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In Dachau, there was established the first Nazi concentration camp. There was a special section called „Pfarrerblock“, where from 1939 to 1945 there were interned 2579 priests from all over Europe. Less than a half of them had survived. The only crime they committed was to take part in their countries´ revolt against the occupation by the Nazis. Especially the priests and votaries in Luxemburg put up a strong resistance against the occupancy of the Nazis. As a result, there were many priests from Luxemburg interned in Dachau. During his internment abbé Jean Bernard witnessed the slaughter of his fellow prisoners. In January 1942 was abbé Jean Bernard released on probation for nine days.
In case he didn't return back to the camp, the commander of the concentration camp announced that other priests would be executed. Back home in Luxemburg, the thirty-five years old Jean Bernard is bound to persuade the episcopate in Luxemburg to support Hitler's European politics. The chief of the GESTAPO in Luxemburg – a former ordained deacon – promises to free Jean Bernard, if he rises to this occasion. Jean Bernard finds himself face to face with an inextricable problem. If he refused the task, he would endanger his very life and the lives of the prisoners in Dachau. On the other hand his conscience doesn't allow him to accept either.

Abbé Jean Bernard (1907-1994) became in 1933 the general secretary of the International Catholic Film Organisation O.C.O.C. and one of the most significant representatives of spiritual film works. On January 6, 1941 he was arrested by the GESTAPO and taken to Dachau. He was released in August 1942.

Jean Bernard became the editor-in-chief and the publisher of the daily paper „ the Luxemburg Word.“ From 1947 to 1972 he was the president of O.C.I.C. (today: SIGNIS). In 1945 his book „Pfarrarblock 25487“ was published and became a bestseller in Luxemburg. Jean Bernard was an outstanding person, direct and able to establish himself, his faith remained unshaken until the end.

Volker Schlödorff, the director of the movie, got immediately excited about the theme, which became the base for the movie „Der neunte Tag“. Both protagonists – the abbé, who gets out of the concentration camp for a few days, and the GESTAPO chief in the Nazi-held Luxemburg wage war against each other. It is a conflict between moral and power. Courage of civilians, people exposed to extreme life situations, political despotism directed against the individual, the struggle for survival in the concentration camp - all these aspects inosculate in "Der neunte Tag." As Schlöndorff himself said: “Concentration camp, religion, conscience, decency – it is a whole sea of the bygone in one cup of water.”

Volker Schlödorff was born in 1939 in Wiesbaden. His political involvement is apparent also in his film production. His films often criticize violence and the way political power is executed in the society. Schlöndorff usually produces commercial entertaining films, but he also likes picturizing pieces of humanities. The movie “Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum” (1975) inspired by a novel, of the same name, by Heinrich Böll, was a knock-out in the German cinemas and brought Schlöndorff great success. His film adaptation of a novel by Günter Grass „Die Blechtrommel“ became the first German movie rewarded in 1979 in Cannes with the Golden Palm. In 1927 it became the first Oscar rewarded German movie. The theme of Schlöndorff´s movie „Die Blechtrommel“ is protest of an individual against the Nazi dictatorship. He comes back to the subject in his film „Der Unhold“ (1996) inspired by the literary work „Der Erlkönig“ by Michel Tournier. Schlöndorff in his work reflects on the responsibility a person has for his attitude toward the society and his acting or not acting in it.


The maker of the work of art "Der neunte Tag" (work name "Pfarrerblock"), is professor Jürgen Haase in cooperation with Provobis Film GmbH, ARTE and Videopress Luxemburg (Weltvertrieb: Telepool). „Der neunte Tag“ is funded by FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH and Fonds national de soutien a la production audiovisuelle Luxembourg. Executive producer is BELTFILM.