Crime scene: steel waltz

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Episode of the series Tatort
Original title Steel waltz
Country of production Austria
original language German
Production
company		 ORF
length 87 minutes
classification Episode 281 ( List )
First broadcast October 24, 1993 on ORF
Rod
Director Hans Noever
script Peter Zingler
production Rudolf Nemeth
music Nellis Du Biel
camera Wolfgang Koch
cut Margit Podgorski
occupation

Stahlwalzer is an Austrian television crime thriller from 1993. The script was written by Peter Zingler and directed by Hans Noever . It was the 281st Tatort episode and the sixth case of Chief Inspector Fichtl ( Michael Janisch ) as the main investigator, but only eight of the nine episodes were from the official Tatort series. His first case was a Tatort episode on ORF, the first broadcast in Austria and only shown once in Germany on Hessischer Rundfunk on television. Fichtl and his team are dealing with the death of an investigative journalist and the involvement of an armaments company and the Austrian secret service.

action

At night, shots are fired at the steel export company Baur Stahl. Shortly afterwards, Leo Wigankow, who was recently released from prison, breaks into Fichtl's apartment and threatens it. He blames Fichtl for his botched life because he once put him in prison. Wigankow had taken hostages during a bank robbery; he had used the money to pay off his debts. Fichtl had persuaded him to give up and promised attenuating circumstances, but the court had sentenced him to 15 years in prison. Fichtl tries to explain to Wigankow that as a police officer he no longer has any influence on the proceedings after the files have been handed over to the public prosecutor's office, and that promises are only tactically motivated. Wigankow carries out a mock execution on Fichtl and shoots himself instead of Fichtl. The next morning, the body of the man who was shot during the night is secretly removed from the Baur Stahl company. The attempt to dispose of the corpse in the Danube fails, however, as it hits a barge.

Fichtl, who has changed since the previous night's incident, and his team are investigating the death. Initially, the search for the murder weapon was in vain in the Danube. The body from the Danube bridge was wrapped in a "state blanket" like the one used by the military or the police. The IT expert at the security office hacked into the state police's computer and found out that the dead person is registered there, his name is Ernst Sivetzki. There it was checked on a request from Baur Stahl. Fichtl and Susi Kern visit the widow and daughter of Sivetzki and bring them the bad news. The daughter Ursula suspects her mother Gerda, her father was an investigative journalist, when his revelations about an environmental scandal ended his career, Gerda, who was only interested in money and career, would have dropped her husband. In a drunken state, Gerda made a confession to Fichtl that was not meant seriously, and Fichtl had her arrested. During the night, a stranger tries to break into Ursula Sivetzki's apartment. Fichtl and Kern rush to her, but the stranger can escape. Fichtl notes that the tools with which the stranger wanted to go into the apartment are normally only available to authorities. Ursula Sivetzki says that her father recently handed her an envelope but picked it up shortly before his death.

The next morning, Fichtl visits the Baur Stahl company, where he discovers craftsmen doing wallpaper. He stops this and calls the crime scene agency, which promptly finds a large blood stain on the wall under the wallpaper. There he also meets his ex-colleague Peter Bohl, who is now head of security at Baur Stahl and wants to report Fichtl for trespassing. Gerda Sivetzki meanwhile revokes her confession, she was finally drunk the night before, Fichtl lets her go. Dr. Putner rebukes Fichtl for going it alone at Baur Stahl. The Sivetzki case is a clear suicide and the file should be closed. Fichtl promises to put the case aside immediately if the Councilor can explain to him how Sivetzki could have wrapped himself in a blanket and plunged into the Danube after he had previously shot himself. Fichtl and Kern are called by Ursula Sivetzki to a meeting with Walter Krangel, he was a colleague and close friend of Sivetzki and tells the officers that he feels persecuted. He had been broken into three days earlier, nothing had been stolen, but his desk had been searched. He had researched a story with Sivetzki. As shady characters take their places at the next table, the four of them leave the café. Kragel tells Fichtl about an incredible story that shakes the foundations of Austrian democracy. Krangel gives Fichtl the information about another friend of Sivetzki's, Helmut Manz, whom Fichtl could meet at Sivetzki's funeral. Immediately afterwards, Krangel is kidnapped in front of Fichtl's eyes, but Fichtl cannot prevent this. Dr. At the instigation of "right at the top", Putner immediately stops the ring manhunt initiated by Fichtl for the kidnappers' car.

Fichtl makes it clear to Putner that he will not let himself be delayed in his investigation, and Kern promises her support. The IT expert can find out for Fichtl that the license plate number of the car in which Krangel was kidnapped is a secret license number of the Austrian authorities. Kragel had given Fichtl a bill of lading for arms deliveries before his kidnapping, but the port of destination is not entered. The list of people checked by the state police for Baur Stahl at the time also includes the names of two Austrians detained in the Middle East, one of the two has since been released. Fichtl goes to Sivetzki's funeral in disguise and actually meets Helmut Manz there, while Fichtl makes an inconspicuous meeting with him in the Prater. Manz tells him that Sivetzki actually shot himself in his office at Baur Stahl, the security service found him and Bohl then called the security police, who picked up the body. Since neither the government nor Baur Stahl want to make the headlines, Sivetzki's body was simply wanted to disappear. Sivetzki wanted to blow up Baur Stahl, so Bohl is now desperately looking for the documents that Sivetzki made disappear. Manz finally gives Fichtl the key to a Sivetzki savings bank locker that he had entrusted to him.

A man observes Fichtl and Manz, Hollocher and Kern are able to arrest him after a chase, it is a man from the state police. Dr. Putner arranges for the officer to be released and suspends Fichtl from duty. Fichtl would like to Dr. Putner show a Baur Stahl warehouse that he discovered with illegal arms export goods, but the hall is now empty. Fichtl goes home, where he barricades himself and only lets Susi into the apartment. Suddenly Kragel goes to Fichtl, he was kidnapped by the state police, but they had to let him go again. The state police had tried to put pressure on Kragel and he promised to blow up the whole gang with Fichtl's help. Fichtl sends Susi to the Sparkasse to get to Sivetzki's locker, but since she doesn't know the password, she is rejected. Fichtl visits his friend Fredi Pöckl again, who cracks the safe for Fichtl in a playful way. There is a file in the locker that actually concerns illegal arms deliveries by the Baur group to the Arab world, which is why the two Baur employees were kidnapped. A rival Arab state intends to use the kidnapping to force the delivery of 500 cannons, just as it did to the neighboring state, although both states are prohibited from being supplied with weapons according to a UN resolution. With its efforts to release the hostages, the Austrian government is thus entering territory in violation of international law. Kragel promises Fichtl to publish this.

Fichtl and Pöckl and Kragel's photographers break into the Baur Stahl storage rooms. Kragel's photographer can take evidential photos, but Fichtl and the photographer are noticed by Bohl, who has them followed. Bohl finally catches Fichtl and has him arrested by the police. The next morning, Dr. Putner Fichtl out of custody. Putner presented Fichtl with a newspaper, there was no disclosure in it, but Kragel was promoted to editor-in-chief. Fichtl has meanwhile also been promoted to chief inspector. All he has to do is sign the final report on Sivetzki. Fichtl also learns about the release of the second Austrian hostage. According to official information, no consideration has been given because the Austrian state cannot be blackmailed, Fichtl has to laugh out loud.

Audience and background

The Stahlwalzer crime scene reached 11.54 million viewers when it was first broadcast on ARD, which corresponds to a rate of 32.8%. Screenwriter Peter Zingler plays a supporting role as the burglar Fredi Pöckl.

criticism

TV Spielfilm rated the film positively and said: "A murderer in your own ranks? Ah, go away ...".

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Steel Waltz"
  2. ↑ "Steel Waltz"
previous episode
September 26, 1993: Around the house and yard 		Crime scene follow next episode
October 31, 1993: The Tenderness of the Monster