Hitler's Children – Growing Up with Nazis

When most people think of the children of the Holocaust, they picture the brave survivors who were in the Jewish ghettos or concentration camps during the Holocaust. However, there is another group of children that survived the Holocaust, and their legacy is no easier to bear. These children certainly enjoyed a very different kind of lifestyle during the years of Hitler's reign. They were protected, and even pampered. As part of the desirable master race, they had little to fear from the Nazi regime that was responsible for murdering millions of others. However, life in the aftermath of World War II has been very difficult for these descendants of Nazis.
 
The common thread for all these survivors is a sense of shame and horror. Though they were largely unaware of what happening during the Holocaust, they've since come to realize the full gravity of what their fathers did. Some are so terrified of the evil in their genetics that they have been sterilized, for fear of passing the legacy on. Others struggle daily to prove that they are a new generation completely different from those who came before them. Many of these children of Nazis have trouble sleeping and suffer from deep psychological problems caused by a heavy sense of responsibility for what happened.
 
The stories of Holocaust survivors who were in the concentration camps are told and retold. The stories of these other children are filled with so much shame that they're often concealed. However, some brave descendents of Nazis have begun speaking out. Their stories offer a new level of detail when considering the Holocaust. They offer an important point of view that provides a final piece to the puzzle of what life was truly like during the Holocaust. Though German families who were considered racially pure were allowed to live through the Holocaust in comfort, their lives since have been anything but comfortable.
 
Many of these descendants profess an inability to forgive their fathers for what was done, while others possess a powerful ability to offer forgiveness for the horrors. None are able to condone the actions of their Nazi parents, and few can even comprehend what truly happened. Whatever their stance, all of these individuals have a powerful story to tell. Hearing their tales can be a life-changing experience. The documentary, "Hitler's Children," focuses on the lives of these individuals and their struggle to come to terms with what happened under Nazi rule. This compelling piece is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand the bigger picture of the Holocaust.