Aimee and Jaguar

The story of the Film Aimee & Jaguar by Max Färberböck is based on the true events of Lilly Wust’s life which she made public only a few years ago. In 1981 she was awarded the Bundesverdienst (Federal Medal of Honour) for hiding her Jewish lover Felice and three other Jewish lesbians. An American reporter approached her and asked for her story; he wished to write a book about her. No one had attempted to record Wust’s experiences before. She said in an interview that she had never felt secure about telling her story before.

Lilly spent some time with the reporter discussing bits of her life with him but never really opening up . She had been secretive about her lesbian affair for almost a lifetime. Her second son told her "Mom, if you're going to do it, then do it right! Tell the entire story or don't tell it at all." So, when Erica Fischer, a German feminist came to her, she told it all.

Erica Fischer was born in St. Albans, England in 1943. Her parents moved to England to escape Nazi persecution in Wien. They returned to Wien in 1948 with their two children. Erica studied translation at the University of Wien and moved on to become a well known Austrian feminist activist, helping found two large feminist movements in the 70’s. Since 1988 she has lived in Germany as a feminist writer and journalist, first in Köln and now in Berlin.

Erica Fischer went on to publish AIMEE & JAGUAR: A LOVE STORY, BERLIN, 1943 about Lilly’s life. The book was an immediate best seller in Germany.

Lilly Wust was married to a Nazi soldier, though he was not a member of the Party. Her family did not approve of this marriage. Anti-Semitism had run in his family and he was no exception. Lilly had four sons: Albrecht was the youngest; Reinhard two years older, Eberhard two years older than Reinhard, and finally three years older was Bernd. Inge Wolf a young girl came into her life when her husband left for the Eastern front. Inge was 16 and serving her mandatory year of service in a Nazi household as a mother’s helper. She grew close to Lilly and helped her with her various affairs with military officials. Through Inge Lilly met Felice.

She fell in love with Felice against all odds at the height of World War II. Felice was a Jew who worked for a Nazi newspaper, leaking out information to rebel informants. Felice was taken away towards the end of the war. Lilly grew depressed and would go to a club they used to frequent in the evenings. After a while she noticed three women about 10 years older than her and got to know them. They quickly became good friends and met regularly until one day she invited them to visit her at home. But they refused. Until one explained to Lilly that they used to be worried but now they could see that she was in no way a supporter of Hitler or the Nazi party. They revealed to her that like Felice they too were Jewish Lesbians. Since their living arrancements were so horrid Lilly had them move in with her.

Lilly is in her mid 80’s now and has put out a book with Erica Fischer’s help, provided interviews in various documentaries and now a narrative film has been produced. She is very much alive, having traveled recently to the US to attend the Golden Globes.