''Jeder stirbt für sich allein'' (''Everyone Dies Alone'') is a 1962

West German West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republic after its capital c ...

made for television political

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

based on a best-selling 1947 novel by

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'' ...

, itself based on the true story of a working class couple, Otto and Elise Hampel, who committed acts of

civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active and professed refusal of a citizenship, citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders, or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be cal ...

against the government of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

and were executed. Directed by former German Resistance member

Falk Harnack Falk Harnack (2 March 1913 – 3 September 1991) was a German director and screenwriter. During Germany's Nazi era, he was also active with the German resistance to Nazism, German Resistance and toward the end of World War II, the partisans in Gr ...

—whose brother, sister-in-law and cousins were executed during the Nazi regime—it was the first screen adaptation of Fallada's novel.

Background

The teleplay was adapted by Robert A. Stemmle from the Hans Fallada novel ''

Every Man Dies Alone ''Every Man Dies Alone'' or ''Alone in Berlin'' () 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, became part of the German Resistance. ...

''."Programm vom Donnerstag, dem 19. Juli 1962"
TV Programme. Retrieved March 4, 2012 Though written in 1947, it was virtually unknown to the English-speaking world until it was translated into English in 2009.Liesl Schillinger

''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' (February 27, 2009). Retrieved March 6, 2012 The German edition achieved early success, spawning translations into Russian, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Norwegian, French, and Italian. The 2009 English version soon became a bestseller in both England and the United States, bringing more international success and translations into HebrewJohannes Groschupf
"Das Ehepaar Hampel allein in Berlin"
''

Die Zeit (, ) is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles. History The first edition of was ...

'' (April 16, 2011), p. 2. Retrieved March 8, 2012 and Dutch. In addition to the 1962 teleplay, there have been three subsequent screen adaptations of Fallada's novel: a television miniseries entitled '' Jeder stirbt für sich allein'' broadcast in

East Germany 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 ...

in 1970; a feature film in 1975, released in English in 1976 as ''

Everyone Dies Alone ''Everyone Dies Alone'' / '' Alone in Berlin'' (Original title: ''Jeder stirbt für sich allein'') is a 1976 West German drama film adapted from the Hans Fallada novel '' Every Man Dies Alone''. The book was based on the story of two ordinary Ge ...

''; and a television miniseries in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

in 2004. The 1962 teleplay, the first screen adaptation of Fallada's book, was directed by

, who had been active in the German Resistance against the Nazism and the Third Reich.Carsten Gansel, Werner Liersch
''Zeit vergessen, Zeit erinnern: Hans Fallada und das kulturelle Gedächtnis''
V&R unipress in Göttingen, (2008), pp. 181–2. Retrieved March 9, 2012 His own arrest and trial led to acquittal, but several members of his family and many friends were arrested»Keine Träne, aufrecht«
''

'' (November 24, 2009). Retrieved March 2, 2012 and executed, including his brother, Arvid and his sister-in-law, Mildred Harnack, a translator and professor of literature, who had visited Fallada in 1934.Shareen Blair Brysac, 2000
Mildred Harnack: Cast of Characters
, TRACES.org. Retrieved March 19, 2012.

Broadcast and synopsis

The 1962 teleplay aired on station Sender Freies Berlin (SFB), then an affiliate of German broadcaster ARD. It tells of an ordinary couple who began to resist the Nazis after their only son was killed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The television film was broadcast the evening of 19 July, the day before the 18th anniversary of the 20 July 1944 attempt on

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

's life. In wartime Berlin, a factory foreman, Otto Quangel and his wife, Anna learn that their only son, Paul, has been killed in action in France.Carsten Gansel, Werner Liersch (2008)
p. 185
Retrieved March 9, 2012 In their grief, the couple decide to take action against the Nazi regime. They create their own form of resistance, writing postcards urging people to resist Hitler and the Nazis and quietly distributing the postcards around Berlin. Various people enter the picture, showing the fear and distrust of the times. People, such as the actor Harteisen, find the cards and race to turn them in, lest they be found with them and come under suspicion. The police and the Gestapo are baffled for over a year, but finally find the source of the cards. The '' Volksgerichtshof'' sentences the Quangels to death. The television listing for the broadcast read, "An impressive teleplay, this will be broadcast on the eve of 20 July to commemorate the many unknown fighters against Nazi terror, in memory of the people who were pursued by the Gestapo and executed by an inexorable judiciary."

Cast

Alfred Schieske Alfred Schieske (6 September 1908 – 14 July 1970) was a German actor. Career Schieske was born in Stuttgart, the son of a German father and a French mother. He studied acting with Willy Reichert made his stage debut at the Staatstheater Stutt ...

as Otto Quangel *

Edith Schultze-Westrum Edith Käthe Elisabeth Schultze-Westrum (30 December 1904 – 20 March 1981) was a German film actress. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1932 and 1979. These included the role of Mrs. Hudson in the 1962 film ''Sherlock Holmes and ...

as Anna Quangel * Anneli Granget as Trudel Baumann *

Hartmut Reck Hartmut Reck (17 November 1932 – 30 January 2001) was a German television and film actor. He also appeared in the American-produced epic film, '' The Longest Day''. He also acted in the German film dubbing industry, dubbing into German the voic ...

as Karl Hergesell * Friedrich Siemers as Franz Grigoleit * Harry Riebauer as Dr. Sommer * Martin Hirthe as SS Brigadeführer Prall *

Werner Peters Werner Peters (7 July 1918 – 30 March 1971) was a German film actor. He appeared in 102 films between 1947 and 1971. Biography Peters was born in Werlitzsch, Kreis Delitzsch, Prussian Saxony, and died of a heart attack on a promotion to ...

as Kriminalkommissar Escherich *

Benno Hoffmann Benno may refer to: People Mononym * (927–940), saint * (1049–1061) * Benno I of Osnabrück (bishop, 1052–1067) * Benno of Meissen (bishop, 1066–1106), saint * Benno II of Osnabrück (bishop, 1068–1088) * Benno of Santi Martino e Silvest ...

as Assistant Kriminalkommissar Schröder *

Hugo Schrader Hugo Friedrich Schrader (26 July 1902 – 22 February 1993) was a German television actor, television and film actor. Selected filmography * ''How Do I Become Rich and Happy?'' (1930) * ''The Champion Shot'' (1932) * ''Wedding at Lake Wolfgang'' ...

as Enno Kluge * Erich Gühne as Volunteer policeman Persicke *

Friedrich Schoenfelder Friedrich Schoenfelder (17 October 1916 – 14 August 2011) was a German actor. Schoenfelder was born in Sorau/Lower Lusatia and died in Berlin. He was 94. He was the German dubbing voice of David Niven and Vincent Price. In the German versio ...

as Harteisen, actor *

Rudolf Fernau Rudolf Fernau (7 January 1898 – 4 November 1985) was a German actor who appeared in 53 films between 1936 and 1982. Biography Fernau was born and died in Munich, Germany. A Nazi Party member, he was sentenced to nine months in prison a ...

as Dr. Toll, lawyer * Theodor Vogeler as Dr. Menz, doctor * Reinhold Bernt as Police station superintendent * Klaus Miedel as Judge-President of the Volksgerichtshof * Paul Albert Krumm as "Stranger" * Reinhard Kolldehoff as SA man *

Hilde Sessak Hilde Sessak (27 July 1915 – 17 April 2003) was a German actress who appeared in more than ninety film and television series during her career. She appeared in a number of films during the Nazi era including ''Quax the Crash Pilot'' (1941).Reim ...

as Frau Gesch * Ethel Reschke as Pub owner

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeder stirbt fur sich allein (1962 film) 1962 films 1962 television films 1962 television plays German drama television films West German films Films based on German novels Television shows based on German novels Films about the German Resistance German-language television shows Das Erste original programming Films based on works by Hans Fallada Television shows based on works by Hans Fallada

Background

Broadcast and synopsis

Cast

See also

References

External links