Release date: November 16th, 2010. € 19.50
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Since 2004, the Konejung Foundation has focused on a variety of cultural and historical projects mainly on such dealing with the war on the Westwall and especially in the Huertgen Forest. Our first documentary film "You enter Germany - Bloody Huertgen and the Siegfried Line" was released in 2007. Impressive interviews with veterans and shots of the forest today are presented along with original film footage. Our research led us to the National Archives in Washington DC where we were able to recover unknown footage by the US Signal Corps as well as familiar weekly news broadcasts and other documentation. The material found was so comprehensive, that only parts could be used for our documentary film. The rest was kept in the archives of our foundation and is now presented on this additional DVD.

In keeping with the documentation, we have decided to neither underline the footage with music nor to enhance or in any way change the original US Signal Corps takes from which the first two films "Westwall- Aachen- Hürtgenwald, 1944" and "Nordeifel- Düren - Rur, 1944- 1945" were made. We do however give you the opportunity to listen to an English or German audio commentary which explains how the footage was taken and gives you insights into the historical background. You can switch the commentary on or off at wish by following the main menu on the DVD.

The films "1st US Army - From Aachen to the Roer", "United Newsreel", "The Enemy Strikes" and "Crossing the Rhine" are English films made by the US Government and/or underlying government agencies. They are shown here in the original uncut version. A German synopsis is found in the enclosed booklet. A finding of special interest is the 16 mm movie "Hürtgenwaldsiedlungen" ("Settlements in the Huertgen Forest"), which shows the construction of the "Raffelsbrand"- settlement and also the minesweeping and reconstruction of villages in the Huertgen Forest. We thank the honorary chairman of the historical society of the Huertgen Forest, Dr. Messenig for providing this material, which is being shown for the first time on this DVD. The film document "Battleground Aachen" has also never before been previously released in Germany. This raw footage was taken for "The Big Picture" in 1954 in Aachen and its surroundings and shows the European battlegrounds ten years after the war.

The Konejung Foundation has developed two further projects for the Hürtgen Forest community. These are the historic hiking trail "Historisch-literarischer Wanderweg - Hürtgenwald 1938-1947" and the ensuing project "Multimedia History Guide" with 60 further audio and film documents which can be downloaded for free. An extensive documentation is found in this DVD booklet. We apologize that these projects are currently in German only. We will work on an English version as soon as possible. This will be downloadable at our website www.konejung-stiftung.de. Please check for updates.

Content:

You Enter Germany 2
Das Archivmaterial | The Archive Material

Main Feature

Introduction (5 Min. Deutsch/ English. D 2010).
1. "Westwall - Aachen - Hürtgenwald, 1944" (62 Min, Deutsch/ English, D 2010). Kommentierte Aufnahmen des US Signal Corps. Commented footage by the US Signal Corps.
2. "Nordeifel - Düren - Rur, 1944 - 45" (58 Min, Deutsch/ English, D 2010). Kommentierte Aufnahmen des US Signal Corps. Commented footage by the US Signal Corps.

Bonus Features

3. "1st US Army - Aachen to the Roer" (28 Min, English, USA 1946). Historical Film, US War Department. Hauptsächlich Kampfaufnahmen aus Hürtgenwald und Stolberg-Korridor. Shows mainly combat footage from the Huertgen Forest and the Stolberg-Korridor.
4. "United News" (9 Min. English, USA 1944). Newsreel featuring Geilenkirchen, Eschweiler, Strasbourg and the "Red Ball Express".
5. "The Enemy Strikes" (10 Min., English, USA 1945). US-Propagandafilm über die Ardennen-Offensive, teilweise mit erbeutetem deutschem Material. US-propaganda-movie about the Battle of the Bulge including captured German films.
6. "Crossing the Rhine" (19 Min., English, USA 1949). Erzählt aus der Perspektive von General Eisenhower den Vormarsch zum Rhein in Februar und März 1945. Narrated by General Eisenhower this documentary shows the allied advance to the Rhine in February and March 1945.
7. "Verbrannte Erde" (38 Min., stumm/silent, D 1952) 16 mm Film über den Wiederaufbau im Hürtgenwald. 16 mm movie on the reconstruction of the Huertgen Forest Area.
8. "Battleground Aachen" (9 Min., stumm/ silent. USA 1954). Rohmaterial für die Dokumentation "The Big Picture", zeigt das Kampfgebiet 10 Jahre danach. Raw material for the documentary "The Big Picture" showing the combatzone 10 years after.

In accordance to the original footage this DVD has the format 4:3. All films are black and white only.

EXTRAS:

Taschenbuch mit Inhaltsangaben und Wanderführer "Historisch-literarischer Wanderweg Hürtgenwald 1938-1947", sowie Infos und Link zum Multimedia-Historyguide mit über 60 weiteren Audio- und Filmdokumenten zum Download (German only).

Zusatzinformationen:
Locations shown in the moving images:

Aachen, Ardennen, Arnoldsweiler, Bergerhausen, Bergstein, Brandenberg, Brück, Bütgenbach, Clervaux, Doveren, Düren, Differdange, Eschweiler, Frenz, Geich, Geilenkirchen, Golzheim, Gressenich, Grosshau, Gürzenich, Hamich, Heistern, Huchem-Stammeln, Hürtgen, Hürtgenwald, Inden, Jülich, Kalltal, Kleinhau, Köln, Konzen, Kornelimünster, Kreuzau, Lammersdorf, Linnich, Lucherberg, Luxemburg, Mariaweiler, Marienberg bei Übach-Palenberg, Pier, Mausbach, Merode, Mulartshütte, Nideggen, Oberforstbach, Remagen, Roetgen, Rott, Rurtal, Schevenhütte, Schlich, Schmidt, Stockheim, Stolberg, Urfttalsperre, Vettweiß, Vossenack, Wahlerscheid, Weisweiler, Werth, Zweifall, Zweifallshammer u. a.

Konejung Stiftung: Kultur
Amandusstr. 8
52391 Vettweiß
Germany

Tel: +49 2424 - 202 346
Extension: 202 348
Fax : +49 2424 - 202 347

www.konejung-stiftung.de

info@konejung-stiftung.de