''Der Auftrag Höglers'' (English-language title: ''Hoegler's Mission'') is a

German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

fantasy movie directed by

Gustav von Wangenheim Gustav von Wangenheim (born Ingo Clemens Gustav Adolf Freiherr von Wangenheim; 18 February 1895 – 5 August 1975) was a German actor, screenwriter and director. Biography Early life Wangenheim was born Ingo Clemens Gustav Adolf Freiherr ...

. 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 wants to get his hands on the technical innovations 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 have known each other since they both fought in the wartime anti-Fascist resistance, unite to thwart the capitalist's plans.

Cast

* Inge von Wangenheim as Maria Steinitz *

Fritz Tillmann Fritz Tillmann (December 13, 1910 – October 30, 1986) was a German actor. Selected filmography * '' Hoegler's Mission'' (1950) - Fritz Rottmann * ''The Council of the Gods'' (1950) - Dr. Hans Scholz * '' Master of Life and Death'' (1955) - Dr ...

as Fritz Rottmann * as Dr. Thelen * August Momber as Högler *

Axel Monjé Axel Monjé (1910 – 1962) was a German stage actor, stage and film actor.Giesen p.193 Selected filmography * ''Central Rio'' (1939) * ''Counterfeiters (1940 film), Counterfeiters'' (1940) * ''My Life for Ireland'' (1941) * ''Hoegler's Mission' ...

as Dr. Kayser *

Alice Treff Alice Martha Treff (4 June 1906 – 8 February 2003) was a German film actress. She appeared in more than 120 films between 1932 and 2001. She was born and died in Berlin, Germany. Selected filmography * '' Peter Voss, Thief of Millions'' ...

as Dr. Alice Giesebrecht * as Dr. Petersdorf * Horst Koch as Kern *

Lothar Firmans Lothar Firmans (1896–1964) was a German stage and film actor.Giesen p.216 Selected filmography * '' Quax the Crash Pilot'' (1941) * '' Front Theatre'' (1942) * '' Aufruhr der Herzen'' (1944) * ''Quax in Africa'' (1947) * ''Marriage in the Shado ...

as Löffler * Harry Hindemith as Krantz * Arno Paulsen as Wiesner *

Eduard von Winterstein Eduard Clemens Franz Anna Freiherr von Wangenheim (1 August 1871 – 22 July 1961), known as Eduard von Winterstein, was an Austrian-German film actor who appeared in over one hundred fifty German films during the silent and sound eras. He was ...

as Hufland * Friedrich Richter as Dr. Breithaupt

Production

At 1949, after the foundation of both the

and the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 ...

and as the existence of a

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

between East and West became ever clearer, the East German authorities instructed

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 PR ...

'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 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.

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.Carsten Gansel, Tanja Walenski. ''Erinnerung als Aufgabe?'' V&R (2008). . Pages 246–247.

References

External links

*
Original poster
on ostfilm.de. {{DEFAULTSORT:Horgler's Mission 1950 films 1950 drama films German drama films East German films 1950s German-language films German black-and-white films Films directed by Gustav von Wangenheim 1950s German films