Schlösser und Katen
Encyclopedia
Schlösser und Katen is an East German black-and-white film, directed by Kurt Maetzig
. It was released in 1957.
, the hunchback coachman Anton Zuckman married maid Marthe, who was pregnant with Baron von Holzendorf's illegitimate child, in exchange for a letter promising that the baron would recognize his offspring when it would wed and endow it with 5000 Mark. Marthe gave birth to a a daughter, Anna, nicknamed Annegret.
At 1945, the baron and his family fled to the West, leaving their serfs and servants under Soviet occupation. The former estate inspector, Bröker, plans to have Anna marry his son, after discovering the baron's letter. Anna, now a young woman, falls in love with Klimm, a war veteran who returned from captivity. When she realizes her father's plans, she and Klimm flee to the city.
. The farmers, especially the richer ones, are skeptic. Anton is frustrated by one of the communist functionaries' constant demands, assaults him and is thrown to jail. The people become tired of the collectivization efforts. The Baroness von Holzendorf returns from the west, and begins to stir trouble. On 17 June 1953, the farmers revolt against the government, as part of a wave of state-wide demonstrations. Soviet troops quell the uprising. Anton, who understands the letter he received is worthless, turns to aid the local officials. After a life of misery, he is accepted as an equal member in the new collective farm. Marthe, Anton, Annegret and Klimm reunite as a happy family.
told that the idea to make the film came to him during the brief period of liberalization that took place in East Germany after Nikita Khrushchev
's Secret Speech. He claimed that the film's realistic style was also influenced by his wish to correct the impression of the highly propagandistic Ernst Thälmann
pictures.
The script's approval by the DEFA Commission was delayed by the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolt at October 1956. As the Soviets put their forces in East Germany on alert, fearing a repetition of the 1953 events
, the scene in which Soviet tanks dispersed the rebelling villagers had to be reconsidered. The script was authorized at late November, after the situation in Hungary was stabilized.
Principal photography commenced in the end of 1956. The main obstacle that faced Maetzig was the alcoholism of actor Raimund Schelcher, who was constantly drunk on set and often did not appear for the filming. Eventually, the director was forced to have him replaced for two weeks by actor Hans Hardt-Hardtloff. This was partially remedied in the editing stage.
Joshua Feinstein asserted that while the film still had featured subversive agents from the West and other typical communist themes, it had a historical and psychological depth rare to East German pictures. He also claimed that Anton's deformity represented "an inner self-debasement, worse than any external oppression can cause." Heiko R. Blum considered Castles and Cottages as Maetzig's best film, and one of the best ever made in East Germany.
Andrea Brockmann wrote that Castles and Cottages was one of the few East German pictures which made a reference to the 17 June 1953 Uprising, and has portrayed it as a complex event, not a counterrevolutionary putsch.
Maetzig himself told interviewer Martin Brady that the interpretation of the June events was his own, and different from the view held by the governments of both German states; he stressed that he depicted the uprising neither as a purely popular act of resistance to the communists, nor as an influence of Western subversion, but rather, as resulting from the combination of external influence across the border and frustration with the rashness of the government's reforms.
Author Johannes von Moltke noted that the film used the motifs of the classical German "homeland" films
, but instead of directly manipulating them for propaganda purposes as done in The Condemned Village, Maetzig's work was a more honest attempt, and only diverged slightly in what Mettke called "the prototype of Heimat in Socialism." He also pointed out another dualism characterizing the plot: while the re-distribution of the count's land to the serfs was portrayed as far from an unmitigated success, and the hardships facing the serfs-turned-farmers were emphasized, this was done not only for realism's sake, but also to demonstrate the necessity of a further change - the nationalization of all the plots to create the collective farms
. Still, the farmers were presented as unwilling to agree to the latter move, fearing to lose their personal property; this, too, was a relatively realistic approach by the filmmaker. Helmut Pflügl and Raimund Fritz wrote that it was one of "surprisingly few" East German films to deal with the problems that arose due to the nationalization and later collectivization of the former feudal estates.
Critics Antonin and Miera Liehm regarded the film as "poor propaganda". The West German Catholic Film Service cited Castles and Cottages as a "a film which, in spite of the good performance of the actors, was not thoroughly well made on the plot level... although it had many depictions of authentic human behavior."
Kurt Maetzig
Kurt Maetzig is an East German film director who had a significant effect on the film industry in the GDR. He is one of the most respected filmmakers of East Germany. He currently lives in Wildkuhl, Mecklenburg, and has three children....
. It was released in 1957.
Part 1: Hunchback Anton
In a feudal estate in MecklenburgMecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
, the hunchback coachman Anton Zuckman married maid Marthe, who was pregnant with Baron von Holzendorf's illegitimate child, in exchange for a letter promising that the baron would recognize his offspring when it would wed and endow it with 5000 Mark. Marthe gave birth to a a daughter, Anna, nicknamed Annegret.
At 1945, the baron and his family fled to the West, leaving their serfs and servants under Soviet occupation. The former estate inspector, Bröker, plans to have Anna marry his son, after discovering the baron's letter. Anna, now a young woman, falls in love with Klimm, a war veteran who returned from captivity. When she realizes her father's plans, she and Klimm flee to the city.
Part 2: Annegret's Return
The new communist government handed the nobles' lands to the common people, and Anton became a small farmer. He and his wife have a small income of their plot. Annegret, now a zoologist, returns to the countryside to implement reforms in livestock management that would improve productivity, as the government intends to collectivize the farmsLandwirtschaftliche Produktionsgenossenschaft
The German expression Landwirtschaftliche Produktionsgenossenschaft , or — more commonly — its acronym LPG was the official designation for large, collectivised farms in the former East Germany, corresponding to Soviet Kolkhoz.The collectivisation of private and state owned agricultural...
. The farmers, especially the richer ones, are skeptic. Anton is frustrated by one of the communist functionaries' constant demands, assaults him and is thrown to jail. The people become tired of the collectivization efforts. The Baroness von Holzendorf returns from the west, and begins to stir trouble. On 17 June 1953, the farmers revolt against the government, as part of a wave of state-wide demonstrations. Soviet troops quell the uprising. Anton, who understands the letter he received is worthless, turns to aid the local officials. After a life of misery, he is accepted as an equal member in the new collective farm. Marthe, Anton, Annegret and Klimm reunite as a happy family.
Cast
- Raimund Schelcher as Anton Zuck
- Erika Dunkelmann as Marthe Zuck
- Karla Runkehl as Annegret
- Erwin GeschonneckErwin GeschonneckErwin Geschonneck 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:...
as Bröker - Ekkehard SchallEkkehard SchallEkkehard Schall was a German stage and screen actor/director.He was one of the best profiled actors of Brecht's works and together with Helene Weigel a member of the Berliner Ensemble....
as Ekkehart Bröker - Ulrich TheinUlrich TheinUlrich Thein was a German actor film director and screenwriter. He appeared in 44 films and television shows between 1953 and 1995...
as agronom - Harry Hindemith as Kalle
- Wilhelm Puchert as Jens Voß
- Angelika Hurwicz as Hede
- Dieter Perlwitz as Heinz Klimm
- Helga Göring as Christel Sikura
- Hans Finohr as Friedrich Sikura
- Lotte Loebinger as Mrs. Sikura
- Kurt Dunkelmann as Wittig
- Horst KubeHorst Kube-Selected filmography:* Ernst Thälmann - Führer seiner Klasse * A Berlin Romance * Der Fackelträger * Schlösser und Katen * Don't Forget My Little Traudel * Zwei Mütter * The Sailor's Song...
as drunkard
Production
Director Kurt MaetzigKurt Maetzig
Kurt Maetzig is an East German film director who had a significant effect on the film industry in the GDR. He is one of the most respected filmmakers of East Germany. He currently lives in Wildkuhl, Mecklenburg, and has three children....
told that the idea to make the film came to him during the brief period of liberalization that took place in East Germany after Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
's Secret Speech. He claimed that the film's realistic style was also influenced by his wish to correct the impression of the highly propagandistic Ernst Thälmann
Ernst Thälmann (film)
Ernst Thälmann is an East German film in two parts about the life of the German Communist leader Ernst Thälmann, directed by Kurt Maetzig and starring Günther Simon in the title role. The first picture, Ernst Thälmann - Sohn seiner Klasse , was released at 1954...
pictures.
The script's approval by the DEFA Commission was delayed by the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolt at October 1956. As the Soviets put their forces in East Germany on alert, fearing a repetition of the 1953 events
Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
The Uprising of 1953 in East Germany started with a strike by East Berlin construction workers on June 16. It turned into a widespread anti-Stalinist uprising against the German Democratic Republic government the next day....
, the scene in which Soviet tanks dispersed the rebelling villagers had to be reconsidered. The script was authorized at late November, after the situation in Hungary was stabilized.
Principal photography commenced in the end of 1956. The main obstacle that faced Maetzig was the alcoholism of actor Raimund Schelcher, who was constantly drunk on set and often did not appear for the filming. Eventually, the director was forced to have him replaced for two weeks by actor Hans Hardt-Hardtloff. This was partially remedied in the editing stage.
Reception
Castles and Cottages was viewed by more than three million people, although failing to secure any awards.Joshua Feinstein asserted that while the film still had featured subversive agents from the West and other typical communist themes, it had a historical and psychological depth rare to East German pictures. He also claimed that Anton's deformity represented "an inner self-debasement, worse than any external oppression can cause." Heiko R. Blum considered Castles and Cottages as Maetzig's best film, and one of the best ever made in East Germany.
Andrea Brockmann wrote that Castles and Cottages was one of the few East German pictures which made a reference to the 17 June 1953 Uprising, and has portrayed it as a complex event, not a counterrevolutionary putsch.
Maetzig himself told interviewer Martin Brady that the interpretation of the June events was his own, and different from the view held by the governments of both German states; he stressed that he depicted the uprising neither as a purely popular act of resistance to the communists, nor as an influence of Western subversion, but rather, as resulting from the combination of external influence across the border and frustration with the rashness of the government's reforms.
Author Johannes von Moltke noted that the film used the motifs of the classical German "homeland" films
Heimatfilm
Heimatfilm is the name given to a film genre that was popular in Germany, Switzerland and Austria from the late 40s to the early 70s. They were usually shot in the Alps, the Black Forest or the Lüneburg Heath and always involved the outdoors...
, but instead of directly manipulating them for propaganda purposes as done in The Condemned Village, Maetzig's work was a more honest attempt, and only diverged slightly in what Mettke called "the prototype of Heimat in Socialism." He also pointed out another dualism characterizing the plot: while the re-distribution of the count's land to the serfs was portrayed as far from an unmitigated success, and the hardships facing the serfs-turned-farmers were emphasized, this was done not only for realism's sake, but also to demonstrate the necessity of a further change - the nationalization of all the plots to create the collective farms
Landwirtschaftliche Produktionsgenossenschaft
The German expression Landwirtschaftliche Produktionsgenossenschaft , or — more commonly — its acronym LPG was the official designation for large, collectivised farms in the former East Germany, corresponding to Soviet Kolkhoz.The collectivisation of private and state owned agricultural...
. Still, the farmers were presented as unwilling to agree to the latter move, fearing to lose their personal property; this, too, was a relatively realistic approach by the filmmaker. Helmut Pflügl and Raimund Fritz wrote that it was one of "surprisingly few" East German films to deal with the problems that arose due to the nationalization and later collectivization of the former feudal estates.
Critics Antonin and Miera Liehm regarded the film as "poor propaganda". The West German Catholic Film Service cited Castles and Cottages as a "a film which, in spite of the good performance of the actors, was not thoroughly well made on the plot level... although it had many depictions of authentic human behavior."
External links
- Schlösser und Katen original posters on poster-archiv.de.
- Schlösser und Katen on DEFA Sternstunden.
- Schlösser und Katen on filmportal.de.
- Schlösser und Katen on ostfilm.de