''Jeder stirbt für sich allein'' (1970) is a German

television miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

produced by

DEFA DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence. Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PRO ...

in the former

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

. The story was adapted from the 1947

Hans Fallada Hans Fallada (; born Rudolf Wilhelm Friedrich Ditzen; 21 July 18935 February 1947) was a German writer of the first half of the 20th century. Some of his better known novels include '' Little Man, What Now?'' (1932) and ''Every Man Dies Alone'' ...

novel, ''

Every Man Dies Alone ''Every Man Dies Alone'' or ''Alone in Berlin'' (german: Jeder stirbt für sich allein) is a 1947 novel by German author Hans Fallada. It is based on the true story of working-class husband and wife Otto and Elise Hampel who, acting alone, beca ...

'', known in the UK as ''Alone in Berlin''. It was directed by

Hans-Joachim Kasprzik Hans-Joachim Kasprzik (14 August 1928 – 10 October 1997) was a German film and television director and screenwriter. He worked with DEFA and Deutscher Fernsehfunk in East Germany. Career Hans-Joachim Kasprzik was born in Beuthen. After the war ...

and starred

Erwin Geschonneck Erwin Geschonneck (27 December 1906 – 12 March 2008) was a German actor. His biggest success occurred in the German Democratic Republic, where he was considered one of the most famous actors of the time. Early life Geschonneck was born in Bart ...

Background

The three-part miniseries was directed by

, who also co-wrote the screenplay. It stars

and Else Grube-Deister as Otto and Anna Quangel."Jeder stirbt für sich allein"
Ost-Film. Retrieved March 7, 2012 "Jeder stirbt für sich allein 1969/70"
kabel eins Lexicon. Retrieved March 7, 2012 It is based on a true story, that of

Otto and Elise Hampel Otto and Elise Hampel were a working class German couple who created a simple method of protest against Nazism in Berlin during the middle years of World War II. They wrote postcards denouncing Hitler's government and left them in public pla ...

, a working class couple in wartime

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

who began a postcard campaign to resist the Nazis and the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and were arrested, tried before the Volksgerichtshof and executed at

Plötzensee Prison Plötzensee Prison (german: Justizvollzugsanstalt Plötzensee, JVA Plötzensee) is a juvenile prison in the Charlottenburg-Nord locality of Berlin with a capacity for 577 prisoners, operated by the State of Berlin judicial administration. The d ...

Synopsis

The story takes place in Berlin in 1940, where Otto Quangel is a

toolmaker Tool and die makers are highly skilled crafters working in the manufacturing industries. Variations on the name include tool maker, toolmaker, die maker, diemaker, mold maker, moldmaker or tool jig and die-maker depending on which area of concent ...

at a factory. His wife, Anna, is a homemaker. Though their son is fighting on the front, they are apolitical and Otto is not a member of any political party. Otto and Anna learn that their son has fallen "like a hero" in France and are devastated. In addition, a Jewish neighbor meets a violent death."Jeder stirbt für sich allein"
''Prisma: Ihr TV-Guide'', Prisma Verlag. Retrieved March 8, 2012 In his grief and horror, Otto becomes politicized and decides to take action against the Nazis, hoping to foment a mass rebellion against Hitler. Though nothing comes of their efforts, the Quangels remain proud of what they've done; it enabled them to retain their faith in humanity. They are arrested, separated, tried, sentenced and executed.

Reception

The kabel eins film

lexicon A lexicon is the vocabulary of a language or branch of knowledge (such as nautical or medical). In linguistics, a lexicon is a language's inventory of lexemes. The word ''lexicon'' derives from Koine Greek language, Greek word (), neuter of () ...

calls the miniseries, "A star-studded, evocative, solid film that centers on the anti-fascist resistance struggle of a working class couple."

Cast (partial list)

as Otto Quangel * Else Grube-Deister as Anna Quangel *

Wolfgang Kieling Wolfgang Kieling (16 March 1924 – 7 October 1985) was a German actor. Biography In films since childhood in his native Germany, Kieling appeared in a few American films, notably in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Torn Curtain'' (1966), where he played ...

as Kommissar Escherich *

Dieter Franke Dieter or dieter may refer to: * A person committed to dieting People Dieter is a German given name (), a short form of Dietrich, from ''theod+ric'' "people ruler", see Theodoric. Given name *Dieter Althaus (born 1958), German politician ...

as Gruppenführer Prall *

Fred Düren Fred Düren (1928–2015) was a German stage, film and television actor.Goble p.251 His career was spent in East Germany, where he appeared in several DEFA films including the historical adventure ''Follow Me, Scoundrels'' (1964). He was married t ...

as Emil Borkhausen *

Fred Delmare Werner Vorndran (24 April 1922 – 1 May 2009), known professionally as Fred Delmare, was a German actor. Life and work Werner Vorndran was the son of a carpenter and a seamstress and grew up in Hüttensteinach at Sonneberg in Thuringia, wh ...

as Enno Kluge *

Helga Göring Helga Göring (1922–2010) was a German stage, television and film actress.Brockmann p.247 Selected filmography * ''Castles and Cottages'' (1957) * '' Two Mothers'' (1957) * ''Sheriff Teddy'' (1957) * '' Erich Kubak'' (1959) * ''The Second Track ...

as Eva Kluge *

Erika Dunkelmann Erika Dunkelmann (17 November 1913 – 14 February 2000) was a German film and television actress.Cowie & Elley p.168 Based in East Germany, she worked regularly for the state-controlled DEFA studios. Selected filmography * ''Das geheimnisvolle W ...

as Hete Häberle *

Heinz Scholz The H. J. Heinz Company is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869. Heinz manufactures thousands of food products in plants on six contine ...

as "der alte" Persicke * Traudi Harprecht

References

External links