The Zone of Interest.”  The film received the Yad Vashem Award for an Outstanding Holocaust-Related Documentary.

Putting the Pieces Together

The film provides perspective, as the grandson of Rudolf Höss takes his father to visit Auschwitz for the first time, accompanied by Maya, the daughter of a survivor.  This feature-length documentary explores the relationships of a mother and her daughter, a father and his son, and the long shadows cast by the crimes that impact generations, each dealing with the burden of their heredity.

Although Höss’s family lived in a villa 200 yards away from one of the concentration camp’s gas chambers, he denied having any knowledge of the mass exterminations taking place or his father’s role. The film shows the disconnect between memories and reality, questioning how the same person can be both a loving father and a brutal murderer.

Rudolf Höss’ Autobiography

Völker uses excerpts from Rudolf Höss’ autobiography, written shortly before his execution. His words provide the ultimate proof of what happened at Auschwitz. He was proud to have been selected by Heinrich Himmler to construct the camp. Höss built the largest, most efficient killing machine which he oversaw personally. He felt justified in his actions, believing that the elimination of the Jews was essential for Germany’s survival.

While the autobiography offers irrefutable evidence, which should prevent denial or ignorance of the Holocaust, Hans is unsure how to feel about his father, remembering only his happy childhood.

Although the book is in the Höss family study, Hans never read it. His sister, Brigitte denied the atrocities at Auschwitz ever happened. Asked on camera whether she is in denial about her father’s responsibility for the deaths of over a million people, she says, “No, why? It was the way it was. It was the Third Reich. It was a long time ago.”

Since the documentary was filmed, Brigitte has died.

Family Trama

Both families were impacted by guilt, denial, and an inability to discuss what had happened. Kai explains “I can talk about the trauma in my family, how having suppressed the truth, my dad and I never talked about it at home.”  Hans never fully understood the horrors of Auschwitz until he visited the camp himself.

Growing up Maya faced a parallel silence. Her mother wanted to forget the horrors of Auschwitz. and did not discuss her experiences in the concentration camp. The family moved to London where Maya was raised, during the film, she moves back to Berlin to connect with her past.

Anita points out that you cannot choose your parents, but you cannot deny their actions.

In the wake of the atrocities of October 7th – and at a time when antisemitism has reached a level not seen since the Holocaust – “The Commandant’s Shadow” is a stark reminder that there can be no reconciliation without a true and honest reckoning of the past.

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed.

Debuts July 18 on HBO and MAX 9 PM EST

The film is rated PG-13 for thematic content involving the Holocaust.

The Commandant’s Shadow – 4 Challah Rating

Run Time: 1 hour 43 minutes