Der Auftrag Höglers
Encyclopedia
Der Auftrag Höglers is an East German drama film
directed by Gustav von Wangenheim
. It was released in 1950.
between East and West became ever clearer, the East German authorities instructed DEFA's filmmakers to focus on new subjects: rather than making purely anti-Fascist films, they were now to fan anti-Western sentiment in their works. Der Auftrag Höglers was the one of the first movies made under those demands. In addition, it was also the first East German film with a style conforming to Socialist Realism
, that was also required by the cultural establishment.
Dagmar Schittly wrote that the movie was a typical anti-Western work of the time, "a propaganda pamphlet against the West German saboteurs." Carsten Gansel and Tanja Walenski noted that it also featured a call for class unity, by presenting the ability of East and West German trade union members to cooperate.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Gustav von Wangenheim
Gustav von Wangenheim
Gustav von Wangenheim was a German actor, screenwriter and director.- Life :Wangenheim was born Ingo Clemens Gustav Adolf Freiherr von Wangenheim in Wiesbaden, Hesse, to parents Eduard Clemens Freiherr von Wangenheim and Minna Mengers...
. It was released in 1950.
Plot
Högler, the former director of a steel plant now in East Germany, is a rich and ruthless capitalist residing in West Germany. He wishes to lay his hands on the new technical innovations that were developed by Dr. Thelen, who now runs the factory after it has been nationalized. Högler tries to besmirch Thelen by organizing sabotage in the factory, threatening to kill innocent workers to destroy the scientist's reputation. Two trade union activists - the West German Maria and the East German Fritz - who know each other since they have both fought in the wartime anti-Fascist resistance, unite to thwart the capitalist's plans.Cast
- Inge von Wangenheim as Maria Steinitz
- Fritz TillmannFritz Tillmann-Selected filmography:* The House in Montevideo * Onkel Filser * In Frankfurt sind die Nächte heiß * The Heathens of Kummerow * Three Men in the Snow...
as Fritz Rottmann - Gotthart Portloff as Dr. Thelen
- August Momber as Högler
- Axel Monjé as Dr. Kayser
- Alice TreffAlice TreffAlice Treff was a German film actress.She appeared in over 120 films between 1932 and 2001.She was born and died in Berlin, Germany.-Selected filmography:* Der Auftrag Höglers...
as Dr. Alice Giesebrecht - Knut Hartwig as Dr. Petersdorf
- Horst Koch as Kern
- Lothar Firmans as Löffler
- Harry Hindemith as Krantz
- Arno Paulsen as Wiesner
- Eduard von Winterstein as Hufland
- Friedrich RichterFriedrich RichterFriedrich-Wilhelm Heinrich Richter was a Sturmbannführer in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War...
as Dr. Breithaupt
Production
At 1949, after the foundation of both the Democratic Republic of Germany and the Federal Republic of Germany and as the existence of a Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
between East and West became ever clearer, the East German authorities instructed DEFA's filmmakers to focus on new subjects: rather than making purely anti-Fascist films, they were now to fan anti-Western sentiment in their works. Der Auftrag Höglers was the one of the first movies made under those demands. In addition, it was also the first East German film with a style conforming to Socialist Realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
, that was also required by the cultural establishment.
Reception
The German Film Lexicon defined the picture as "utterly lifeless, Cold War-influenced film... but interesting as a historical document."Dagmar Schittly wrote that the movie was a typical anti-Western work of the time, "a propaganda pamphlet against the West German saboteurs." Carsten Gansel and Tanja Walenski noted that it also featured a call for class unity, by presenting the ability of East and West German trade union members to cooperate.
External links
- Original poster on ostfilm.de.