Courtesy of Imperial War Museum

A fascinating look at the training and work of the new police forces in post-war Germany, focusing on Hamburg. Using dramatic reconstructions, the film describes the urgent need for law and order after the Nazi police force was disbanded, thus Public Safety Officers went in with the Army of Occupation to train a new, young, non-Nazi German police.

At the Polizeischule Hamburg recruits are taught that "the Police Officer is the servant of the public, not its master". Typical tasks shown are police checking up on ex-Nazis, looking after refugees, dealing with the major problems of delinquent children and prostitution. The biggest problem is the black market, which hampers Germany's recovery: black marketeers are arrested and the goods returned to the open market.

IWM Film and Video Archive Loans Catalogue (2000)

Click titles to see or read more