Mainz – September 11, 2026 -- The ZDF documentary "Die Nummer auf meinem Arm – Albrecht Weinberg und seine Geschichte," which first aired on June 4, 2024, is being released as a 90-minute cinema film titled "Albrecht Weinberg. Es ist immer in meinem Kopf" ("Albrecht Weinberg. It's Always in My Head"). The film opens in German theaters on Thursday, September 10, 2026, and will later air on ZDF following its cinema run.
Filmmakers Güner Jasemin Balci and Jesco Denzel directed the project, which follows Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg's return to Germany in 2012 after 60 years of exile in the United States.
Weinberg spent decades speaking at schools and memorials before his death at 101
Born in 1925 in Rhauderfehn, East Frisia, Weinberg described his early family life as modest but happy until the Nazi seizure of power. His parents were murdered in Auschwitz, and his brother, who survived the war, died shortly afterward under unclear circumstances. Weinberg emigrated to the United States with his sister and initially vowed never to return to Germany.
Residents of Leer eventually persuaded him to come back. There, he built a new life alongside Gerda Dänekas, who began as his caregiver and became his friend and roommate. Weinberg started sharing his story first with Dänekas, then at public events, drawing emotional reactions from audiences.
Reaching young people mattered most to him, as proof the world had changed
Weinberg placed particular importance on connecting with younger generations, viewing their engagement with his story as evidence that today's world is better than the one he endured. He died on May 12, 2026, at age 101.