© University of Reading 2006 www.reading.ac.uk

15 April 2023

Ich war neunzehnIcon: Exile and Return

Richard McKenzie

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Exile 1933-1945• Socialists• Communists• Jewish refugees

– Kindertransport – Children– Families

• Artists• Filmmakers• Intellectuals• Many exiles worked for Allies and never returned to Germany• Approx 70,000 German and Austrian refugees in UK• Approx 10,000 German and Austrian refugees served in UK

armed forces

• Interview with German who fought with British Army http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8635541.stm

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Judith Kerr• Child exile• 1923-• Left Germany 1933 aged 9• Father Alfred Kerr author• Stayed in Britain• Became illustrator +

artists

• “The Tiger Who Came to Tea”

• “When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/nov/29/judith-kerr-tiger-came-tea

Interview with Judith Kerr about being an exilehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8234824.stm

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Willy Brandt• Politician Exile• 1913-1992• Born Herbert Frahm• SAP organiser pre 1933• Escaped to Norway 1933• War reporter Spanish Civil

War• 1945 Returned to Berlin in

Norwegian Uniform• Mayor of W Berlin• “We shall not vote for a

traitor”• Chancellor 1969-74

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,976765,00.html

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Konrad Wolf• Child exile• 1925-1982• Father Communist writer• Left 1933• Moscow exile• Fought in Soviet Army• Soviet citizen• Returned in 1945• Became director• “Verrätter”

http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14336735.html

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Walter Ulbricht• Politician exile• 1893-1973• Gen Sec SED• Moscow exile• Spanish Civil War• Reichstag member• KPD member• Fought in WWI

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Billy Wilder• Artist Exile• 1906-2002• Weimar film maker• Jewish background• Left 1933 for France• Went to Hollywood• Returned with US forces• Oscar Winner• Directed: Double

Indemnity, A Foreign Affair, Some like it Hot

• Stayed in US

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000697/bio

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Ich war neunzehn• E German• 1968• Road Movie• Konrad Wolf Director• Gregor and Sasha discover Germany• Based on Wolf’s war diary as propaganda officer in Red

Army• Anti fascist film• Discover Germany through 19 encounters with Germans

“Gregor is divided by his background, he is neither German or Soviet. He a member of the Soviet Army but the setting of the story binds Gregor to Germany. (Coulson,

1999, 175).

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“Ich war ein Vaterlandsverrätter”

• Film describes experience of “Gregor” Milieu

• Elements of Wolf’s own experience– Propaganda Officer– Town Commandant Bernau– Sweets– Spelling– Surrender of Spandau

• Originally titled “Der Heimkehr”

• Illustrates the difficulty of coming home

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Ich war neunzehn

Soldier lynched on pontoon

• Traitors executed by Nazis

• Gregor would be killed immediately

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Ich war neunzehn

Refugee Girl• No romantic

attachment• She does not

recognise him as German

• Caught between Russian and German woman

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Saschenhausen• Shower

highlights vulnerability

• Triple vulnerability Communist/Jew/Soviet Soldier

• Conflicted

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Blind Soldier• Share a cigarette• “wir haben viel

erlebt, wat?” • Soldier cannot tell

Gregor is a Soviet soldier

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Communist freedom fighters

• People like him• Represent lost

memory• First time Gregor

eats with Germans

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Ich war neunzehn

Willi Lomer• From working

class area of Berlin

• Fights together against escaping SS

• Reconciliation

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Escaping SS• Attack Gregor and

Lomer• Heading west• Will not accept

war over• Hunt down

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Ich war neunzehn

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Conclusion• Strongly anti-fascist film• Repeats Wolf’s biography• Reflects the experience of a small group of

German’s who became influential in own country and abroad

• How do you re-integrate in to society that rejected you and forced you to leave your home

• Can you go home?