Thomas Harlan's Letter to His Father Veit Harlan, Director of 'Jew Süss'

A letter from filmmaker Thomas Harlan to his father, Veit Harlan, has been published posthumously, revealing the challenges he faced as the son of a war criminal. Veit Harlan (September 22, 1899 - April 13, 1964) was the director of the Nazi propaganda film 'Jew Süss' (1940), which was commissioned by Joseph Goebbels and debuted at the Venice Film Festival, attracting over 20 million viewers in the Reich. In his letter, Thomas (February 19, 1929 - October 16, 2010) reflects on his father's refusal to accept responsibility and his abandonment of his first wife, Dora Gerson. After the war, Thomas distanced himself from his father's legacy by investigating death camps and creating films. His sisters rejected the Harlan name, with Suzanne tragically taking her life in 1989. The letter was dictated shortly before Thomas passed away.