Ware für Katalonien
Encyclopedia
Ware für Katalonien is an East German black-and-white film, directed by Richard Groschopp. It was released in 1959.
notices a strange occurrence: the local demand for optical instruments increases, while the orders from abroad sharply decrease. Several detectives launch an investigation, revealing that a West German criminal named Hasso Teschendorf has been forging documents and using them to illegally obtain the goods, which he sold to the Spanish Army and to costumers in Barcelona
. After a long hunt, the smuggler is arrested just before he manages to flee to West Berlin.
factory in Jena
, East Germany. He sold them to clients in Barcelona
. Schützendorf managed to escape justice, settling in Spain, where he lived as a rich man until his death at 2003. The film Ware fur Katalonien was loosely based on this incident, although the villain "Hasso Teschendorf" was caught in the end.
in 1959 for his work on the film. He later received a letter from Schützendorf, who wrote him "Dear Groschopp, please be more realistic next time... Arresting me just before reaching the Brandenburg Gate
? Are you that deluded?"
The German film lexicon described the picture as "a well-made crime film, with notably good acting."
Plot
At 1959, the People's PoliceVolkspolizei
The Volkspolizei , or VP, were the national police of the German Democratic Republic . The Volkspolizei were responsible for most law enforcement in East Germany, but its organisation and structure were such that it could be considered a paramilitary force as well...
notices a strange occurrence: the local demand for optical instruments increases, while the orders from abroad sharply decrease. Several detectives launch an investigation, revealing that a West German criminal named Hasso Teschendorf has been forging documents and using them to illegally obtain the goods, which he sold to the Spanish Army and to costumers in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. After a long hunt, the smuggler is arrested just before he manages to flee to West Berlin.
Cast
- Wilfried Ortmann as Hasso Teschendorf
- 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 Captain Gerner - Werner DisselWerner DisselWerner Friedrich Dissel was a German actor and director.-Biography:Dissel's began working as a newspaper photographer in the late 1920s. After the Nazis' rise to power, he became a member of an antifascist group headed by Harro Schulze-Boysen, and was involved in the resistance newspaper Wille zum...
as doorman - Peter SturmPeter SturmNot to be confused with the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control director by the same name.Josef Michel Dischel , known by his adopted stage name Peter Sturm, was an Austrian and an East German actor.-Early life:Josef Michel Dischel was born into a religious Jewish family...
as Mr. Dupont - 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 businessman - Manfred KrugManfred KrugManfred 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...
as smuggler - Eva-Maria HagenEva-Maria HagenEva-Maria Hagen is a German actress and singer. She is the mother of Nina Hagen.-Selected filmography:-External links:...
as Marion Stöckel - Hanna Rimkus as Sabine Falk
- Hartmut Reck as Schellenberg
- Heinz-Dieter Knaup as Hasselbach
- Ivan Malré as Bob Georgi
- Carola Braunbock as Charlotte Gansauge
- Dom de Beern as inspector
- Albert Garbe as Bachmann
- Herbert Grünbaum as Rösli
- Hubert Hoelzke as costumer
- Walter Jupé as Erwin
Production
At 1957, the West German criminal Hasso Schützendorf organized a complex fraud: his partners, using forged documents, managed to take possession on the entire stock of optical instruments produced by the ZeissJenoptik
Jenoptik is an optoelectronics group located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany and a descendant of the pre-war Zeiss company. The business is divided into five divisions: Optical Systems, Lasers & Material Processing, Industrial Metrology, Traffic Solutions and Defense & Civil Systems.- Company profile...
factory in Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
, East Germany. He sold them to clients in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. Schützendorf managed to escape justice, settling in Spain, where he lived as a rich man until his death at 2003. The film Ware fur Katalonien was loosely based on this incident, although the villain "Hasso Teschendorf" was caught in the end.
Reception
Director Richard Groschopp was awarded the Art Prize of the German Democratic RepublicArt Prize of the German Democratic Republic
The Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic was an East German state award bestowed on individuals for contributions in various fields of art.-History:...
in 1959 for his work on the film. He later received a letter from Schützendorf, who wrote him "Dear Groschopp, please be more realistic next time... Arresting me just before reaching the Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
? Are you that deluded?"
The German film lexicon described the picture as "a well-made crime film, with notably good acting."