Aenne Burda (2018)

Aenne Burda (a miniseries in two parts) is a historical and biographical drama, which premiered on German television (ARD) in December 2018. The main character is the German businesswomen Aenne Burda who launched one of the most successful fashion magazines in the world. Here is some basic information about this drama:

** German title: Die Wirtschaftswunderfrau

** Director: Franziska Meletzky

** Writer: Regine Bielefeldt

** Soundtrack: German – no English subtitles!

** Run time: 2 x ca 90 minutes = ca 180 minutes

The cast includes the following:

** Katharina Wackernagel as Anna Magdalene Burda (1909-2005) – her nickname is Aenne – wife of Franz Burda – founder and manager of “Burda Moden”

** Fritz Karl as Franz Burda (1903-1986) – husband of Aenne - a publisher and a politician

** Luise Wolfram as Edith Schmidt

** Annika Olbrich as Lise Schneegrass

Since this drama is based on a true story, the basic facts are part of the public record. They are not a secret. Therefore I feel free to mention some of them in this review.

While this drama is based on a true story, it is not a documentary film. It is a dramatized version of events. Not everything happened exactly as shown here. But the basic story is true.

Aenne and Franz were married in 1931. They had three sons:

** Franz (1932-2017)

** Frieder (1936-2019)

** Hubert (born in 1940)

Today Hubert is the owner of his mother’s company.

The story begins in the small West German town Offenburg in 1949. Franz is a publisher. His wife Aenne wants to start a fashion magazine. But Franz is old school. He wants his wife to stay at home and take care of the family. So he says: “Not now. Maybe later.” But Aenne does not give up. And after a while, she finds a way to get what she wants. I will not tell you how she does it. If you want to know, watch the drama.

At first (1949-1950), the magazine is called Favorit. However, it turns out that another magazine already has this name. Aenne must change the name of her magazine. She decides to use her family name and calls it Burda Moden. This name is used from 1950.

Aenne is convinced many German women are interested in fashion. She believes many German women want to wear something that is new and practical and smart. However, most German women cannot afford to do this, because this is post-war Germany and many families are poor.

Can the women afford to buy a fashion magazine? Can they afford to buy her fashion magazine? Aenne finds a way to help German women get what they want and at the same time ensure that her own business will prosper. She has a trick. It is clever and simple. But I will not tell you what it is. If you want know, watch the drama.

Burda Moden becomes a great success. Before long it is sold in several languages and in several countries. Aenne sells millions of copies all over the world.

In this historical and biographical drama, we follow her private life and her career as a successful businesswoman, who did not retire until she was 85.

What do reviewers say about it? On IMDb it has a rating of 68 per cent which corresponds to 3.4 stars on Amazon. On the German version of Amazon there are at the moment seven reviews of this product. The average rating is five stars. If you ask me, the former rating is too low, while the latter is quite right. Why?

The script is well-written and the actors play their roles well. The story is captivating, dramatic and emotional. In addition, it is based on a true story. I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

PS # 1. The German title is a very long word which means something like “The Woman behind an Economic Miracle.”

PS # 2. Aenne Burda: Die Königin der Kleider is a documentary film that was shown on German television ARD in December 2018 as a companion to the historical drama. Director: Sigrid Faltin. Run time: 30 minutes. Available on the ARD website until 12 December 2019.

*****

 

 Aenne Burda (1909-2005)

*****