The Germans

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Television series
Original title The Germans
Country of production Germany
original language German
Year (s) 2008 , 2010
length 43 minutes
Episodes 20 in 2 seasons
genre History , documentation
idea Guido Knopp , Peter Arens
production Group 5 film production
music Paul Rabiger
Markus Lonardoni
Hans Günter Wagener
Moderation Hans Mittermüller (speaker)
First broadcast October 26, 2008 on ZDF
occupation

Main actor: see: main actor supporting actor :

Die Deutschen is a multi-part television documentary that was produced on behalf of ZDF and tells German history based on outstanding personalities in selected eras. The historical framework begins in the first season with the reign of Otto the Great and ends in the last episode with the fall of the German Empire after the First World War .

The historical events are also conveyed through elaborate game scenes and digital computer animations and thus contain elements of infotainment .

The documentary series of the first season was filmed in over 200 different locations in Germany, Malta and Romania and cost around 500,000 euros per episode. The series was produced by Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion GmbH in Cologne under the overall direction of Guido Knopp and Peter Arens .

A second season with ten new episodes started on November 13, 2010 on ZDFneo , and one day later on ZDF.

In the series ZDF-History presented by Guido Knopp, five episodes were broadcast at the same time as the first season in 2008 under the title The Germans in the 20th Century , which were designed as a chronological sequel to The Germans .

Since some episodes of the series Terra X: Superbauten and Der Heilige Krieg, also broadcast on ZDF in 2010 and 2011 , allow historical personalities to reappear who were already depicted in The Germans , game scenes from The Germans and others with the same were reused for the production of these documentaries Actors shot.

Episodes of the first season

Part 1: Otto and the Reich

First broadcast: Sunday, October 26th, 2008 at 7.30 p.m. on ZDF. The
focus of this episode is the work of Otto the Great , who for the first time united all the important German tribes in the fight against the Hungarians and emerged victorious from the battle on the Lechfeld .

Part 2: Heinrich and the Pope

First broadcast: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 8:15 pm on ZDF
. The conflict between secular and spiritual power in the 11th century between the Roman-German King Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII , who went to Canossa, is shown reached a climax in the investiture dispute .

Part 3: Barbarossa and the lion

First broadcast: Sun. November 2, 2008 at 7.30 p.m. on ZDF
The power struggle between the Roman-German King and Emperor Friedrich "Barbarossa" and his cousin, Duke Heinrich the Lion of Saxony , which ends in the Imperial Army , exemplifies the tensions between the German territorial rulers and the Roman-German emperors .

Part 4: Luther and the Nation

First broadcast: Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 8:15 pm on ZDF
The Augustinian monk Martin Luther rebels against the sale of indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church and initiates the division of the Christian Church by establishing Protestantism . His translation of the Bible into German lays the foundation for a uniform German language .

Part 5: Wallenstein and the war

First broadcast: Sun. November 9, 2008 at 7.30 p.m. on ZDF
During the Thirty Years' War , the imperial general Wallenstein initially acted very successfully against the Protestant warring factions, but by acting on his own initiative he loses the favor of Emperor Ferdinand II and is murdered. The religious war in Germany only ends after three decades with the Peace of Westphalia .

Part 6: Prussia's Friedrich and the Empress

First broadcast: Tuesday November 11, 2008 at 8:15 pm on ZDF.
The Prussian King Frederick the Great invades Silesia, triggering the First Silesian War and later the Seven Years' War . The Austrian Archduchess and Empress Maria Theresa cannot prevent Prussia from becoming the second great power in Germany.

Part 7: Napoleon and the Germans

First broadcast: Sunday, November 16, 2008 at 7:30 pm on ZDF
The French Emperor Napoleon I subjugates the German territorial states. Inspired by the liberal ideas of the French Revolution , a national feeling emerged in the German states for the first time that was directed against the French occupation. Foreign rule ends with Napoleon's defeat in the Battle of Leipzig .

Part 8: Robert Blum and the Revolution

First broadcast: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 8:15 pm on ZDF
The restoration of the German principalities prevented the formation of a unified nation-state in Germany after the Napoleonic occupation. In the March Revolution of 1848 the citizens revolted against the princely rule and elect the first free parliament in Germany with the Frankfurt National Assembly . The MP Robert Blum is a supporter of a future German republic . With the suppression of the revolution a short time later, hope for a free nation-state also ended .

Part 9: Bismarck and the German Empire

Air Date: Sun 23 November 2008 at 19:30 on ZDF
The Prussian Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck relies on the orders of his king William I , the army reform in the Prussian constitutional conflict by. This forms the military basis for the victorious wars that followed against Denmark , Austria and France . After the victory over France, the German Empire was founded under Prussian leadership .

Part 10: Wilhelm and the world

First broadcast: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 at 8:15 pm on ZDF
In the German Empire under Wilhelm II , not only are economic successes and the existence of a unified national and federal state a reality, there are also considerable social grievances. The expansive foreign policy leads the Reich into conflicts of interest with other great powers and leads to strong rearmament efforts in Europe. In the First World War this military potential is discharged. After the defeat in the war, a republic is proclaimed in Germany.

Episodes of the second season

Part 1: Charlemagne and the Saxons

First broadcast: Saturday, November 13, 2010 at 8:15 pm on ZDFneo
Charlemagne laid the foundation for today's Europe. As Franconian ruler on the throne of the Roman Caesars, he shaped the Christian West. Under the principle of “one ruler, one empire, one belief” he not only created an empire, he also gave it an order under a common religious and cultural identity. Resistance like the tribal chief Widukind from the Saxon people, however, fought relentlessly against Charlemagne. The Saxons' resistance to Frankish rule lasted for thirty-three years and only ended after Widukind agreed to be baptized.

Part 2: Frederick II and the crusade

First broadcast: Sat. November 13, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. on ZDFneo .
Friedrich II. And the crusade reflects the era of the Hohenstaufen ruler Friedrich II. The monarch is highly educated, speaks several languages ​​and is interested in philosophy and science. Some contemporaries call it the “wonder of the world”. His political skill made him a legend during his lifetime. But the greatest enemy of the unusual ruler is in Rome. The Pope wants Frederick to embark on a crusade to the Holy Land. When the monarch hesitates too long, the pontiff expels the unruly ruler from the church. Friedrich is forced to move to the Holy Land if he wants to keep his rule - but he conquers Jerusalem very differently than expected.

Part 3: Hildegard von Bingen and the power of women

First broadcast: Sat. November 20, 2010 at 8:15 pm on ZDFneo
" Hildegard von Bingen and the power of women" shows the most popular German of the Middle Ages. She was a visionary, scientist, politician, composer, theologian and monastery manager.

Part 4: Charles IV and the black death

First broadcast: Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 9:00 pm on ZDFneo
The reign of Charles IV is one of the most dramatic epochs in German history. Around the middle of the 14th century, the plague killed a third of Germans.

Part 5: Thomas Müntzer and the Peasants' War

First broadcast: Sat. November 27, 2010 at 8:15 pm on ZDFneo
“ Thomas Müntzer and the Peasants ' War ” shows how the young priest Müntzer (1489–1525) turned against the ecclesiastical and secular authorities at a time of the Reformation .

Part 6: August the Strong and Love

First broadcast: Sat. November 27, 2010 at 9:00 pm on ZDFneo
He is considered one of the most dazzling monarchs of modern times: Elector Friedrich August I of Saxony , known as "August the Strong" (1670–1733).

Part 7: Karl Marx and the class struggle

First broadcast: Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 8:15 pm on ZDFneo
With the industrial revolution, social problems worsened in the states of the German Federation , mass poverty ( pauperism ) and the emergence of the working class . While in exile in London, the philosopher Karl Marx (1818–1883) called on the workers to engage in class struggle ; The aim of his vision, which he proclaimed in the Communist Manifesto in 1848 , is to overcome capitalism and the classless society, communism . His way of thinking is later copied by rulers like Lenin or Stalin .

Part 8: Ludwig II and Bavaria

First broadcast: Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 9:00 pm on ZDFneo
Myths and legends entwine around the figure of Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845–1886), who is known as the “fairy tale king”.

Part 9: Rosa Luxemburg and freedom

First broadcast: Sat. December 11, 2010 at 8:15 pm on ZDFneo
“ Rosa Luxemburg and Freedom” shows a woman who fights passionately for freedom and justice. The rousing speaker and astute writer aims for a socialist society. When the revolution broke out in Germany on November 9, 1918 , Rosa Luxemburg saw her time had come. Dramatic months follow, in which it is decided which way Germany will go. The situation came to a head and street fights broke out. Rosa Luxemburg wants to prevent bloodshed and in the end is caught up with by the violence: smear campaigns are intended to intimidate the prominent revolutionary, a group of radical right-wingers demands the death of Rosa Luxemburg in leaflets. Your days are numbered.

Part 10: Gustav Stresemann and the Republic

First broadcast: Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. on ZDFneo
“ Gustav Stresemann and the Republic” shows that the first German democracy did not necessarily have to fail. The film reconstructs, among other things, the dramatic hours on the night of November 9, 1923, when Adolf Hitler called for the overthrow of the government in Munich's Bürgerbräukeller and the Weimar Republic was on the brink. When news of Hitler's putsch arrived in Berlin shortly before midnight, Chancellor Gustav Stresemann called an emergency meeting. Can the man of all people save the republic who was once a staunch monarchist and sided with the emperor during the World War? The film shows how Stresemann overcomes the greatest crises. The Reich Chancellor and later Foreign Minister is one of the first German statesmen to recognize that the German future can only be shaped with and not against Europe. Even today the question arises whether Stresemann could have prevented the demise of democracy and Hitler's seizure of power if he had lived longer.

Episodes of The Germans in the 20th Century

  • Part 1: The Restless Republic ( Weimar Republic )
  • Part 2: Hitler's Empire
  • Part 3: The Second World War
  • Part 4: Time of Miracles
  • Part 5: The Path to Unity

Cast and chronological listing

Date of birth personality actor Season episode
04/02/748 Charlemagne Jens Schäfer 2 1
11/23/912 Otto I. David C. Bunners 1 1
11/11/1050 Henry IV. Mickey Hardt 1 2
1098 Hildegard von Bingen Deborah Kaufmann 2 3
around 1122 Friedrich I. "Barbarossa" Guntbert Warns 1 3
12/26/1194 Friedrich II. Michael Pink 2 2
05/14/1316 Charles IV Christoph Jacobi 2 4th
11/10/1483 Martin Luther Georg Prang 1 4th
1489 Thomas Müntzer Stéphane Lalloz 2 5
09/24/1583 Albrecht Wallenstein Stefan Juergens 1 5
05/12/1670 August the Strong Jiří Macháček 2 6th
01/24/1712 Frederick the Great Ulrich Wiggers 1 6th
08/15/1769 Napoleon Bonaparte Adrian Vancica 1 7th
11/10/1807 Robert Blum Steffen Munster 1 8th
04/01/1815 Otto von Bismarck Vlad Radescu 1 9
05/05/1818 Karl Marx Oliver Boysen 2 7th
08/25/1845 Ludwig II. André Kaczmarczyk 2 8th
01/27/1859 Wilhelm II. Udo Schenk 1 10
05.03.1871 Rosa Luxemburg Tereza Brodská 2 9
05/10/1878 Gustav Stresemann Ulrich Gebauer 2 10

reception

criticism

“[...] The series is rather unsuitable for an offensive towards quality television in the sense of Marcel Reich-Ranicki . It should be suitable for the masses and probably is; It is intended to interest young people and tries to do so with extensive accompanying material for schoolchildren, which was developed in cooperation with the history teachers' association; it should mediate between entertainment and information, which with all the pathos could well succeed. But “The Germans” are by no means one thing: television, as cultural critics would like. "

- Sven Felix Kellerhoff : The world

“ Anyone who does not like illusionistically illustrated history books and does not count historical novels as one of their favorite readings can do without 'Die Deutschen' on ZDF. The dramaturgy tried and tested with the Ottonians and the aesthetics developed on them will not change in the subsequent episodes, will become new - from Barbarossa to Wallenstein and in the end Bismarck and Wilhelm II - only the characters and their actors. ,Who are we? Where do we come from? Where do we belong? ' ZDF asks us in the opening credits for each episode. One shouldn't take this pathos so seriously either. "

- Jochen Hieber : Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

“ Leftist historians often make the mistake of judging the past. 'Right' historiography always knows that in the end (i.e. today) everything went well. With this idea in mind, which creates nothing but a tradition that is calming on all sides, the Mainz TV historians then also take daring leaps: the election of a prince instead of hereditary emperor is the basis of our federalism and, as early as the 12th century, 'Germans' and 'Italians' are unabashed ', the speech. People only called themselves that much later. But now the German Michel knows how old he is. Nothing has to worry him. Not at all disturbing. Guido Knopp makes a tradition like an embroidered doily on a pillow. Here knowledge creates a clear conscience. "

- Bernd Gäbler : Star

Audience ratings

Although the criticism about the content and quality of the series was very controversial, the ZDF achieved a very high audience rating with the broadcast . The first episode of the first season in 2008 was seen by 6.48 million television viewers and thus achieved a market share of 20.9 percent. The other episodes were also successful, with 4.3 to 5.6 million viewers (as of November 18, 2008). The subsequent DVD evaluation was also very successful.

literature

  • Guido Knopp, Stefan Brauburger , Peter Arens: The Germans: from the Middle Ages to the 20th century . Bertelsmann-Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-570-00942-0 .
  • Guido Knopp, Stefan Brauburger, Peter Arens: The Germans: from Charlemagne to Rosa Luxemburg . Bertelsmann-Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-570-10035-6 .
  • Guido Knopp: The Germans in the 20th Century: from the First World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall . Bertelsmann-Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-570-00976-5 .

Movies

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Sven Felix Kellerhoff: A thousand years of history packaged as a TV series. In: welt.de. October 25, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Simone Schellhammer: Guido Knopp explains the Germans. In: tagesspiegel.de. October 26, 2008, accessed January 20, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Uwe Mantel: Second "The Germans" season first on ZDFneo. DWDL.de , September 13, 2010, accessed on September 13, 2010 .
  4. ↑ Jochen Hieber: History on television is always a novel. In: faz.net. October 23, 2008, accessed January 20, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Bernd Gäbler: Guido Knopp, the ZDF Santa Claus. In: stern.de. November 10, 2008, accessed January 20, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Sensational success “The Germans”: Quality and quota are not mutually exclusive. (No longer available online.) In: meedia.de. October 27, 2008, archived from the original on November 18, 2011 ; accessed on January 20, 2017 .
  7. ↑ 5.45 million viewers saw "Napoleon and the Germans". In: presseportal.de. November 17, 2008, accessed January 20, 2017 .