Rosenstrasse Page #2

Please.

You're an Aryan German woman...

from an old aristocratic family.

Hard to believe you didn't spare

your father this disgrace.

Forgive me for interrupting, sir,

I was told you could help me.

That's what I'm trying to do.

You'd have your maiden name again...

and be a free person, Miss von Eschenbach.

I've been married 10 years.

I'm not divorcing.

And I've attested to

this many times already.

If you won't divorce voluntarily,

we'll evacuate you as a Jew as well.

But could you tell me

where my husband is first?

We don't give information

to Jew-f***ing whores.

Feel free to come to me

if you change your mind.

Heil Hitler!

Name...

Name.

I won't be on there.

Name?

Fabian Fischer.

Fabian Israel Fischer.

Yes, I almost forgot.

Not the best place for that.

Place of work?

German Armaments Factory.

There's been a mistake. My wife's Aryan.

- I'm an intermarried Jew.

- Sign here.

What is it?

Bequeathal to the fatherland.

You've already taken everything.

You must still have a chair or a table...

Where are you taking us?

Only he can tell you that.

Get your lousy hands off me.

My wife is Aryan, I must let her know.

Where are we going?

You'll find out soon enough. Beat it.

Are you deaf?

No actually, my hearing's perfect,

Oberscharfuehrer...

What I mean is

I have perfect pitch... You see...

I'm... I was a musician.

This makes music too.

Ever hear it?

I don't see him here.

Please, have another look,

Fabian Israel Fischer.

I'm sure there are a lot of Fischers.

Israels too.

A man can't just disappear.

Did you go ask at Burgstrasse?

Yes, I've been to

Prinz Albrecht Strasse too.

And?

They don't give information

to Jew-f***ing whores.

Then neither can I.

Next please.

Is this card something terrible?

No, it's only so they can register us.

My parents will come looking for me.

You're sure it doesn't

mean anything terrible?

See, now I've got one too.

Let's go, line up. By the stairs.

Hurry up.

Here.

Idiotic:
card on, card off...

What were you saying?

Just that it's a fun game.

Can we play some more?

Quiet, wise guy.

Get down there or do you want help?

Get in there...

Are they holding us prisoner?

Or evacuating us.

Where to?

East.

Whatever the case, we're separated

from our wives and kids.

Were you able to notify your wife?

No.

None of us.

You mean they're sending us away

and our wives will never know?

My wife will come looking for me.

What if she doesn't find us?

Then there'll be no farewell.

Dear Luis, guess well, after three days

I got lucky.

I went to the local Jewish

Community Center here,

and asked searching about my mom.

Amazingly they confirmed

that she had lived for several years

with a woman named Lena Fischer.

And her husband is Jewish.

Lena was a Gentile.

What the Nazi called the "mixed marriage".

So I called the phone number they gave me.

Luis, it was a miracle.

She is still alive!

I told her I'm an American historian

doing research on "mixed marriage"

doing in the Third Reich.

She invited me to come

see her this morning.

I'm so nervous. I didn't sleep a wink.

Hannah Weinstein, from New York.

Fourth floor.

Having no lift is a bit of

a nuisance, isn't it?

Please, come in.

I've prepared us something to eat.

Or are you on a diet?

Young women these days

are always on diets.

That can't be very healthy, can it?

We were very thin back then too,

but...

not by choice.

We were always hungry.

Hungry...

and scared.

Please have a seat.

Anorexic women these days...

are scared too.

Oh really?

You'll have to explain that to me.

I made us some coffee,

is that alright with you?

Yes, wonderful.

Now then, scared you were saying?

Who me?

You don't look anorexic.

Oh... No, not me...

I suppose...

I suppose they're scared of life.

You speak German without an accent.

I noticed it on the phone.

My mother is German.

So that's why you're

interested in German history...

Go ahead and have a look around.

There's a photograph of my husband and me.

Your phone call opened

the floodgates of my memories.

Do you mind...

if I record our conversation?

Not at all.

I hope you aren't an informer.

Do you play the piano?

I haven't played in ages.

You should know, Hannah...

May I call you that?

Of course.

...that in 1943...

more than half of all the Jews

still alive in Germany lived in Berlin.

Most Americans think...

there were very few Jews

still left in Germany.

A lot of them had been deported already.

But our husbands were safe because of us,

because of their Aryan wives.

They were put to work

in factories, though.

Forced labor is what they'd call it today.

And no matter what

their professions had been,

they were all making ammunition now.

That's my lunch.

Meals on Wheels...

Dear Luis...

Mom tries to forget her past.

Lena is just the opposite, remembering

every details as if it just happened.

I didn't mention mom yet.

I'm still waiting, hoping that

Lena will somehow bring up my mother.

So far Lena is telling me

about her Jewish husband

and how she had been doing everything

she could to protect him.

Would you protect me?

Yes? Hello?

Just a moment.

Klara,

it's for you.

Hello?

Where?

Please, tell me where?

Is something wrong?

No.

Nothing really, no.

Come in.

I'd like permission to leave

a little earlier today.

I have a terrible stomachache.

Ate too much, did you?

Or rather,

I dare say not enough.

Yes, you can go. Go home...

You have sick leave.

Thank you, Herr Mueller.

When you're feeling better,

I hope you'll let me

take you out for dinner.

Next stop:
Rosenstrasse.

Step back please.

Excuse me.

Pardon me, is this the Jewish

social welfare office?

It used to be.

Now it's a Jewish prison.

What?

And how can I find out who they're holding inside?

I claimed my husband had our house key.

The policeman went in

and really did come out with our key.

The middle one.

That's how I know he's in there.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

My husband is inside there.

He has our ration book

and I need it urgently.

My wife has our ration book,

shopping is a woman's job.

Of course, you're absolutely right,

but I start work very early,

he on the other hand...

works the night shift, you see?

Your husband's name?

Fabian Fischer.

Aren't you forgetting something?

Sorry, Fabian Israel Fischer.

Alright, I'll see what I can do for you.

Thank you.

I saw my mom. Up there.

She waved to me.

How do you know she's in there?

She promised she'd come home to me soon.

Were you inside there? How did you get in?

Through the courtyard.

I made myself very small.

Your husband says

he left it at the factory.

Thank you, you're an angel.

Can I get permission to see him?

You'd have to get yourself a star.

What?

You mean they might never be released.

I'm going to wait anyway.

For a miracle.

Please, how can I find out who's in there?

I'm looking for my husband.

They took him away this morning.

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