Auf Achse (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Auf Achse was a German
television series on the ARD
channel. The series ran from 1977 until 1996 and 86 episodes were produced altogether.
) is a trucker working for the Munich
-based company, "Mittermann Haulage", driving mostly the Germany
-Iran
route. The company is run by Sylvia Mittermann (Monica Bleibtreu
), who is friendly with Franz. One day, she lands a big delivery to Tehran, but Franz is the only driver she has left. Franz gets to know a washed up racing driver, Günther Willers (Rüdiger Kirschstein) and talks him into teaming up for the new assignment. All does not go smoothly, however. First, Franz's lorry is inadvertently switched for a stolen one, then a hitchhiker causes problems. Shortly before arriving, Günter's cab bursts into flames. But at long last, the goods are delivered successfully (although this is not depicted).
Back in Munich, the company has gone bankrupt, and the pair have to scramble to find new jobs. Just before Meersdonk is forced to sell his lorry, they connive to land another delivery run. Once an insurance fraud is cleared up in a later episode, they finally get the money together to form their own company: International Transport in Munich.
Season 5 takes place entirely in Turkey. Willers quits (the first of several times that the Willers character departs the series). Meersdonk establishes a branch of the company in Turkey.
Most of the episodes involve auto theft, cargo scams, dubious acquaintances, or smuggling. Meersdonk and Willers get themselves into jams and get themselves back out. Trying to make successful deals, the good natured heroes are regularly taken advantage of or they get roughed up. So they remain what they are -- truckers, even if they are their own bosses.
song of the same name
.
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...
television series on the ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
channel. The series ran from 1977 until 1996 and 86 episodes were produced altogether.
Plot
In the first few episodes, Franz Meersdonk (Manfred KrugManfred Krug
Manfred Krug is a German actor and singer.-Life and work:After moving to East Germany at the age of 13, Manfred Krug worked at a steel plant before beginning his acting career on the stage and, ultimately, in film...
) is a trucker working for the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
-based company, "Mittermann Haulage", driving mostly the Germany
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...
-Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
route. The company is run by Sylvia Mittermann (Monica Bleibtreu
Monica Bleibtreu
Monica Bleibtreu was an Austrian actress and screenwriter, best-known in the German-speaking world for her German film, television and stage roles.-Life and career:...
), who is friendly with Franz. One day, she lands a big delivery to Tehran, but Franz is the only driver she has left. Franz gets to know a washed up racing driver, Günther Willers (Rüdiger Kirschstein) and talks him into teaming up for the new assignment. All does not go smoothly, however. First, Franz's lorry is inadvertently switched for a stolen one, then a hitchhiker causes problems. Shortly before arriving, Günter's cab bursts into flames. But at long last, the goods are delivered successfully (although this is not depicted).
Back in Munich, the company has gone bankrupt, and the pair have to scramble to find new jobs. Just before Meersdonk is forced to sell his lorry, they connive to land another delivery run. Once an insurance fraud is cleared up in a later episode, they finally get the money together to form their own company: International Transport in Munich.
Season 5 takes place entirely in Turkey. Willers quits (the first of several times that the Willers character departs the series). Meersdonk establishes a branch of the company in Turkey.
Most of the episodes involve auto theft, cargo scams, dubious acquaintances, or smuggling. Meersdonk and Willers get themselves into jams and get themselves back out. Trying to make successful deals, the good natured heroes are regularly taken advantage of or they get roughed up. So they remain what they are -- truckers, even if they are their own bosses.
Details
Over the series lifetime, the truckers traveled to most European countries, north Africa, the Republic of South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, and east Asia. Early in the series, when the action was set in a foreign country, the actors spoke their own language and no subtitles were provided, so that the viewer would experience the same communication problems as Franz and Günther. However, the series did not keep up this gimmick, especially not with the Namibia/South Africa episodes and the first two Mexico episodes.Impact
As indicated by its long run, the show was fairly well received. It attained some cachet abroad for various reasons; it is referenced by the Franz FerdinandFranz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
song of the same name
Franz Ferdinand (album)
Franz Ferdinand is the debut album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, released in early 2004. It entered the United Kingdom album charts at number three in February 2004 and contains three UK top ten singles: "Take Me Out", "This Fire" and "The Dark of the Matinée"...
.