Movies/Shows in Early Modern Germany
Films and television shows set in pre-20th century (i.e. before 1900) Germanic Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, etc.). Organized alphabetically.
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- DirectorSven TaddickenStarsRonald ZehrfeldMatthias SchweighöferOliver BröckerEast Fresia 1401: era of feared sea pirates Klaus Störtebeker and Gödeke Michels is coming to an end.12 Paces Without a Head (German: Zwölf Meter ohne Kopf) is a 2009 film set in the North Sea in 1401. The film centers on the German folk hero Klaus Störtebeker, who was a pirate at the time. The title comes from a legend which asserts that when he was captured by the Hanseatic League, he struck a deal with his captors that every one of his men whom he could walk past after being decapitated, would be let go. Störtebeker's body allegedly managed to make twelve paces before collapsing.
- DirectorJosef von BákyStarsHans AlbersWilhelm BendowMichael BohnenThis lavish, impudent, adult fairy tale takes the viewer from 18th-century Braunschweig to St. Petersburg, Constantinople, Venice, and then to the moon using ingenious special effects, stunning location shooting.The film opens at an 18th-century ball, where Baron Hieronymus von Münchhausen is propositioned by a young woman who is engaged to another man. He graciously rejects her advance, and as she leaves, she asks him to turn on the light. The camera follows his hand to a modern light switch, and the young woman drives off in an automobile. The next day, the Baron, out of his costume and in modern dress, regales two of his guests with stories of the famous Baron Münchhausen, to whom his guests think he is distantly related.
- DirectorHerbert MaischStarsValy ArnheimPaul DahlkePeter ElsholtzBiopic on famous architect Andreas Schlüter who built the Berlin Stadtschloss for Frederick I of Prussia during the 18th century. Directed by Herbert Maisch.
- DirectorJames BauerStarsMaly DelschaftWerner PittschauJulia SerdaAnne-Liese of Dessau (German:Die Anne-Liese von Dessau) is a 1925 German silent historical film directed by James Bauer and starring Maly Delschaft, Werner Pittschau and Julia Serda. It portrays the life of Anna Louise Föhse in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsF. Murray AbrahamTom HulceElizabeth BerridgeThe life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsRyan O'NealMarisa BerensonPatrick MageeAn Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.Barry Lyndon is a 1975 British-American period drama film by Stanley Kubrick, based on the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray. It stars Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leonard Rossiter and Hardy Krüger. The film recounts the early exploits and later unraveling of a fictional 18th-century Irish rogue and opportunist who fights in the Seven Years' War in Germany.
- DirectorHelma Sanders-BrahmsStarsMartina GedeckPascal GreggoryMalik ZidiA look at the lives of 19th-century composers Clara and Robert Schumann.Geliebte Clara ("Beloved Clara") is a Franco-German-Hungarian 2008 film, directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms about the pianist Clara Schumann and her marriage with the composer Robert Schumann.
- DirectorWolfgang LiebeneinerStarsEmil JanningsMargarete SchönChristian KayßlerA sequel to 1940's "Bismarck", Bismarck is dismissed by an under-pressure Wilhelm II. Then the treaty with Russia is in peril as the leader is left with the dilemma of who could complete Bismarck's work.Showing the growing estrangement between Emperor Wilhelm II and Reichskanzler Otto von Bismarck, Bismark's dismissal in Berlin in March 1890 and the intrigues by Geheimrat von Holstein from Auswärtiges Amt. Directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner.
- DirectorWolfgang SchleifStarsHans QuestIlse SteppatAlexander EngelA biography of Johann Friedrich Böttger, who in 1709 invented the first white porcelain in Europe. The apprentice apothecary and assistant to a "gold producer" fled from the Prussian King - into Saxony. But there he finds King Frederick August the Strong after him: the young man is told to produce gold for the king, and is thus brought to a fortress and equipped with everything he would need for the task. Naturally, Böttger has known for a while that actual gold production is a myth and instead experiments with porcelain; it should be as white as it is in China, he figures. Once he finally succeeds in surprising the King with the "white gold," he vainly hopes for freedom... a tragic error.Die blauen Schwerter is an East German film. It was released in 1949, and is set in the early 18th century.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsMatt DamonHeath LedgerMonica BellucciWill and Jake Grimm are traveling con-artists who encounter a genuine fairy-tale curse which requires true courage instead of their usual bogus exorcisms.The Brothers Grimm is a 2005 adventure fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam. The film stars Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, and Lena Headey in an exaggerated and fictitious portrait of the Brothers Grimm as traveling con-artists in French-occupied Germany, during the early 19th century. However, the brothers eventually encounter a genuine fairy tale curse which requires real courage instead of their usual bogus exorcisms.
- DirectorKarl RitterStarsMathias WiemanCarsta LöckAndrews EngelmannDuring the 18th century's Seven-Year War, a group of young Prussian army cadets are captured by Russian soldiers. After enduring brutal treatment, the cadets come up with a plan to escape their captors and make their way back to their lines.Cadets (German: Kadetten) is a 1939 German historical war film directed by Karl Ritter and starring Mathias Wieman, Carsta Löck and Andrews Engelmann. The film is set in 1760, against the backdrop of the Austro-Russian Raid on Berlin during the Seven Years' War. It depicts a group of Prussian cadets holding off superior Russian forces.
- CreatorSabine Thor-WiedemannJakob HeinChristine OttoStarsAlicia von RittbergMala EmdeNina GummichThe series describes the accomplishments of several famous German physicians and scientists at the prestigious Charité hospital in Berlin during its history.
- DirectorCarl FroelichWalter SupperArzén von CserépyStarsOtto GebührOlga TschechowaElga BrinkThe story of the rise to power of King Frederick II (aka "Frederick the Great") of Prussia of his military campaigns to make Prussia a major power in Europe.Der Choral von Leuthen (The Hymn of Leuthen) was a 1933 German film depicting Frederick the Great, directed by Carl Froelich. The film was loosely based on the novel Fridericus by Walter von Molo. It presented Frederick as an inspired leader.
- DirectorFritz KortnerMarcel OphülsStarsKrista KellerFriedhelm PtokThomas HoltzmannClavigo is a 1970s television movie directed by Marcel Ophüls, based on the play Clavigo by Goethe. The movie is the film version of a play staged and directed by Fritz Kortner. This play premiered 1969 im Deutschen Schauspielhaus, Hamburg, Germany. It was first acclaimed at the Berliner Theatertreffen 1970. The story is set in the 1760s.
- DirectorJerzy AntczakStarsJadwiga BaranskaMariusz DmochowskiStanislaw Jasiukiewicz"The Countess Cosel" is based on the true story of the beautiful Anna Constantia von Brockdorff, a German noblewoman who became mistress of Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony in 1704. Against the backdrop of life at Augustus' court the movie follows the arrival at Dresden of 24-year-old Anna Constantia von Brockdorff, who is an inordinately beautiful and scrupulously devout young married woman; her romance with the king and her "ten year reign" as his mistress - a role she consents to in the belief that she has won the king's love and commitment; and finally, her heartbreak, disillusion and struggle against him. The conflict between Anna and the king arises from the fact that Anna takes seriously not only the relationship, but the written promise of marriage which she manages to secure from him during their courtship. Neither the relationship nor the contract is held in much esteem by Augustus, who replaces her, as he has always done, with another mistress, as soon as she loses for him the charm of novelty. Her valiant refusal to return the marriage promissory note upon request enrages him and delivers her to her miserable fate.Hrabina Cosel (The Countess Cosel) is a 1968 Polish film directed by Jerzy Antczak. The film is based on Józef Ignacy Kraszewski’s novel Hrabina Cosel, a historical romance set in the court of Augustus the Strong, the first of the two Saxon kings of Poland, at the turn of the 17th to 18th century.
- DirectorE.W. EmoStarsPaul HörbigerMichael BohnenAuguste PünkösdyBeloved Augustin (German: Der liebe Augustin) is a 1940 historical film directed by E.W. Emo and starring Paul Hörbiger, Michael Bohnen and Hilde Weissner. The story is set in Vienna, Austria in the 1680s.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsKeith CarradineHarvey KeitelAlbert FinneyFrance, 1801. Due to a minor perceived slight, mild-mannered Lieutenant d'Hubert is forced into a duel with hot-headed irrational Lieutenant Feraud. The disagreement ultimately results in scores of duels spanning several years.A 1977 British historical film set in early 19th century Germany, following the conflict between Lieutenant Gabriel Feraud and Lieutenant Armand d'Hubert as they duel across Germany during the Napoleonic Wars.
- DirectorKarl-Heinz StrouxStarsHorst CasparHeidemarie HatheyerPaul KlingerThe infatuated young Werther (Horst Caspar) meets in a village at a festivity the beautiful Lotte (Heidemarie Hatheyer) and falls in love with her. But Lotte is already engaged. Werther realizes that his love is hopeless and leaves. When he returns, Lotte is yet married but unhappy. Again their love flames up, which leads to a very deep despair of Werther. Finally he chooses suicide.Encounter with Werther (German:Begegnung mit Werther) is a 1949 West German drama film directed by Karl-Heinz Stroux and starring Horst Caspar, Heidemarie Hatheyer and Paul Klinger. The book was set around the writing of the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsBruno S.Walter LadengastBrigitte MiraA young man named Kaspar Hauser suddenly appears in Nuremberg in 1828, barely able to talk or walk, and bearing a strange note.The film follows Kaspar Hauser, who lived the first seventeen years of his life chained in a tiny cellar with only a toy horse to occupy his time, devoid of all human contact except for a man, wearing a black overcoat and top hat, who feeds him. One day, in 1828, the same man takes Hauser out of his cell, teaches him a few phrases, and how to walk, before leaving him in the town of Nuremberg. Hauser becomes the subject of much curiosity, and is exhibited in a circus before being rescued by Professor Georg Friedrich Daumer, who patiently attempts to transform him.
- Die Entscheidung des Tilman Riemenschneider is a 1954 East German television film written by Hermann Rodigast about the medieval wood carver Tilman Riemenschneider.
- CreatorJohn ElliotStarsMichael HordernCharles KayBarry FosterThe collapse of three great European dynasties: the Romanovs, the Habsburgs, and the Hohenzollerns.
- DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsGösta EkmanEmil JanningsCamilla HornThe demon Mephisto wagers with God that he can corrupt a mortal man's soul.
- DirectorAleksandr SokurovStarsJohannes ZeilerAnton AdasinskyIsolda DychaukA despairing scholar sells his soul to Satan in exchange for one night with a beautiful young woman.Faust is a 2011 Russian film directed by Alexander Sokurov. Set in the 19th century, it is a free interpretation of the Faust legend and its respective literary adaptations by both Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as well as Thomas Mann. The dialogue is in German. The film won the Golden Lion at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. At the 2012 Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards the film was awarded the prizes for Best Film, Best Director (Alexander Sokurov), Best Script (Yuri Arabov) and Best Male Supporting Actor (Anton Adasinsky).
- DirectorGustav UcickyStarsOtto GebührRenate MüllerHans RehmannThe story of the rise to power of King Frederick II (aka Frederick the Great) of Prussia and his military campaigns to make Prussia a major power in Europe.The Flute Concert of Sanssouci (German: Das Flötenkonzert von Sans-souci) is a 1930 German drama film directed by Gustav Ucicky and starring Otto Gebühr.[1] It was part of the popular cycle of Prussian films.
- DirectorHans SchweikartStarsKäthe GoldEwald BalserFita BenkhoffThe Girl from Barnhelm (German:Das Fräulein von Barnhelm) is a 1940 German historical comedy film directed by Hans Schweikart and starring Käthe Gold, Ewald Balser and Fita Benkhoff. It is an adaptation of the 1767 play Minna von Barnhelm by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
- DirectorFritz Friedmann-FrederichStarsMady ChristiansHans Heinz BollmannVeit HarlanBased on Franz Lehar's operetta, about the first woman whom the great German writer Goethe fell in love with.Frederica (German: Friederike) is a 1932 German historical musical drama film directed by Fritz Friedmann-Frederich (de) and starring Mady Christians, Hans-Heinz Bollmann (de) and Veit Harlan.[1] It is based on the 1928 operetta of the same name by Franz Lehar which depicts the love affair between Friederike Brion and the young Goethe.
- DirectorJohannes MeyerStarsOtto GebührHilde KörberLil DagoverIn 18th century Europe, King Friedrich II of Prussia leads his army through the seven-years-war with neighboring states, and after numerous near defeats, eventually brings a victorious army back to Berlin.Fridericus is a 1937 German historical film directed by Johannes Meyer and starring Otto Gebühr, Hilde Körber and Lil Dagover. It is based on the life of Frederick II of Prussia. It was part of the popular cycle of Prussian films.
- DirectorArzén von CserépyStarsOtto GebührAlbert SteinrückGertrud de LalskyPart 1 of a four part series of biographical films about king Friedrich II of Prussia focuses on his early life, his love of music and his father's displeasure with it.Fridericus Rex (German: Fridericus Rex - 1. Teil: Sturm und Drang) is a 1922 German silent historical film directed by Arzén von Cserépy and starring Otto Gebühr, Albert Steinrück and Gertrud de Lalsky. It portrays the life of the eighteenth century monarch Frederick the Great.
- DirectorHerbert MaischStarsHeinrich GeorgeLil DagoverHorst CasparFriedrich Schiller - The triumph of a genius.Friedrich Schiller – The Triumph of a Genius (German: Friedrich Schiller – Der Triumph eines Genies) is a 1940 German film, based on the novel Passion by Norbert Jacques. The film focuses on the early career of the German poet Friedrich Schiller.
- DirectorJosef von BákyStarsRomy SchneiderHorst BuchholzErich PontoLondon, 1730. Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, lives in poverty. When his son Tom steals the original text of Robinsons's forbidden book, the youth of London, led by Maud (Romy Schneider), revolt.The Girl and the Legend (German: Robinson soll nicht sterben) is a 1957 German drama film directed by Josef von Báky. The story is set in the 1730s.
- DirectorVeit HarlanStarsOtto GebührKristina SöderbaumGustav FröhlichA story of Prussian king (from 1740 to 1786) Frederick II the Great.The Great King (German: Der große König) is a 1942 German drama film directed by Veit Harlan and starring Otto Gebühr. It depicts the life of Frederick the Great, who ruled Prussia from 1740 to 1786.
- DirectorAlain GsponerStarsAnuk SteffenAnna SchinzLilian NaefA story of a young girl who lives in the Swiss Alps with her goat herding Grandfather.
- DirectorAlfred L. WerkerSidney LanfieldStarsGeorge ArlissBoris KarloffLoretta YoungThe wealthy Rothschild family undergoes prejudice from the anti-Semitic society they live within.The House of Rothschild is a 1934 American film written by Nunnally Johnson from the play by George Hembert Westley, and directed by Alfred L. Werker. It chronicles the rise of the Rothschild family of European bankers in the 18th century.
- DirectorErwin StrankaStarsManfred KrugEvelyn OpoczynskiIstván IglódiHungarian hussars under András Hadik occupy Berlin for one day in the 1757 Berlin raid during the Seven Years' War before the Prussian Army arrives. Directed by Erwin Stranka.
- DirectorBernard RoseStarsGary OldmanJeroen KrabbéIsabella RosselliniThe life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven. Besides all the work he is known for, the composer once wrote a famous love letter to a nameless beloved, and the movie tries to find out who this beloved was--not easy, as Beethoven has had many women in his life.Immortal Beloved is a 1994 film about the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven (played by Gary Oldman). The story follows Beethoven's secretary and first biographer Anton Schindler (Jeroen Krabbé) as he attempts to ascertain the true identity of the Unsterbliche Geliebte (Immortal Beloved) addressed in three letters found in the late composer's private papers. Schindler journeys throughout the Austrian Empire interviewing women who might be potential candidates as well as through Beethoven's own tumultuous life.
- DirectorHenrik GaleenStarsLeontine KühnbergErnst DeutschLeonhard HaskelIn the nineteenth century, a young Jewish woman living in the part of Poland controlled by Austria, meets an Austrian Count at a ball held by one of her father's business associates. After he rescues her from the unwanted attentions of a Polish army officer, they fall in love. She falls pregnant, and they live together in a Common-law marriage. Her family are horrified by the match and make her an outcast. Distraught by this, she ultimately commits suicide by drowning herself in a lake.
- DirectorGünter ReischStarsWolfgang KielingMonika GabrielJan SpitzerA Saxon village in 1792: While the Prussians go against France, the haymaking takes place in the village and the resolute Marthe catches her daughter Ev with the village blacksmith Ruprecht in the hay.Jungfer, Sie gefällt mir is an East German film. It was released in 1969 and the story is set in the 1790s.
- DirectorKarl GruneStarsMady ChristiansMathias WiemanAnita DorrisQueen Louise (German: Königin Luise) is a German silent historical film. The film portrays the short life of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of the Prussian monarch William III.
- DirectorWolfgang LiebeneinerStarsRuth LeuwerikDieter BorscheBernhard WickiThe life of Luise de Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of Frederick Wilhelm II of Prussia, and her opposition to Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars.The film depicts the life of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of Frederick William III of Prussia, and her stand against Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars. It was one of a number of films made during the 1950s that portrayed historical royal Germany in a positive manner.
- DirectorJames ClavellStarsMichael CaineOmar SharifFlorinda BolkanDuring the Thirty Years' War of 1600s, a band of Protestant mercenaries peacefully coexist with German Catholic villagers in a hidden idyllic mountain valley untouched by war.
- DirectorKurt HoffmannStarsHeidelinde WeisHarald LeipnitzKarin HübnerThe story of free-spirited German Princess Liselotte who, giving in to her father's wish, marries Philippe, the Duke of Orleans. Initially she is met with arrogance by her new husband and his court, and especially by his mistress Palatine, who flaunts her affair with Philippe in her face. Liselotte uses her charm and the weapons of womanhood and soon wins over the court and also the affections of her husband. But her enemies spin intrigues against her and skulduggery is afoot.Liselotte of the Palatinate (German: Liselotte von der Pfalz) is a 1966 West German historical comedy film directed by Kurt Hoffmann and starring Heidelinde Weis, Harald Leipnitz and Karin Hübner. It portrays the marriage of the German princess Liselotte of the Palatinate to the brother of Louis XIV and her adventures at the French court.
- DirectorKen RussellStarsRoger DaltreySara KestelmanPaul NicholasComposer and pianist Franz Liszt (Roger Daltrey) attempts to overcome his hedonistic life-style while repeatedly being drawn back into it by the many women in his life and fellow composer Richard Wagner (Paul Nicholas).Lisztomania is a 1975 film by Ken Russell about the nineteenth century composer Franz Liszt. The screenplay is derived, in part, from a "kiss-and-tell" book, Nélida by Marie d'Agoult (1848), about her affair with Liszt.
- DirectorEric TillStarsJoseph FiennesBruno GanzPeter UstinovDuring the early sixteenth century, idealistic German monk Martin Luther, disgusted by the materialism in the Catholic Church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation.
- StarsVojtech KotekTatiana PauhofováMartin PechlátIn the time of absolute monarchies, political intrigue, and diplomacy through marriage, love is not a word associated with marriage. And a ruling Empress? Not even imaginable. But a bright little girl is growing up at the Hofburg palace: Not only does beautiful Maria Theresa study books she isn't supposed to read; she also has a crush on dashing Francis Stephen of Lorraine, whom her father, Charles VI, eventually allows her to marry. When Charles VI dies, an edict paves his daughter's way to the throne. The new Habsburg ruler is only 23 years old, and expecting her fourth child. Maria Theresa eagerly responds to her realm's need for reform and handles the state of affairs while her husband spends much of his time with their children. But Austria seems to be on the verge of collapse and European rulers soon attack the Habsburg Empire. It takes a diplomatic masterpiece for Maria Theresa to win allies and--eventually--revitalize an empire that would influence the rest of Europe for almost 150 years.Maria Theresia (Czech: Marie Terezie) is a 2017 Austrian-Czech historical film. Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsKirsten DunstJason SchwartzmanRip TornThe retelling of France's iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 14 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen, and ultimately the fall of Versailles.The first part of the movie takes place in 18th-century Austria.
- DirectorFerdinando BaldiRudolf NussgruberStarsCameron MitchellAntonella LualdiHans von BorsodyIn the first half of the first century A.D., the Teutonic tribes, led by Arminius The Terrible, rebel against the cruel and conquering Roman Empire. In raging torments and blood curdling battles, the barbarian tribes and Roman Legions fight a war of attrition, so brutal and terrible that Arminius becomes a legend throughout the empire. Only Augustus, Emperor of Rome is evil and treacherous enough to enslave the Teuton barbarian and halt his murderous uprisings.Massacre in the Black Forest (German: Hermann der Cherusker - Die Schlacht im Teutoburger Wald) is a 1967 historical drama film set on the northeast frontier of the Roman Empire facing the area of Germania in A.D. 9. The film centers on Hermann, a chieftain of the Cherusci Germanic tribe (in what is now Hesse), who drew three Roman legions into an ambush in the Teutoburg Forest, known as the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.
- DirectorLudwig BergerStarsRudolf RittnerMax GülstorffMaria MatrayThe Master of Nuremberg (German: Der Meister von Nürnberg) is a 1927 German silent historical comedy film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Rudolf Rittner, Max Gülstorff and Gustav Fröhlich. It is based on the 1868 opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner. The story is set in the 16th century.
- DirectorHans MüllerStarsBert FortellAlbert GarbeEberhard KrugMazurka der Liebe is an East German film. It was released in 1957. It is an adaptation of the 1882 operetta Der Bettelstudent. The story is set in the early 18th century.
- DirectorRoger SpottiswoodeStarsDonal DonnellyDavid BurkePeter DvorskyA biography of the 18-century Viennese physician Franz Anton Mesmer, who used unorthodox healing practices based on his theory of "animal magnetism."In 18th century Vienna, Franz Anton Mesmer believes he is able to heal patients by drawing out something unique from inside his patients. However, the only ones who seem to have improvements are the young ladies he helps. His controversial methods and their consequences lead him to leave Vienna and head to Paris. However, once there, he takes advantage of his unique methods to provide entertainment, which he is censured for by other doctors.
- DirectorRalf KirstenStarsManfred KrugMonika WoytowiczFred DürenPreußen, 1730. Leutnant von Übbenau (Fred Düren) macht sich auf ins Hannöversche, um Rekruten zu pressen. Sein König, kriegerisch veranlagt, braucht mächtig viele Kerls, "die er in die Pfanne hauen kann". Doch woher nehmen, ohne zu stehlen? Bald darauf trifft der Werbeleutnant auf einen Burschen von prächtigem Gardemaß, wie für des Königs Rock geschaffen, und es gehen ihm die Augen über vor Freude, dann aber vor Schmerz, als nicht er die Canaille, sondern diese ihn festsetzt. Um der Schande zu entgehen, bleibt dem armen Leutnant lediglich der Ausweg, sich als der Erzeuger jenes Kuhhirten - pfui Teufel. - auszugeben. So kommt Alexander (Manfred Krug) nicht nur zu einem Vater von adligem Geblüt und einem Beutel voller Dukaten, er gewinnt auch das Herz von dessen wohlgeratenem Töchterchen Ulrike (Monika Woytowicz) und avanciert kurzzeitig zum Günstling August des Starken (Erik S. Klein). "Mir nach, Canaillen!" war 1964 der erste und überaus erfolgreiche Mantel- und Degenfilm der DEFA. Gemeinsam mit Regisseur Ralf Kirsten und den Drehbuchautoren Joachim Kupsch und Ulrich Plenzdorf nahm sich der damals frisch gekürte Publikumsliebling Manfred Krug der Idee an, einen Abenteuerfilm á la "Fanfan, der Husar" zu erfinden. Die Babelsberger Filmfabrik scheute weder Kosten noch Mühen: Farbe, Breitwand, Vier-Kanal-Magnet-Ton und dazu eine Besetzung vom Feinsten, angeführt von Manfred Krug und Monika Woytowicz. Gedreht wurde u.a. in Quedlinburg sowie in und um Kromsdorf.Follow Me, Scoundrels (German: Mir nach, Canaillen!) is a 1964 East German historical adventure film directed by Ralf Kirsten and starring Manfred Krug, Monika Woytowicz and Fred Düren. The story is set in the 1730s.
- DirectorRené FéretStarsMarie FéretMarc BarbéDelphine ChuillotA reimagined account of the early life of Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang, and a musical prodigy in her own right.Mozart's Sister (French title: Nannerl, la sœur de Mozart) is a 2010 French drama film written and directed by René Féret, and starring two of his daughters. It presents a fictional account of the early life of Maria Anna Mozart, nicknamed Nannerl, who was the sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his only sibling to survive infancy.
- DirectorSiegfried PhilippiFrederic ZelnikStarsOtto GebührLissi LindJakob TiedtkeThe Mill at Sanssouci (German: Die Mühle von Sanssouci) is a 1926 German silent historical film directed by Siegfried Philippi and Frederic Zelnik and starring Otto Gebühr, Lissi Lind and Jakob Tiedtke. The film is part of the popular cycle of Prussian films. The title alludes to the Historic Mill of Sanssouci constructed in the 18th century.
- DirectorDominique de RivazStarsVadim GlownaJürgen VogelKaroline HerfurthComposer Johann Sebastian Bach is introduced to King Frederick II of Prussia in 1747. The aging composer and the young monarch clash and a battle of egos ensues.Mein Name ist Bach is a 2003 Swiss film directed by Dominique de Rivaz. The story centers around the musical composer Johann Sebastian Bach in the 1740s.
- DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsMax SchreckAlexander GranachGustav von WangenheimVampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter's wife.Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (translated as Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror; or simply Nosferatu) is a 1922 German Expressionist horror film, directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film, shot in 1921 and released in 1922, was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897). The film is set in 1838 in fictional Wisborg, Germany.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsKlaus KinskiIsabelle AdjaniBruno GanzCount Dracula moves from Transylvania to Wismar, spreading the Black Plague across the land. Only a woman pure of heart can bring an end to his reign of horror.Nosferatu the Vampyre is a 1979 West German horror film written and directed by Werner Herzog. Its original German title is Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night). The film is set primarily in 19th-century Wismar, Germany and Transylvania, and was conceived as a stylistic remake of F. W. Murnau's 1922 German Dracula adaptation Nosferatu.
- DirectorMax OphülsStarsPierre Richard-WillmAnnie VernayJean GallandHerr Werther, a new magistrate to the Grand Duchy of Walheim who is a violinist and poet, seems to have fate on his side as he meets and pursues a beautiful local woman, Charlotte. But as Werther sets to propose marriage, Charlotte reluctantly tells him she has been promised to another, Werther's superior, Judge Hochstätten. Werther and Charlotte decide to keep their romance from the judge and each descends into depression. Will they be able to keep their feelings a secret?The Novel of Werther (French: Le Roman de Werther) is a 1938 French historical drama film directed by Max Ophüls and starring Pierre Richard-Willm, Annie Vernay and Jean Galland. It is based on the 1774 novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe.
- DirectorGerhard LamprechtStarsOtto GebührJulia SerdaBertold ReissigThe Old Fritz (German: Der alte Fritz) is a 1928 German silent historical film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Otto Gebühr, Julia Serda and Bertold Reissig.[1] Part of the cycle of Prussian Films, it was released in two parts. Gebühr played the role of Frederick the Great on many occasions during the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany.
- DirectorPeter von GuntenStarsGian Maria VolontèRolf HoppeHeidi ZügerPestalozzi's Mountain (German: Pestalozzis Berg) is a 1989 East German–Swiss drama film set in the 1790s.
- DirectorSönke WortmannStarsJohanna WokalekDavid WenhamJohn GoodmanA woman of English extraction born in the German city of Ingelheim in the ninth century disguises herself as a man and rises through the Vatican ranks.Shortly after the death of Charlemagne, a girl called Johanna is born in Ingelheim am Rhein. She is the daughter of a village priest (Iain Glen). He also rules his wife (Jördis Triebel) and family with a rod of iron, though his Saxon wife still secretly worships the pagan god Wotan. Even so, Johanna grows up to be an articulate girl, who intensively studies the Bible, unbeknownst to her father. After her eldest brother's sudden death, their father wants to send his second son Johannes to the cathedral school in Dorestad, but when the teacher Aesculapius (Edward Petherbridge) visits them in Ingelheim, Johanna proves to be far more capable of dealing with the Scriptures than Johannes.
- DirectorMarco BellocchioStarsAndrea Di StefanoBarbora BobulovaToni BertorelliThe Prince of Homburg, disobeys orders and leads a cavalry charge in battle against the Swedes, which leads to victory. He is court martialled however for disobeying orders and sentenced to death. His love who is now to be betrothed to the King of Sweden, following his execution appeals to the Elector, her uncle, on his behalf, as do his comrades in battle. He must also contend with his own desire to live and conflicting sense of honour.
- DirectorHansjörg ThurnStarsAlexandra NeldelBert TischendorfJulian WeigendMarie and her husband Michel Adler have a happy life until Michel has to go to war against the Hussites for König Sigismund but does not come back. She not believe on his dead and starts her journey to find out what really happened to him.The Revenge of the Whore (German: Die Rache der Wanderhure) is a 2012 television film, based on the novel Die Kastellanin written by Iny Lorentz. It is the sequel of the 2010 television film The Whore. Set in the 15th century, Marie played by Alexandra Neldel and her husband Michel Adler played by Bert Tischendorf have a happy life until Michel has to go to war against the Hussites for König Sigismund but does not come back. Marie does not believe that he is dead and starts her journey to find out what really happened to him.
- DirectorPaul CzinnerAlexander KordaStarsDouglas Fairbanks Jr.Elisabeth BergnerFlora RobsonStraightforward biography of the Russian Empress, up to her assumption of the throne.The Rise of Catherine the Great (also titled Catherine the Great) is a 1934 British historical film based on the play The Czarina by Lajos Bíró and Melchior Lengyel, about the rise to power of Catherine the Great. It was directed by Paul Czinner, and stars Elisabeth Bergner as Catherine, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., as Grand Duke Peter, Dorothy Hale as Countess Olga, and Flora Robson as Empress Elizabeth.
- DirectorRudolf Walther-FeinStarsHarry LiedtkeFritz KampersElizza La PortaRobert and Bertram (German: Robert und Bertram) is a 1928 German silent comedy film directed by Rudolf Walther-Fein and starring Harry Liedtke, Fritz Kampers and Elizza La Porta. It is based on the 1856 Gustav Räder play Robert and Bertram about the adventures of two wandering vagrants.
- DirectorBasil DeardenStarsStewart GrangerJoan GreenwoodFlora RobsonYoung Sophie Dorothea marries Prince George Louis but it's far from a love match. Then she falls for Swedish Count Philip Christoph von Königsmark.Sophie Dorothea (Joan Greenwood) seeks solace from dashing Count Philip Konigsmark (Stewart Granger) when her husband Prince George Louis (Peter Bull), later to become King George I of Great Britain, wants nothing to do with her. The lovers are brought down by a jealous Countess Platen (Flora Robson).
- DirectorJosef von SternbergStarsMarlene DietrichJohn LodgeSam JaffeA German noblewoman enters into a loveless marriage with the dim-witted, unstable heir to the Russian throne, then plots to oust him from power.Sophia Frederica (Marlene Dietrich) is the daughter of a minor German prince and an ambitious mother. She is brought to Russia by Count Alexei (John Davis Lodge) at the behest of Empress Elizabeth (Louise Dresser) to marry her nephew, Grand Duke Peter (played as a half-wit by Sam Jaffe in his film debut). The overbearing Elizabeth renames her Catherine and reinforces the demand the new bride issue an heir to the throne.
- DirectorEduard von BorsodyStarsHeidi BrühlHans von BorsodyFranziska KinzThe Shepherd from Trutzberg (German: Der Schäfer vom Trutzberg) is a 1959 West German historical romance film directed by Eduard von Borsody and starring Heidi Brühl, Hans von Borsody and Franziska Kinz. It is a heimatfilm, based on a novel by Ludwig Ganghofer. The story is set in the 15th century.
- DirectorGottfried KolditzStarsEvelyn CronJirí PapezOtto MelliesDie schöne Lurette is an East German film. It is an adaptation of the operetta Belle Lurette by Jacques Offenbach. The story is set in the 1760s.
- DirectorGuy RitchieStarsRobert Downey Jr.Jude LawJared HarrisDetective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a 2011 period action mystery film directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey, and Dan Lin. It is the sequel to the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, and features the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film takes place in 1891, partially in Germany.
- DirectorRichard ThorpeStarsAnn BlythEdmund PurdomJohn EricsonA prince has a romance with a barmaid before he must give up personal happiness for duty.Young Prince Karl (Edmund Purdom), of a small kingdom within the German Empire, is sent off near the turn of the 20th century to get a university education in Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg. His grandfather (Louis Calhern) was one of a handful of petty kings within German-speaking central Europe. Fictional Karlsburg is small, but fiercely proud of its history and traditions.
- DirectorEdgar ReitzStarsTilo PrücknerVadim GlownaHannelore ElsnerAlbrecht Ludwig Berblinger dreams of flying. By chance he gets to know the airship designer Jakob Degen and sees his flying objects in action.The Tailor from Ulm (German: Der Schneider von Ulm) is a 1979 West German drama film directed by Edgar Reitz of Heimat fame. It is the true story of a German pioneer aviator, Albrecht Berblinger, in the late 18th century
- DirectorCarl BoeseStarsPaul CzimegGiorgio De GiorgettiJulius FalkensteinThe Dancer Barberina (German: Die Tänzerin Barberina) is a 1920 German silent historical drama film directed by Carl Boese and starring Lyda Salmonova, Otto Gebühr and Harry Liedtke. It portrays the relationship between Frederick the Great and the dancer Barberina Campanini in eighteenth century Prussia.
- DirectorFrederic ZelnikStarsOtto GebührLil DagoverRosa ValettiThe beautiful dancer Barberina lies at the foot of Europe. Frederick II, King of Prussia, too, wants to engage her in his opera house. When she refuses, he lets her take her under military surveillance to Berlin, forces her to appear, and tries so eagerly for her that a love-story seems to arise between them. However, when Friedrich goes to war with Austria, Barberina falls in love with the secretary baron of Cocceji. After a concert on the occasion of the King's return, she wants to flee abroad with Cocceji.The Dancer of Sanssouci (German: Die Tänzerin von Sans Souci) is a 1932 German historical drama film directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Otto Gebühr, Lil Dagover and Rosa Valetti. Set at the court of Frederick the Great the film is part of a group of Prussian films made during the era. It portrays the interaction between Frederick and the celebrated dancer Barberina Campanini. Gebühr had previously appeared as Frederick in a silent film The Dancer Barberina about their relationship.
- DirectorH. Manning HaynesHeinz PaulStarsHans MarrEdmund WillardDennis AubreyThe story of William Tell, who, according to Swiss legend, was forced by the Austrians to shoot an apple off his son's head with a bow and arrow.
- DirectorMartin HellbergStarsWolfgang StumpfMargarete TaudteWolf KaiserThomas Muentzer is a 1956 East German film about the life of the 16th-century Protestant theologian and peasant leader Thomas Muentzer, directed by Martin Hellberg.
- DirectorJerzy SkolimowskiStarsTimothy HuttonNastassja KinskiValeria GolinoA young Russian aristocrat found himself in a difficult situation before his wedding - the temptation of a different way of life was revealed to him.Torrents of Spring is a 1989 British-French-Italian drama film written and directed by Jerzy Skolimowski and starring Timothy Hutton, Nastassja Kinski and Valeria Golino. It is based on the novel of the same name by Ivan Turgenev. Set in 1840, the film follows a young Russian aristocrat, Dimitri Sanin, who is torn between the love of a beautiful German pastry-shop girl, Gemma Rosselli, and a Russian seductress, Princess Maria Nikolaevna.
- DirectorMichael GwisdekStarsHermann BeyerCorinna HarfouchUwe KockischIn the fall of 1793, the essayist and naturalist Georg Forster meets his estranged wife, Therese, and her lover Ferdinand Huber. Over the course of three days and nights, and in the shadow of the revolutionary events in Paris, a private melodrama takes place in Travers, Switzerland. Shown at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.Treffen in Travers is a 1988 German drama film directed by Michael Gwisdek. The film is set in the 1790s.
- CreatorMichael HirstStarsJonathan Rhys MeyersHenry CavillAnthony BrophyEpic series reveals the scandalous life of a young king whose affairs and obsession with producing a male heir changed marriage, the church, and the world.Part of Season 3 is set in Cleves, Germany
- DirectorRolf RandolfStarsChristian BummerstaedtLeo ConnardLia EibenschützWallenstein is a 1925 German silent historical film directed by Rolf Randolf and starring Fritz Greiner, Eduard von Winterstein, Ernst Rückert. The film's sets were designed by the art director Robert A. Dietrich. It depicts the life of the Imperial General Albrecht von Wallenstein during the Thirty Years War. It was released in two separate parts, as was common for epics during the era.
- DirectorHansjörg ThurnStarsAlexandra NeldelBert TischendorfJulian WeigendThe Whore (German: Die Wanderhure) is a 2010 German television film, adapted from a novel by the same name. The film is set in Konstanz, Germany in the years 1414 and 1415.
- DirectorEmil HarderStarsFelix OrelliRobert KleinertJoseph ImholzThe story of the legendary hero and archer from Switzerland, who lead his country to freedom from tyranny.
- StarsJames ArnessA made-for-television movie that followed the legend of Wilhelm Gorkeit of Tellikon (William Tell), a brave archer and hero. As the stories say, he shot an apple off of his son's head, and then lead the rebellion for freedom in Switzerland.
- CreatorFriedrich SchillerStarsConrad PhillipsWilloughby GoddardJennifer JayneDepicts the legend of William Tell, who, as the stories say, shot an apple off of his son's head and lead the rebellion to free Switzerland.
- DirectorMichel DickoffKarl HartlStarsRobert FreitagAlfred SchlageterHeinz WoesterA 1960 Swiss adventure film directed by Michel Dickoff and Karl Hartl and starring Robert Freitag, Wolfgang Rottsieper and Alfred Schlageter. It is based on the traditional folk story of William Tell. The film was entered into the 2nd Moscow International Film Festival.
- CreatorAnthony HorowitzFriedrich SchillerStarsWill LymanJeremy ClydeNick BrimbleIn Switzerland in the 14th Century, William Tell and his son Matthew are imprisoned by the tyrannical Gessler. Having split the apple on his son's head with his crossbow, much to Gessler's chagrin, there is no stopping William Tell's legendary strength and skill.
- DirectorHenry LevinGeorge PalStarsLaurence HarveyClaire BloomKarlheinz BöhmThe story of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, and three of their stories.The story focuses on the Grimm brothers, Wilhelm (Laurence Harvey) and Jacob (Karlheinz Böhm), and is biographical and fantastical at the same time. They are working to finish a history for a local Duke (Oscar Homolka), though Wilhelm is more interested in collecting fairy tales and often spends their money to hear them from locals. Tales such as "The Dancing Princess" and "The Cobbler and the Elves" are integrated into the main plot. One of the tales is told as an experiment to three children in a book store to see if publishing a collection of fairy tales has any merit. Another tale, "The Singing Bone", is told by an old woman (Martita Hunt) in the forest who tells stories to children, while the uninvited Wilhelm secretly listens through an open window. The culmination of this tale involves a jeweled dragon and features the most involved usage of the film's special effects.
- DirectorPhilipp StölzlStarsAlexander FehlingMiriam SteinMoritz BleibtreuAfter aspiring poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe fails his law exams, he's sent to a sleepy provincial court to reform. Instead, he falls for Lotte, a young woman who is promised to another man.Young Goethe in Love (originally titled Goethe!) is a 2010 German historical drama film directed by Philipp Stölzl and starring Alexander Fehling, Miriam Stein, and Moritz Bleibtreu. It is a fictionalized version of the early years of the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the events forming the basis of his novel The Sorrows of Young Werther.
- DirectorVictor JansonRudolf DworskyStarsMady ChristiansWilliam DieterleAlbert SteinrückSword and Shield (German: Zopf und Schwert - Eine tolle Prinzessin) is a 1926 German silent historical romance film directed by Victor Janson and Rudolf Dworsky and starring Mady Christians, William Dieterle and Albert Steinrück. It is in the Prussian films tradition. The story is set in the 1730s.