Kaffee und Kuchen: Shifting Paths Film Screening

Shifting Paths is a multi-generational narrative exploring one family's resilience during the 1933 boycott of Jewish businesses in Frankfurt, Germany. This film traces the loss of a family-owned pharmaceutical company and how a once banned chamomile product, Kamillosan, has survived today with few knowing anything of its history.

Arthur Abelmann founded the Chemiewerk pharmaceutical company in Frankfurt in the early 1920s. The film captures Frankfurt’s transformation between 1932 and 1934, highlighting Abelmann’s efforts to protect his company and family amid rising danger. After Hitler’s rise to power, the Nazi Doctors' Association banned his products, and on the eve of Boycott Saturday in 1933, he sent his family to Zurich before resigning from the Chemiewerk. The company was soon taken over by Degussa and IG Farben. The film uses first-person narratives, family artifacts, and archival media juxtaposing the vibrant Jewish cultural life in Frankfurt with the rise of Nazi oppression. Incorporating materials from the Arthur Abelmann collection at the Jewish Center for History and images from archives in Germany and Switzerland, the film explores the themes of survival, loss, and legacy. By blending historical visuals with modern footage, the film bridges past and present, telling an enduring story of resilience and hope.

Run time: 40 minutes

Filmmaker Charles Abelmann will join us virtually for a Q+A following the film.

1:30 refreshments
2:00 program

This program is free an open to the public. $10 suggested donation.

This program is possible with support from the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.

☕️ BYOM!
Guests are welcome to bring their own mugs if they wish. Disposable cups are provided, but help us reduce waste and bring a favorite mug!

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*Guests will be asked to present their membership cards at the front desk if they registered for the program as a member. If you are unsure of your membership status or need a replacement membership card, please contact info@gahc.org or call 563-322-8844 x0

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