I spent several weeks in 2008 and 2009 traveling in Germany to research, shoot and screen a documentary. The subject of the film was a German-born American Jew who returned to his childhood hometown in 1969 — 30 years after his family’s harrowing escape from the country.
During my first visit, while searching the town archives for local photographs taken during the Nazi era, I was surprised to find only a few photos were available.
“There is little in the archives from those years,” my colleague Reverend Karl explained over beers one evening. “The photos you seek are in the private collection of a local man called Albert Weber. I can ask him if he’d be willing to work with you.”
Later that week, Reverend Karl drove me to the home of Mr. Weber who had agreed to share digital images of his historic photo collection. As we pulled into the shaded drive, Karl stopped the car and turned to me.
“Cyd,” he said, “there’s something I need to tell you about Mr. Weber before you meet him.”
