Thomas Müntzer (film)
Encyclopedia
Thomas 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.
sweep through the German principalities. They are welcomed by the peasants, who hope that the new doctrines will help to liberate them from the operssing yoke of the nobility and the magistrates. The young pastor Thomas Muentzer embraces Lutheranism, but he is more radical in his support for the peasants.
At 1523, Muentzer arrives in Allstedt
to assume the office of the local pastor. When a local villager is arrested after assaulting an overseer who tried to rape his sister, the priest assists him to escape. He also carries a first Mass in German rather than Latin, and preaches his flock to destroy all the saints' icons in the local chappel, which he deems to be heretical. The people burn it down. The local baron retaliates by destroying the village. The priest now realizes that he is no longer a follower of Luther, who called to refrain from violence. He flees to southern Germany, where he and his friend Heinrich Pfeiffer take over the city of Muehlhausen and form a peasant rebel army, intending to liberate the people. But betrayal and the schemes of the nobility bring about their defeat in the Battle of Frankenhausen
. Muentzer is captured; as he is tortured, he refuses to deny his religious doctrines and is then executed.
, leading unavoidably to the consolidation of Socialist power in the state. The figure of the preacher Thomas Muentzer held an especially important status in the eyes of the establishment, both because of his radical theology that was regarded as a precursor to communism and his recognition by Friedrich Engels
, who viewed him as a revolutionary leader - as stated in Engels' book, The Peasant War in Germany
.
The film was one of 13 'heritage films' created by the DEFA studio during the 1950 about important historical characters whose legacy was deemed important by the state, like Johannes Kepler
and Georg Buechner. Author Friedrich Wolf has begun working on the scenario already at the late 1940s, and director Hellberg requested the DEFA board to authorize a film about Muentzer at 1952. 200 actors and 2000 extras, the latter mostly servicemen of the Barracked People's Police
and apprentices, were involved in the filming, that took place in the town of Quedlinburg
. The picture was shot using Agfacolor
reels.
film critic wrote that the picture was "intended to depict the 16th-Century Iconoclast as Walter Ulbricht
's ideological predecessor" and that its plot culminated in "a complete confusion." West Germany's Catholic Film Service described it as "an immense production... with a superficial and biased interpretation of history... in spite of the expensive crowd scenes, it is anemic." At 1970, a review of the German Film Studies' Institute noted that for uncertain reasons, Martin Luther
was not seen in the film at all.
On 2005, the picture was released on DVD format by the company Icestorm Entertainment. In a special 13-minutes-long supplement to the new edition, historian Susanne Galley noted several inaccuracies in the plot: Muentzer is shown to have held to his beliefs under torture, while in reality he agreed to deny them before his execution; the peasants' defeat in the Battle of Frankenhausen
is attributed to betrayal and sabotage, rather than to the weakness of their army. Galley believed that the plot was effected by the government's ideological tendencies.
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
theologian and peasant leader Thomas Muentzer
Thomas Muentzer
Thomas Müntzer was an early Reformation-era German theologian, who became a rebel leader during the Peasants' War. He turned against Luther with several anti-Lutheran writings, and supported the Anabaptists. In the Battle of Frankenhausen, Müntzer and his followers were defeated...
, directed by Martin Hellberg.
Plot
At 1519, the teachings of Martin LutherMartin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
sweep through the German principalities. They are welcomed by the peasants, who hope that the new doctrines will help to liberate them from the operssing yoke of the nobility and the magistrates. The young pastor Thomas Muentzer embraces Lutheranism, but he is more radical in his support for the peasants.
At 1523, Muentzer arrives in Allstedt
Allstedt
Allstedt is a town the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approximatively 10 km southeast of Sangerhausen.- References :...
to assume the office of the local pastor. When a local villager is arrested after assaulting an overseer who tried to rape his sister, the priest assists him to escape. He also carries a first Mass in German rather than Latin, and preaches his flock to destroy all the saints' icons in the local chappel, which he deems to be heretical. The people burn it down. The local baron retaliates by destroying the village. The priest now realizes that he is no longer a follower of Luther, who called to refrain from violence. He flees to southern Germany, where he and his friend Heinrich Pfeiffer take over the city of Muehlhausen and form a peasant rebel army, intending to liberate the people. But betrayal and the schemes of the nobility bring about their defeat in the Battle of Frankenhausen
Battle of Frankenhausen
The Battle of Frankenhausen was fought on 15 May 1525. It was the final act of the German Peasants' War: joint troops of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse and Duke George of Saxony defeated the peasants under their Anabaptist leader Thomas Müntzer near Frankenhausen in the County of Schwarzburg .On April...
. Muentzer is captured; as he is tortured, he refuses to deny his religious doctrines and is then executed.
Selected cast
- Wolfgang Stumpf as Thomas MuentzerThomas MuentzerThomas Müntzer was an early Reformation-era German theologian, who became a rebel leader during the Peasants' War. He turned against Luther with several anti-Lutheran writings, and supported the Anabaptists. In the Battle of Frankenhausen, Müntzer and his followers were defeated...
. - Margarete Taudte as Ottilie von Gerson.
- Martin Floerchinger as Heinrich Pfeiffer.
- Wolf KaiserWolf KaiserWolf Kaiser was a German theatre and film actor. He grew up in Switzerland, where he studied chemistry and physiology. In 1937 he was deemed unfit for service in the Wehrmacht, and then went to Berlin where he trained as an actor.-Career:...
as Hannes the Swab. - 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 student. - Gerd Michael HennebergGerd Michael HennebergGerd Michael Henneberg was a German actor and theater director.-Biography:Gerd Henneberg's father, Richard, was a theater director. After the young Heeneberg took private acting classes, he made his debut on stage at the age of sixteen, in the Leipzig Theater...
as Evangelist priest. - Horst GieseHorst GieseHorst Fritz Otto Giese was an East German actor.-Biography:In 1945, Giese made his debut on stage at his native Neuruppin, then in the Soviet occupation zone. Later he appeared on television. His first role in a movie was at the 1954 Alarm in the Circus...
as miner. - Fritz DiezFritz DiezNot to be confused with the West German industrialist Fritz Dietz.Fritz Diez was a German actor, producer, director and theater manager.-Early life:...
as Field Captain Hoffmann. - Franz LoskarnFranz Loskarn-Selected filmography:* Um das Menschenrecht * Der Jäger von Fall * Hubertus Castle * Thomas Müntzer * Zwei Bayern in St. Pauli * Jacqueline -External links:...
as Captain Krumpe. - Gerhard Bienert as Ernst II, Count von MansfeldHouse of MansfeldThe House of Mansfeld was a princely German house, which took its name from the town of Mansfeld in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt. Mansfelds were archbishops, generals, supporters as well as opponents of Martin Luther, and Habsburg administrators....
. - Edgar Bennert as Frederick III, Elector of SaxonyFrederick III, Elector of SaxonyFrederick III of Saxony , also known as Frederick the Wise , was Elector of Saxony from 1486 to his death. Frederick was the son of Ernest, Elector of Saxony and his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Albert III, Duke of Bavaria...
. - Friedrich Richter as John, Elector of SaxonyJohn, Elector of SaxonyJohn of Saxony , known as John the Steadfast or John the Constant, was Elector of Saxony from 1525 until 1532...
. - Fred Diesko as John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony.
- Guido Goroll as Louis V, Elector PalatineLouis V, Elector PalatineLouis V, Count Palatine of the Rhine ; a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was prince elector of the Palatinate....
. - Jan Franz Krueger as Henry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lueneburg.
- Peter Herden as Philip I, Landgrave of HessePhilip I, Landgrave of HessePhilip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....
. - Paul Paulsen as George, Duke of SaxonyGeorge, Duke of SaxonyGeorge the Bearded, Duke of Saxony , was duke of Saxony from 1500 to 1539.Duke George was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece.-Early life:...
. - Ruediger Renn as Charles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
.
Production
The communist leadership of East Germany, in its attempts to create a unifying narrative for the citizens of their country, attempted to portray the history of the land as a chain of events which developed according to the rules Marxism-LeninismMarxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
, leading unavoidably to the consolidation of Socialist power in the state. The figure of the preacher Thomas Muentzer held an especially important status in the eyes of the establishment, both because of his radical theology that was regarded as a precursor to communism and his recognition by Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
, who viewed him as a revolutionary leader - as stated in Engels' book, The Peasant War in Germany
The Peasant War in Germany
The Peasant War in Germany by Friedrich Engels, 1850, is an account of 16th century uprisings.This book was written by Friedrich Engels in London, during the summer of 1850, following the revolutionary uprisings of 1848-1849. The book draws a parallel between the uprisings of 1848-1849 and the...
.
The film was one of 13 'heritage films' created by the DEFA studio during the 1950 about important historical characters whose legacy was deemed important by the state, like Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler was a German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer. A key figure in the 17th century scientific revolution, he is best known for his eponymous laws of planetary motion, codified by later astronomers, based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican...
and Georg Buechner. Author Friedrich Wolf has begun working on the scenario already at the late 1940s, and director Hellberg requested the DEFA board to authorize a film about Muentzer at 1952. 200 actors and 2000 extras, the latter mostly servicemen of the Barracked People's Police
Kasernierte Volkspolizei
Kasernierte Volkspolizei were the military units of the Volkspolizei in the German Democratic Republic...
and apprentices, were involved in the filming, that took place in the town of Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
. The picture was shot using Agfacolor
Agfacolor
thumb|An Agfacolor slide dating from the early 1940s. While the colors themselves hold up well after 60 years, damages visible include dust and [[Newton's rings]].Agfacolor is a series of color photographic products produced by Agfa of Germany...
reels.
Reception
The film had its premiere on 17 May 1956, on the tenth anniversary to DEFA's founding. It was commercially released on the following day. The Der SpiegelDer Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
film critic wrote that the picture was "intended to depict the 16th-Century Iconoclast as Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
's ideological predecessor" and that its plot culminated in "a complete confusion." West Germany's Catholic Film Service described it as "an immense production... with a superficial and biased interpretation of history... in spite of the expensive crowd scenes, it is anemic." At 1970, a review of the German Film Studies' Institute noted that for uncertain reasons, Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
was not seen in the film at all.
On 2005, the picture was released on DVD format by the company Icestorm Entertainment. In a special 13-minutes-long supplement to the new edition, historian Susanne Galley noted several inaccuracies in the plot: Muentzer is shown to have held to his beliefs under torture, while in reality he agreed to deny them before his execution; the peasants' defeat in the Battle of Frankenhausen
Battle of Frankenhausen
The Battle of Frankenhausen was fought on 15 May 1525. It was the final act of the German Peasants' War: joint troops of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse and Duke George of Saxony defeated the peasants under their Anabaptist leader Thomas Müntzer near Frankenhausen in the County of Schwarzburg .On April...
is attributed to betrayal and sabotage, rather than to the weakness of their army. Galley believed that the plot was effected by the government's ideological tendencies.