The beret
The beret is a novel by Hans Blickensdörfer and was published by him in 1973 . It became a bestseller that was translated into 18 languages.
Summary
In the novel The Beret , the author tells of his experiences immediately after the end of the Second World War. In order to avoid being captured by the Russians, the young soldier Hans Blickensdörfer poses as an Alsatian and ends up in France, where he made friends before the war and as an occupation soldier . However, he is betrayed, imprisoned, mistaken for a spy because of his excellent knowledge of the French language, and taken to the notorious Bonne Nouvelle prison in Rouen. In addition to hatred of Germany , violence, hunger and illness, he also experienced solidarity and help from French inmates. In this way, the author also gives insights into the post-war trauma in France, which the collaboration had to deal with under German occupation. Finally he manages to escape. He wears a beret to hide his shaved head. After several new arrests and attempts to escape, he finally returns to his homeland in Germany under adventurous circumstances.
filming
In 1990 the novel was filmed in a German-French co-production as a six-part ARD miniseries with Patrick Bach in the lead role and directed by Alain Bonnot .