AV Club: World War II in Central and Eastern Europe

World War II at 80

Join us for a screening of 16mm films that depict the wartime experience in Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia, which were under Soviet and Nazi occupation in World War II. Join Special Collections librarian and archivist Katharine Labuda and librarian Miriam Kashem in a discussion on Central and Eastern Europe during World War II and the "World War II at 80" program series. For more information, please contact the branch at 305-375-5572 or specialcollections@mdpls.org. Ages 14 yrs.+

About the "World War II at 80" Program Series

2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a pivotal historical moment that continues to resonate profoundly in our global landscape. The Miami-Dade Public Library System proudly presents "World War II at 80" - a year-long series honoring historical milestones. Enlightening panel discussions and presentations, thought-provoking exhibits and book clubs, along with other insightful events are planned throughout the year. Discover Miami's role in this informative chapter of history and its ongoing relevance today.? Students may ask about earning community service hours for attending and participating in the event.

Visit https://mdpls.org/WWII to learn more and see the schedule of events. 

About the Films:

·         Spring man and the SS, 1973, 16 mins.

This animated cartoon was made toward the end of World War II, in Czechoslovakia, by puppeteer/filmmaker Jiri Trnka. Also known as The Devil on Springs, the film's anti-Nazi tone dismayed the Nazis and created a fabled hero known at the Spring Man, who is actually a chimney sweep whose feet, caught up in some couch springs, bounce along causing one disaster after another for the Nazis and their eventual defeat. Trnka develops the theme of the power of the individual in an oppressive society with this symbol.

·         Joseph Schultz, 1973, 11 mins.

A dramatization about a German soldier during World War II in Yugoslavia who, refusing to participate in the execution of innocent hostages, brings his own death, and provides for the viewer a consideration of the moral and ethical code of the individual in a time of war.

·         Raoul Wallenberg, missing hero, 1981, 51 mins.

With archival footage and interviews with various persons related with his case, this film tells the story and discusses the fate of the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II, only to vanish into Russian prisons after the liberation of Hungary by the Soviet forces.

About the Film Collection

The 16mm film collection has been part of the Library's holdings for over 55 years. It began in the 1960s, and its first films were part of the City of Miami’s public library before there was a county library. When MDPLS was formed, the County supplemented its local funding for films with Federal LSCA (Library Services and Construction Act) grants. Apart from leased feature films, all films were purchased for free exhibition for the life of the print. Subjects within the collection include experimental/avant-garde art films, non-narrated films, children’s films, Black history, Floridiana, and local history. Today, there are over 4,000 films within the collection.

About the Division of Special Collections & Archives

Miami-Dade Public Library System’s Division of Special Collections & Archives holds rare and irreplaceable historical documents for the benefit of the public and scholarly community. They oversee the Helen Muir Florida Collection, 16mm Film Collection, Cuban Collection of Rare Books & Ephemera, Genealogy Collection, The Vasari Project, and rare & antiquarian books from as early as the 17th century. The Division's primary goal is to provide the public with the contents of the vault at their request. Its collections include rare books, original manuscripts, over 18,000 photographs, prints, artifacts, audiovisual resources, and electronic media.

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