- published: 14 Sep 2015
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Die Deutsche Wochenschau (English: The German Weekly Newsreel) is a series of German newsreels from 1940 until the end of World War II.
After the invasion of Poland (September 1939, the outbreak of the Second World War), the Nazis consolidated four separate newsreel production efforts into one. These newsreels (Ufa-Tonwoche, Deulig-Tonwoche, Tobis-Woche, Fox-Tönende Wochenschau) were merged into a single wartime newsreel, but kept their respective opening titles until June 1940. After that, the merger was made public by use of a single new opening title: Die Deutsche Wochenschau. This was the sole series of German newsreels until the end of World War II. It was a source of footage for late Nazi propaganda films such as Der Ewige Jude and Feldzug in Polen, as well as innumerable post-war documentaries. Despite Harry Giese's signature rat-a-tat narration that gives the proceedings a documentary-like tone, liberties were taken in retelling the facts in this Nazi propaganda tool. Comedic public service announcements were delivered by the Tran and Helle duo.Die Deutsche Wochenschau was also exported to occupied territories that had been annexed to the Reich, like Austria and the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. For other occupied regions, or for neutral nations (like Sweden), another newsreel was made: Ufa's Auslandstonwoche or 'Foreign Weekly Newsreel'.