I, Thomas Müntzer, God's sickle

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Movie
Original title I, Thomas Müntzer, God's sickle
Country of production GDR
original language German
Publishing year 1989
length 119 minutes
Rod
Director Kurt Veth
script Hans Pfeiffer
Kurt Veth
production DEFA
on behalf of East German television
music Karl-Ernst Sasse
camera Erich Gusko
cut Brigitte Koppe
occupation

Ich, Thomas Müntzer, Sichel Gottes is a film made in the GDR in 1989 and directed by Kurt Veth .

The television film describes a phase in the life of the theologian Thomas Müntzer .

action

At the beginning of 1523, the theologian Thomas Müntzer moved to Allstedt , where he wanted to take up a position as pastor . On the way there, shortly before the city, he meets the mayor Herold and his injured grandson , who was tortured by soldiers of Count von Mansfeld because he wanted to flee into the city again. The apathetic herald tells the afflicted Müntzer that he saw this coming. Dreams would have told him. Müntzer brings the injured youth to the nearby Nauendorfer monastery . The abbess , who leads a strict regiment and recently had a nun who had had a child, walled up in a convent cell so far that only a small window remained for serving food, promises the nun Ottilie von Gersen to take care of the injured person with the monastery name Innocentia.

Müntzer continues on his way and arrives in the town of Allstedt in Mansfelder Lehn . Before going to the town council, he had a long chat with the tanner Krumpe, who became one of his most loyal followers. During official visit at City Hall learns Muentzer next bailiff Zeys and Mayor Ruckert also the town clerk know Knaute. Knaute is a real hot spur who wants the freedom of a Christian to be introduced into the city as well. Müntzer immediately found out the amount of his wages and of a dwelling made available to him. Magister Müntzer also professes to be a supporter of Luther . He met him and was one of the first to spread Luther's word. But in a conversation that took place soon afterwards between Müntzer and some craftsmen , when they denounced the church, Müntzer articulated that the palaces and fortresses were robber's caves, thus revealing for the first time his subversive character. On the next day, Müntzer held the first service where the liturgy was still in Latin. His new congregation, attended in large numbers, listens to his sermon in which he proclaims that a flood will come, the course of which will only be known by those who are like sailors . After the flood there would be a world without wealth and poverty as only the elect would survive. Among the listeners to the sermon are some nuns from the nearby monastery. Among them Ottilie von Gersen, who, unlike her sisters, is impressed by the sermon. Some time later, Müntzer changed the liturgy and introduced a German mass . He buys a printing press , uses it to print his “German Evangelical Mass”, thereby pre-empting Luther, from whom he has now distanced himself because he is not Luther's tool. From now on, Müntzer wanted to compete with Luther, who had his thoughts printed en masse. He now wants to reach more readers with his writings than those of his community. However, there is no electoral approval for printing. But the council stands behind Müntzer, even helps with the further establishment of the print shop and so the print shop continues. After the books have been printed, the only thing left to do is sell the books. The bookseller who wants to do this wants to sell them in Wittenberg , Leipzig and in the south, where it can be life-threatening for booksellers.

There is news from the Nauendorfer monastery. Herold's son is well and can be picked up by Müntzer. Ottilie von Gersen secretly confesses her love to Müntzer on this occasion. However, this is noted by the abbess. She threatens Ottilie that there are still enough stones and mortar to wall her in too. She should give up the relationship with Müntzer. Thereupon Ottilie flees from the monastery to Thomas Müntzer in the city, in which Herold's son now also lives. The scared Ottilie wants to stay with him forever and ever. Müntzer decides to marry Ottilie as quickly as possible, even if the Roman Church rules out a marriage between priests and nuns . Meanwhile, Ottilie is staying with the tanner and his wife.

Müntzer visits the Count von Mansfeld's mine outside the city. The count found out about this and subsequently forbade the miners and any of his subjects from dealing with Müntzer. You shouldn't go to his mess any more. When he found out about it, he preached against the count, called him a robber and man-smoker and spoke out more and more against Luther and his positions. Müntzer writes a letter in which he claims that all power has been given to the people and that rebellion is therefore legitimate. Luther reacts angrily. He is annoyed that Müntzer held a German mass in front of him, and wonders whether it is still on the same page. He sends Spalatin to Müntzer to question him. In the questioning, Spalatin found that Müntzer did not take the Bible very carefully and advocated revolt.

Müntzer marries Ottilie, who has to cover her bald head from the monastery with a real hair wig made from the hair of the dead, because Müntzer cannot afford anything expensive. After the church marriage, she moves in with her wedded husband and the two have their first sexual intercourse . During a visit from Herold's son, Ottilie explains to him that God speaks directly to Thomas, her husband.

Müntzer and his followers found an alliance against the princes. The covenant should overcome all religions and extend to the end of the world. The allies procure weapons and store them. Weeks later, at the first federal assembly, it is decided to destroy the nearby monastery, because the loads on the monastery are too high for the community. The decision will be implemented the next night. The monastery inventory, altars and pictures are destroyed by allies. The nuns are not touched. But the abbess is expelled from the city. The meanwhile pregnant Ottilie gives birth to her child during this exciting time.

Duke Georg calls on the bailiff to find the arsonists and punish them. But the Council opposes this request. The bailiff does not join the federal government quite voluntarily. Duke Georg therefore consults with Count von Mansfeld during a procession . The two now want to take action against Müntzer together. They believe that they will meet Luther and Frederick the Wise at the same time . Meanwhile, Luther reports Müntzer as the devil . Elector Johann and Friedrich the Wise meet soon. They agree that Johann first hears Thomas Müntzer before deciding who is telling the truth about the two.

Müntzer learns through messengers that rebellious farmers from the south have joined his union. The old herald, who notices this, immediately demands that Thomas Müntzer now become active himself and must travel from place to place. It was God's will, because he had dreamed that blood had oozed from a church door lock. Müntzer listens to him with interest. During the night men of the Count von Mansfeld strike. They set Allstedt houses on fire. There are dead and injured. Müntzer is dismayed. He appeases the peasants. You shouldn't take revenge just yet . A few days later, in the face of Elector Johann and a ruler of Saxony , Müntzer denounced the rule of the princes in a sermon. A turning point will come. The world will change radically. Johann doesn't like the sermon. He leaves annoyed. The printers promise Müntzer to print the prince 's sermon. Johann reacts with three resolutions - first: the print shop is closed, second: the secret society is dissolved and third: Müntzer is asked to come to Weimar for interrogation . The old herald approaches Thomas Müntzer and warns him. He recently dreamed of his death. Ottilie steps up and says to her husband: "What you have started you have to finish".

The film ends with a surreal scene in which Müntzer, like Jesus Christ, is put on a crown of thorns , is tormented and tortured. A raised ax announces his death.

background

In 1956, DEFA produced a feature film on the life and work of Thomas Müntzer for the first time : Thomas Müntzer - A Film of German History . On the 500th birthday of the reformer Martin Luther in 1983, the feature film Martin Luther by Kurt Veth was released , in which Thomas Müntzer was portrayed by Frank Lienert . In the year the Berlin Wall came down, the film I, Thomas Müntzer, Sichel Gottes , in which Frank Lienert plays councilor Knaute, was made.

In the Müntzer year 1989, Müntzer's 500th birthday, a film was to appear alongside new written publications on the subject. The shooting for the film was supported by the Barrandov film studios , the City Council of Ermsleben , Konradsburg and the Protestant parish of Gernrode , collegiate church. Specialist advice was given by Brendler and H. Trebs. The film apparently ran for the first time on December 10, 1989 on GDR television . Kurt Veth also directed this film, which was made by the DEFA studio for feature films for television in the GDR . Understandably, given the political events, the film could no longer develop any propaganda effect. The film was broadcast again on November 1st, 2008 at twenty-eight o'clock, a few hours after the end of Reformation Day , on the MDR , and on Reformation Day, October 31, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. In March 2017, Studio Hamburg released the film on DVD in the DDR TV Archive series.

Historical inaccuracies

The portrayal of Thomas Müntzer in the film is strongly influenced by the socialist historiography of the GDR. The film also shows further historical inaccuracies, examples:

  • Müntzer married Ottilie von Gersen in 1523. One year later, in 1524, Müntzer's German Mass was printed. In the film, the print first appears, then the wedding follows. The film is therefore not entirely chronological .
  • It is historically unclear from which monastery Ottilie escaped. There is also no historical record of whether a nun was walled up in the monastery from which Ottilie escaped .
  • The film claims that Müntzer was able to create a German mass before Luther because Luther had not (yet) “dared” to create one. Why Luther took his time to create a German mass is not entirely clear historically. The interpretation that he did not dare to do so up to a certain point in time is at least only a hypothesis, if not pure speculation. Luther hid in the Wartburg in 1522 and was also busy translating the Bible the following year .

literature

References and comments

  1. ↑ Length verified using a recording from the MDR from 2005.
  2. ↑ Cruse (ed.): Lexikologie / Lexicology. Mouton de Gruyter 2005, page 1520 f.
  3. ↑ According to the credits of the film.
  4. ↑ In the documentary Credo: Martin Luther - Wittenberg 1517 (1967), a Gerhard Brendler had also provided expert advice.
  5. ↑ The Internet Movie Database - Ich, Thomas Müntzer, Sichel Gottes
  6. ↑ See: rbb - Chronik der Wende
  7. ↑ tv 14 - Ich, Thomas Müntzer, Sichel Gottes ( Memento from November 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  8. ↑ OFDB. Version view. Ich, Thomas Müntzer, Sichel Gottes , accessed on: May 29, 2017
  9. ↑ Cinema filmmaker. Ich, Thomas Müntzer, Sichel Gottes , accessed on: May 29, 2017
  10. ↑ Cruse (ed.): Lexikologie / Lexicology. Mouton de Gruyter 2005, page 1520 f.
  11. ↑ Horst Dähn: Luther and the GDR . Berlin 1996, p. 271
  12. ^ Veit-Jakobus Dieterich: Reformation . Hamburg 2002. page 36
  13. ↑ Ralf Schnell: German literature from the Reformation to the present. Hamburg 2011, chapter: Thomas Münzer
  14. ↑ See Jürgen Müller: Martin Luther & Thomas Müntzer. Their lives and times as well as their Reformation effects on the events of the German Peasants' War from 1524 to 1525 , page 38, accessed on: May 29, 2017
  15. ↑ See peasant wars. Ottilie von Gersen , accessed on: May 29, 2017
  16. ↑ Even in the monasteries in question, from which Ottilie von Gersen could have fled, there is no record of such an incident.
  17. ↑ The most important reformers: Thomas Müntzer (around 1489 - 1525) , accessed on: May 29, 2017
  18. ^ Veit-Jakobus Dieterich: Reformation . Hamburg 2002. page 36

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