Ein Herz und eine Seele
Encyclopedia
Ein Herz und eine Seele (literally "One Heart and One Soul" i.e. "hand in glove") is a German
sitcom aired in 1973/74 and 1976. It was essentially a remake of the British
sitcom Till Death Us Do Part by Johnny Speight
, and was written by Wolfgang Menge.
The show was extremely successful during its initial run and is still successful in reruns. Two episodes in particular, Silvesterpunsch (about the family's New Year's Eve
party) and Rosenmontagszug (set during the winter carnival season) have gained such popularity that they are now shown traditionally on German TV on New Year's Eve and Rosenmontag
, respectively.
family in West German Wattenscheid
, characterised by the social climate of the Willy Brandt
era and its political upheavals initiated by the German student movement
of 1968. Ein Herz und eine Seele makes intensive use of references to German politics and social issues of the early and mid-1970s, when Germany was still separated, not just in East & West, but also (for West Germany) in liberal & conservative. To feature these proceedings in a TV series broke new ground at that time.
The undisputed star is Ekel ("creep") Alfred Tetzlaff (Heinz Schubert
), commercial clerk, a born Sudeten German
, Bild reader and reactionary
patriarch, who is constantly arguing with his wife Else, his daughter Rita, and his son-in-law Michael. He is a declared foe of the SPD
government ruining the country only to sell it to the Mongols, of foreigners, Gastarbeiter
, Jews and the women's movement. During his term of service at the Wehrmacht
he had toured to Paris
, which finds expression in his (dubious) language skills. Alfred's appearance, small in physique with a mustache and side-parted hair, along with his passionate politicking and frequent hand movements, make his character somewhat reminiscent of Adolf Hitler
. Raised in Berlin
he is a dedicated fan of Hertha BSC, which makes life somewhat hard in the Ruhr
area.
Alfred is married (afflicted) with Else, housewife from Elmshorn
, whose fatuity constantly drives him mad. She untiringly speaks up, confusing Pompidou
with Pompadour
and Kiesinger
with Kissinger
, honestly astonished that the Germans had elected a Jew chancellor
. Ironically, Alfred's use of "dusselige Kuh", literally "silly cow", as a nickname for Else was not allowed in the BBC original: the British character Alf Garnett
had to refer to his wife as a "silly moo".
The young couple, Rita and her husband Michael, cannot afford an apartement and live in Rita's child's room. Michael is a supporter of Chancellor Willy Brandt and moreover was raised in East Germany, which arouses Alfred's suspicion of him being a Komsomol
, a Bolshevik
hyena and an anarchist
. Michaels's parents still live in East Germany; as retiress they are allowed to visit their son and his new family in the episode Besuch aus der Ostzone ("Visit from the Eastern Zone"), an episode which exists both in black-and-white and colour and is usually aired on German Unity Day
.
area, WDR
. It moved to Germany's first channel, ARD, on New Year's Eve 1973 with the above-mentioned episode and from that date was produced in colour. Some of the colour episodes are actually remakes or reprises of older black-and-white episodes. The first series is considered to consist of 21 episodes. For the second series, Elisabeth Wiedemann, extremely popular in her role as Else Tetzlaff, was replaced by Helga Feddersen
and Michael, formerly played by Diether Krebs
, was portrayed by Klaus Dahlen.
The audience clearly did not approve of these changes: after only four episodes of the second series, Ein Herz und eine Seele was cancelled. According to the BBC website, the series was not popular due to the reactionary politics of its lead character. Yet the series, despite its polarisation and abusive language, was very popular with up to 15.7 million viewers. It declined in the ratings due to the cast changes in the second series. In 2002, a survey showed the program was Germany's most popular sitcom of all time.
In 2004 the complete series was released to DVD and was a best seller.
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
sitcom aired in 1973/74 and 1976. It was essentially a remake of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom Till Death Us Do Part by Johnny Speight
Johnny Speight
Johnny Speight , was a British television scriptwriter of many classic British sitcoms.He emerged in the mid 1950s. He wrote for the radio comics; Frankie Howerd, Vic Oliver, Arthur Askey, and Cyril Fletcher. For television he wrote for the Arthur Haynes Show, Morecambe & Wise, and Peter Sellers...
, and was written by Wolfgang Menge.
The show was extremely successful during its initial run and is still successful in reruns. Two episodes in particular, Silvesterpunsch (about the family's New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
party) and Rosenmontagszug (set during the winter carnival season) have gained such popularity that they are now shown traditionally on German TV on New Year's Eve and Rosenmontag
Rosenmontag
Rosenmontag is the highlight of the German "Karneval" , and is on the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The "Mardi Gras," though celebrated on Tuesday, is a similar event...
, respectively.
Storyline
The show reflects the life of a petty bourgeoisPetite bourgeoisie
Petit-bourgeois or petty bourgeois is a term that originally referred to the members of the lower middle social classes in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
family in West German Wattenscheid
Wattenscheid
Wattenscheid was once a separate town in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. In 1975 it became part of Bochum. It has a population of about 80,000 citizens. It is a part of the Ruhr area. Some famous firms have their headquarters in Wattenscheid e.g...
, characterised by the social climate of the Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
era and its political upheavals initiated by the German student movement
German student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
of 1968. Ein Herz und eine Seele makes intensive use of references to German politics and social issues of the early and mid-1970s, when Germany was still separated, not just in East & West, but also (for West Germany) in liberal & conservative. To feature these proceedings in a TV series broke new ground at that time.
The undisputed star is Ekel ("creep") Alfred Tetzlaff (Heinz Schubert
Heinz Schubert (actor)
Heinz Schubert was a German actor, drama teacher and photographer, best known for playing the role of Alfred Tetzlaff in the German television comedy sitcom Ein Herz und eine Seele.- Life :...
), commercial clerk, a born Sudeten German
Sudeten Germans
- Importance of Sudeten Germans :Czechoslovakia was inhabited by over 3 million ethnic Germans, comprising about 23 percent of the population of the republic and about 29.5% of Bohemia and Moravia....
, Bild reader and reactionary
Reactionary
The term reactionary refers to viewpoints that seek to return to a previous state in a society. The term is meant to describe one end of a political spectrum whose opposite pole is "radical". While it has not been generally considered a term of praise it has been adopted as a self-description by...
patriarch, who is constantly arguing with his wife Else, his daughter Rita, and his son-in-law Michael. He is a declared foe of the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
government ruining the country only to sell it to the Mongols, of foreigners, Gastarbeiter
Gastarbeiter
Gastarbeiter is German for "guest worker." It refers to migrant workers who had moved to West Germany mainly in the 1960s and 70s, seeking work as part of a formal guest worker programme...
, Jews and the women's movement. During his term of service at the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
he had toured to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, which finds expression in his (dubious) language skills. Alfred's appearance, small in physique with a mustache and side-parted hair, along with his passionate politicking and frequent hand movements, make his character somewhat reminiscent of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Raised in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
he is a dedicated fan of Hertha BSC, which makes life somewhat hard in the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
area.
Alfred is married (afflicted) with Else, housewife from Elmshorn
Elmshorn
Elmshorn is a town in the district of Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It is located 32 km north of Hamburg at the small river Krückau, close to the Elbe river, is the sixth-largest city in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
, whose fatuity constantly drives him mad. She untiringly speaks up, confusing Pompidou
Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
with Pompadour
Madame de Pompadour
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court, and was the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to her death.-Biography:...
and Kiesinger
Kurt Georg Kiesinger
Kurt Georg Kiesinger was a German politician affiliated with the CDU and Chancellor of West Germany from 1 December 1966 until 21 October 1969.-Early career and wartime activities:...
with Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
, honestly astonished that the Germans had elected a Jew chancellor
Chancellor of Germany
The Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...
. Ironically, Alfred's use of "dusselige Kuh", literally "silly cow", as a nickname for Else was not allowed in the BBC original: the British character Alf Garnett
Alf Garnett
Alf Garnett is a fictional character in the British sitcoms Till Death Us Do Part, Till Death... and In Sickness and in Health, and chat show The Thoughts of Chairman Alf. He was created by Johnny Speight and played by Warren Mitchell....
had to refer to his wife as a "silly moo".
The young couple, Rita and her husband Michael, cannot afford an apartement and live in Rita's child's room. Michael is a supporter of Chancellor Willy Brandt and moreover was raised in East Germany, which arouses Alfred's suspicion of him being a Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
, a Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
hyena and an anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
. Michaels's parents still live in East Germany; as retiress they are allowed to visit their son and his new family in the episode Besuch aus der Ostzone ("Visit from the Eastern Zone"), an episode which exists both in black-and-white and colour and is usually aired on German Unity Day
German Unity Day
The Day of German Unity is the national day of Germany, celebrated on 3 October as a public holiday. It commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990, when the goal of a unity of Germany that originated in the middle of the 19th century, was fulfilled. Therefore, the name addresses...
.
Broadcast
The show was originally broadcast in black and white and shown on the regional channel of the North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
area, WDR
Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Westdeutscher Rundfunk is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the consortium of German public-broadcasting institutions, ARD...
. It moved to Germany's first channel, ARD, on New Year's Eve 1973 with the above-mentioned episode and from that date was produced in colour. Some of the colour episodes are actually remakes or reprises of older black-and-white episodes. The first series is considered to consist of 21 episodes. For the second series, Elisabeth Wiedemann, extremely popular in her role as Else Tetzlaff, was replaced by Helga Feddersen
Helga Feddersen
Helga Feddersen was a popular German actress, comedienne, singer, author, and theater director....
and Michael, formerly played by Diether Krebs
Diether Krebs
Diether Krebs was a German actor, cabaret artist and comedian.-Youth and initial success:...
, was portrayed by Klaus Dahlen.
The audience clearly did not approve of these changes: after only four episodes of the second series, Ein Herz und eine Seele was cancelled. According to the BBC website, the series was not popular due to the reactionary politics of its lead character. Yet the series, despite its polarisation and abusive language, was very popular with up to 15.7 million viewers. It declined in the ratings due to the cast changes in the second series. In 2002, a survey showed the program was Germany's most popular sitcom of all time.
In 2004 the complete series was released to DVD and was a best seller.
Episodes
Episode 1 to 11 is broadcasting in black and white, the rest is broadcasting in colorColor
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
.
Season 1 (1973/1974)
| Number | Title (original) | Title (english) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Das Hähnchen | The chicken | January 15, 1973 |
| 02 | Der Fernseher | The television set | January 29, 1973 |
| 03 | Besuch aus der Ostzone | Visit from the east zone | February 12, 1973 |
| 04 | Die Beerdigung | The funeral | February 26, 1973 |
| 05 | Die Bombe | The bomb | March 12, 1973 |
| 06 | Hausverkauf | Real estate sale | March 26, 1973 |
| 07 | Silberne Hochzeit | Silver wedding anniversary | April 9, 1973 |
| 08 | Urlaubsvorbereitung | Holiday preparations | April 30, 1973 |
| 09 | Erntedankfest | Thanksgiving | October 1, 1973 |
| 10 | Eine schwere Erkrankung | A serious illness | October 28, 1973 |
| 11 | Der Sittenstrolch | The pervert | November 26, 1973 |
| 12 | Sylvesterpunsch | New Year's Eve grog | December 31, 1973 |
| 13 | Der Ofen ist aus | The oven is out | January 28, 1974 |
| 14 | Rosenmontagszug | Mardi gras procession | February 25, 1974 |
| 15 | Frühjahrsputz | The spring-cleaning | March 18, 1974 |
| 16 | Selbstbedienung | Self service | April 13, 1974 |
| 17 | Besuch aus der Ostzone | Visit from the east zone (colour version) |
June 17, 1974 |
| 18 | Urlaubsvorbereitung | Holiday Preparations (colour version) |
July 15, 1974 |
| 19 | Tapetenwechsel | Change of scenery, literally: "wallpaper" | August 12, 1974 |
| 20 | Der Staatsfeind | Public enemy | September 9, 1974 |
| 21 | Der Sittenstrolch | The pervert (colour version) | November 4, 1974 |
Season 2 (1976)
| Number | Title (original) | Title (english) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Telefon! | Telephone! | May 31, 1976 |
| 23 | Massage | Massage | July 5, 1976 |
| 24 | Modell Tetzlaff | Model Tetzlaff | September 27, 1976 |
| 25 | Schlußwort | Closing words | November 22, 1976 |
External links
- A survey of the first 20 episodes (in German)