1913 (1961)
A sharp German television adaptation of Carl Sternheim's satirical play, exposing the hollow ambitions of Wilhelmine bourgeois society.
1913 - Movie Information
- Release Year: 1961
- Directed by: Hans Lietzau
- Type: Movie
- Original Language: German
- Production Companies: Sender Freies Berlin
- Production Countries: Germany
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1913 - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Hans Lietzau
Main Cast
- Ernst Schröder
- Helmut Wildt
- Uta Sax
- Gisela Uhlen
- Claus Holm
- Dieter Ranspach
- Lothar Blumhagen
- Hermann Ebeling
- Otto Graf
- Paul Wagner
Writers
- Carl Sternheim
1913 - FAQs
What is the 1913 film about?
1913 is a 1961 German television film based on Carl Sternheim's biting satirical play. It follows the Maske family — a calculating bourgeois dynasty — as they maneuver through the rigid social hierarchies of Wilhelmine Germany in the final year before World War I, laying bare greed, ambition, and moral hollowness beneath a polished surface.
Is 1913 based on a play or book?
It's adapted from Carl Sternheim's 1915 stage play of the same name. Sternheim was a leading German Expressionist playwright celebrated for his sharp comedies skewering the bourgeoisie. The play belongs to his famous cycle Aus dem bürgerlichen Heldenleben (From the Heroic Life of the Bourgeoisie), making it a cornerstone of German dramatic literature.
Where can you watch the 1913 film?
You can check current streaming and viewing availability for 1913 on JustWatch, which tracks where the film can be watched in your region. Options may vary depending on your country and the platforms available to you — head over to JustWatch for the most up-to-date information.
Who directed the 1913 film?
Hans Lietzau directed the film. A respected figure in German theater and television, Lietzau brought a precise, stage-rooted sensibility to the material. His work on 1913 for Sender Freies Berlin helped introduce Sternheim's incisive social satire to a broader West German television audience in the early 1960s.
Who are the main actors in 1913?
The cast is led by Ernst Schröder as the scheming Freiherr Christian Maske von Buchow, with Helmut Wildt, Uta Sax, Gisela Uhlen, and Claus Holm rounding out the ensemble. Each performer brings one of Sternheim's sharply drawn characters to life, embodying the class anxieties and social ambitions of the Wilhelmine era.
What is the historical setting of 1913?
The story unfolds in 1913, the last full year of the Wilhelmine era — a time of surface prosperity and simmering social tension, just one year before World War I shattered the old order. This setting gives Sternheim's satire a haunting dramatic irony: the characters' petty scheming plays out on the very edge of catastrophe.
What language is the 1913 film in?
The film is in German, fitting naturally for a West German television production by Sender Freies Berlin. Sternheim's original dialogue is famous for its clipped, ironic cadence, and experiencing it in German preserves the full satirical bite that made his plays so distinctive and influential in the German-speaking theatrical tradition.
Which production company made the 1913 film?
1913 was produced by Sender Freies Berlin (SFB), a West German public broadcaster based in West Berlin. SFB was known throughout the postwar decades for commissioning culturally ambitious television dramas, and this adaptation of Sternheim's celebrated play fits squarely within that tradition of bringing serious theatrical works to a wider audience.
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