Feb 21, 2025 | "Dark Past Returns" is a powerful and chilling TRT World exclusive documentary that explores the rise of far-right ideologies in contemporary Germany. It examines the forces behind this extremist movement and its growing influence on politics today, revealing the lingering shadow of Germany’s Nazi history.
Niklas Frank, the son of Hans Frank, Nazi governor general in German-occupied Poland, offers a sobering perspective, stating, "We are about 82 million people, and I would say only 1 million of them are really true Democrats. The rest are nothing more than prepared to live in another dictatorship." This highlights the far right’s continued influence, particularly with the rise of the AfD. Through voices like Frank’s, viewers witness the ideological shift in Germany.
The film also exposes the AfD’s dangerous vision and its threat to Germany's democracy. Journalist James Jackson notes, "The AfD is the voice of Pegida … Islamophobia is at the core of their message," emphasising the movement's divisive rhetoric. As fears of migration rise, the film warns of the AfD’s potential to gain power. Niklas expresses deep concern, saying, "If AfD comes to power, they will for sure throw out all the migrants if they can."
TRT World’s documentary also investigates the contradictions within the AfD. Despite the party's manifesto explicitly stating, "Islam does not belong to Germany," Stefan Keuter, a member of the German parliament from the AfD, gave an exclusive interview where he claimed, "The AfD shares many common points with Muslims." He even described Bjorn Hocke, a key figure in the AfD known for his anti-Islam views, as one of the party’s best politicians. The question remains: what is the true face of the AfD?
With stark statements like, "The AfD doesn’t have an economic model … They are spreading lies and creating division," the documentary highlights how the far right manipulates fear and division in Germany.
Jan 28, 2025 | Niklas Frank wächst von 1939 bis 1945 im von Deutschland besetzten Polen auf. Sein Vater Hans Frank ist einer der Hauptverantwortlichen für die Verbrechen der Nationalsozialisten im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Wie lebt man im Schatten eines solchen Vaters? Und wie geht man mit familiärer Kriegsschuld um?
Eine Kindheit im fremden Polen, aber in Luxus und Pomp, das erlebte Niklas Frank bis zu seinem sechsten Lebensjahr. Dann befreite die Rote Armee Polen von der deutschen Besatzung, suchten und verhafteten die Nazi-Schergen und stellten sie vor das Internationale Militärtribunal in Nürnberg. Elf wurden zum Tod durch den Strang verurteilt, unter ihnen Hans Frank, Generalgouverneur von Polen, Hitlers Anwalt in zahlreichen Prozessen und damit politisch verantwortlich für die Deportation und Hinrichtung Hunderttausender Menschen.
Mit knapp 50 Jahren beginnt der Autor und Journalist Niklas Frank, sich intensiver mit seinem Vater und dessen Taten auseinanderzusetzen. Obsessiv durchforstet er Akten, Briefe, Fotos und schreibt sich hasserfüllt von der Seele, was er Vater und Mutter nie sagen konnte. Olivia Röllin fragt anlässlich des 80. Jahrestages der Befreiung des Konzentrationslagers Auschwitz-Birkenau: Wie geht man mit vergangener Schuld und einer solchen Familiengeschichte um? Was verbindet uns mit unseren Vorfahren, wie kann die Erinnerung an die Shoah lebendig gehalten werden und was passiert, wenn es eines Tages keine Zeitzeugen mehr gibt?
Apr 26, 2017 | Germany could return to authoritarianism if the economic conditions were to seriously worsen in the country, the son of Hans Frank the governor general of Nazi occupied Poland during World War Two, has told BBC Hardtalk.
"As long as our economy is great, and as long as we make money everything is very democratic," said Niklas Frank, but "if we have five to 10 years [of] heavy economic problems, the swamp is a lake, and is a sea and will swallow again, everything," he added.
Niklas Frank said he "despises" his father for the crimes he committed while he was governor-general of Poland from 1939 to 1945, and he tours Germany giving speeches about his father and the legacy of the Nazi era.
Hans Frank was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg trials and executed in 1946.
Jul 27, 2017 | On May 25, the Trumpet staff had the opportunity to interview Niklas Frank. Mr. Frank's father, Hans Frank was the Nazi governor-general of occupied Poland during World War II. He is responsible for the deaths of millions of people. Niklas despises what his father did. Today, he travels around Germany giving speeches about his notorious father and the shameful legacy of Nazi Germany. This video highlights some of the main talking points from our interview with Mr. Frank.
Feb 20, 2025 | When the truth is silenced, the past never truly ends. Niklas Frank reveals how the hidden history of his father’s crimes in Nazi Germany continues to haunt him, serving as a chilling reminder that ignoring the past, however dark it may be, only invites it to repeat itself — a stark reminder that the rising far-right movement in Germany, which is increasingly reminiscent of the Nazi party, threatens to bring about another cycle of violence, adding yet another haunting chapter to Germany’s already dark past.
Jan 28, 2025 | Niklas Frank wächst von 1939 bis 1945 im von Deutschland besetzten Polen auf. Sein Vater Hans Frank ist einer der Hauptverantwortlichen für die Verbrechen der Nationalsozialisten im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Wie lebt man im Schatten eines solchen Vaters? Und wie geht man mit familiärer Kriegsschuld um?
Eine Kindheit im fremden Polen, aber in Luxus und Pomp, das erlebte Niklas Frank bis zu seinem sechsten Lebensjahr. Dann befreiten die Amerikaner Polen von der deutschen Besatzung, suchten und verhafteten die Nazi-Schergen und stellten sie vor das Internationale Militärtribunal in Nürnberg. Elf wurden zum Tod durch den Strang verurteilt, unter ihnen Hans Frank, Generalgouverneur von Polen, Hitlers Anwalt in zahlreichen Prozessen und damit politisch verantwortlich für die Deportation und Hinrichtung Hunderttausender Menschen.
Mit knapp 50 Jahren beginnt der Autor und Journalist Niklas Frank, sich intensiver mit seinem Vater und dessen Taten auseinanderzusetzen. Obsessiv durchforstet er Akten, Briefe, Fotos und schreibt sich hasserfüllt von der Seele, was er Vater und Mutter nie sagen konnte. Olivia Röllin fragt anlässlich des 80. Jahrestages der Befreiung des Konzentrationslagers Auschwitz-Birkenau: Wie geht man mit vergangener Schuld und einer solchen Familiengeschichte um? Was verbindet uns mit unseren Vorfahren, wie kann die Erinnerung an die Shoah lebendig gehalten werden und was passiert, wenn es eines Tages keine Zeitzeugen mehr gibt?
Niklas Frank ist der Sohn jenes Mannes, der als Hitlers Generalgouverneur im besetzten Polen verantwortlich war für die NS-Vernichtungslager im Land. Niklas Frank hat seine Vergangenheit schonungslos aufgearbeitet - die Deutschen aber hätten es nicht, sagt er im DW-Interview.
A rare honest appraisal of the German People by a son of one its cruelest Nazi murderers. Niklas Frank is the son of Hans Frank, the German Governor-General of occupied Poland during World War II. He spoke about his father and the German nation on the SBS Insight Program broadcast on 4 August 2015.
HARDtalk is in rural northern Germany to meet Niklas Frank, a journalist and writer but also the son of Hans Frank, the brutal Nazi Governor of Poland from 1939 to 1945. He was convicted of war crimes and executed after the Nuremberg trials for the major role he played in the deaths of millions of Jews and Poles during the Second World War. Niklas Frank tells Stephen Sackur how he's coped with the crimes of his father and why he will not let his fellow Germans forget the worst aspects of the Nazi era.
Germany could return to authoritarianism if the economic conditions were to seriously worsen in the country, the son of Hans Frank the governor general of Nazi occupied Poland during World War Two, has told BBC Hardtalk. "As long as our economy is great, and as long as we make money everything is very democratic," said Niklas Frank, but "if we have five to 10 years heavy economic problems the swamp is a lake, and is a sea and will swallow again, everything," he added. Niklas Frank said he "despises" his father for the crimes he committed while he was governor-general of Poland from 1939 to 1945, and tours Germany giving speeches about his father and the legacy of the Nazi era. Hans Frank was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg trials and executed in 1946.
