0/5

Insight: Aug 4

What is life like when you are the descendant of one of the decision makers of the Second World War?

2015-08-03_1841

What is life like when you are the descendant of one of the decision makers of the Second World War?

Int he first of 2 episodes, tonight Insight looks at life in the shadow of Stalin, the Nazis or the imperial Japanese military?

In 1939, Hitler appointed Hans Frank as Governor General of Occupied Poland. Frank forced millions of Jews into ghettos and used civilians for forced labour. Six extermination camps were also under his direct jurisdiction. Frank’s son Niklas violently rejects his father’s legacy. He even carries a picture of dead Hans Frank as a reminder that his father’s crimes – and life – have ended.

Jacob Jugashvili is the great-grandson of Joseph Stalin. The former leader of the Soviet Union was responsible for the deaths of millions but Jacob admires his values and what he stood for.

George Grojnowski was 12 when the Nazis invaded his hometown in Poland. He was a prisoner in Hans Frank’s jurisdiction but managed to survive the concentration camps. He has been living in Australia since he was 21 but never spoke to his children about the Holocaust as he didn’t want them growing up with a chip on their shoulder.

Deborah Ziegler’s grandfather Adek Stein escaped the Nazi extermination camp in Treblinka, Poland. Deborah says she thinks about the Holocaust almost every day and it has helped shape who she is today.

Join these guests, WWII survivors and more for an eye-opening discussion on the impact of war on those that lived it and those living with its legacy.

Part 1 airs 8.30pm, Tuesday 4 August on SBS. Part 2 airs the following Tuesday.

One Response

  1. What a lost opportunity this show was. Despite the contrition, intelligence and warmth of Hans Frank, it quickly descended into a fight about ‘what my ancestors did to your ancestors during the war.’ This was a rare chance to gain some genuine insight into what Germans and Russians are thinking now and how it applies to racism, politics and global security. It was also an incredible opportunity to look into how people cope with the crimes of their parents. I’m sorry but last night much of the show was the opposite of ‘Insight’ and more the predictable bunfight of ‘A Current Affair’.

Leave a Reply