1806 - Die Nürnberg Saga is a docudrama (divided into three episodes) which premiered on German television (BR) in 2021.
This docudrama is about the history of the German city Nürnberg (known in English as Nuremberg).
The story covers more than six decades. The time frame runs from 1787 to 1851.
Here is some basic information about this docudrama:
** Director: Oliver Halmburger
** Writers: Oliver Halmburger and Christian Lappe
** Host and presenter: Kadda Gehret
** Language: German
** Subtitles: German
** Run time: 3 x 43 minutes = 129 minutes
A docudrama is a combination of two elements: a documentary film and a historical drama.
As the story moves forward, it flips back and forth between the two elements.
It is a documentary film, when Kadda Gehret meets and interviews historical experts to find out what we know about the history of Nuremberg and to learn how the facts can be understood.
It is a historical drama, when several historical moments are reconstructed by actors who portray some of the people who lived during the time from 1787 to 1851.
As stated above, there are three episodes;
Episode # 1
Vor dem Sturm - Before the Storm
The years from 1787 to 1806
Episode # 2
Unter dem Hammer – Under the Hammer
The year 1806
Episode # 3
Aus der Asche – Out of the Ashes
The years from 1806 to 1851
Nuremberg was a free imperial city for more than 500 years: from 1219 to 1806. The city was ruled by the leader of the Holy Roman Empire. But the emperor did not visit the city very often. This means that the city was in fact quite independent.
In 1787, when the story begins, the inhabitants of the city are amazed as they are watching a marvelous new invention, a hot air balloon, rising up and flying high above the houses.
In that year, Nuremberg has been a free imperial city for more than 500 years. The inhabitants of the city cannot know that this special status is going to end in less than 20 years.
Only two years later, in 1789, the French revolution breaks out, and the ideas of the French revolution begin to spread across the countries of Europe.
Some people like these ideas. These people want to see a new society with more freedom and more equality.
The rulers of the European countries do not like these ideas. They do not want to see any change. They want everything to remain as it is.
In Nuremberg the city has for generations been ruled by a collection of 22 patrician families, the local nobility.
Most members of these families do not see any need for change. They say: We are in power, because we deserve to be in power. We know what is best for the people.
But changes are coming. There is pressure from outside forces: from Prussia, from Austria, and from France.
The year 1806 is mentioned in the title of the docudrama. Why? Because this is the moment when the big change happens. 1806 is the year of the storm.
In that year, Napoleon defeats both Prussia and Austria. He creates the Confederation of the Rhine. Several small German states must join this confederation.
The Holy Roman Empire is dissolved and Nuremberg is no longer a free imperial city. Now Nuremberg is a part of Bavaria which is a German kingdom which is a member of the new confederation.
Since Napoleon has created this confederation, he expects the members to be loyal to him.
Napoleon wants the confederation to serve as a loyal buffer between Prussia and Austria in the east and his own country France in the west.
1806 is the low point in the history of Nuremberg. The city must obey the orders of the Bavarian king who must in turn obey the orders of Napoleon.
The members of the confederation must pay Napoleon’s expenses and when he goes to war they must provide a suitable number of soldiers to his army.
This is the harsh reality of life under Napoleon.
The ideals of the French revolution – liberty, equality, and fraternity – must fade away when Napoleon issues his instructions to the lands he has conquered.
The low point lasts more than 10 years. In the 1820s and the 1830s, the city slowly begins to recover from the negative effects of the Napoleonic wars.
Several new factories are built and a railway is constructed. The time of industrialization is beginning in Nuremberg.
In this docudrama, the history of Nuremberg is told in great detail. The history is told by focusing on several prominent persons whose lives and activities can be documented to a certain degree and, in some cases, to a very high degree, by contemporary evidence.
Here are the names of the persons whose lives and activities are covered in the docudrama:
** Paul Wolfgang Merkel (1756-1820)
He is a rich merchant
He is the husband of Margarethe Merkel
He is portrayed by actor Andreas Leopold Schadt
** Margarethe Merkel (1765-1831)
She is the wife of Poul Wolfgang Merkel
She is portrayed by actress Lena Stamm
** Jobst Tucher (1762-1813)
He is a powerful patrician
The Tucher family is one of the 22 families who have ruled the city for generations
He is portrayed by actor Jonathan Beck
** Johann Friedrich Klett (1778-1847)
He is an important entrepreneur
He is the father of Emilie Klett
He is portrayed by actor Nicolas Stöcklein
** Emilie Klett (1814-1866)
She is the daughter of Johann Friedrich Klett
She is the wife of Theodor von Cramer-Klett (1847-1866)
She is portrayed by actress Camille Dombrowsky
** Theodor von Cramer-Klett (1817-1884)
He is an important businessman
He is the husband of Emilie Klett (1847-1866)
He is portrayed by actor Michael Sosna
** Georg Lederer
He is the son of Christian Lederer
Who is the owner of a local brewery
He must go into exile for three years (1848-1851)
He is portrayed by actor Christopher Then
** Georg Zacharias Platner (1781-1862)
He is an important politician
He supports the construction of a railway
He is portrayed by actor David Schirmer
** Johann Philipp Palm (1768-1806)
He is a publisher and a bookseller
He is the seller of an anti-French pamphlet
Napoleon is furious!
Johann Philipp is arrested and executed
He is portrayed by actor Christian Petzenhauser
What do reviewers say about this docudrama?
On IMDb it has a rating of 74 percent.
The rating is good. But in my opinion, it is not good enough. Why do I say this? I have several reasons.
This docudrama covers the history of Nuremberg between 1787 and 1851 in great detail.
As explained above, a docudrama is a combination of two elements: a documentary film and a historical drama. The combination of the two elements works well.
Kadda Gehret - host and presenter - does a great job. She carries the story forward. Her interviews with historical experts provide background information as well as interpretation of the historical facts.
The script is well-written and the actors who portray the leading inhabitants of the city play their roles very well.
This is, in my opinion, a great way to present the
history of Nuremberg. It is lively and serious at the same time. It is entertaining and informative.
I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).
PS # 1. Publisher and bookseller Johann Philipp Palm was arrested and tried in a court of law. He was found guilty and executed on 26 August 1806.
The trial and the execution took place in Braunau am Inn which is located in Austria near the border between Austria and Bavaria.
Napoleon’s order to execute Palm shows that the ideals of the French revolution did not mean much to Napoleon.
Napoleon’s order to execute Palm is one reason why the French emperor is not very popular in Nuremberg.
In 1866, a statue of Palm was erected in Braunau.
Since 2002, a private foundation has awarded a Johann Philipp Palm Prize to persons who have supported freedom of speech and the freedom of the press.
The prize is awarded every two years.
PS # 2. This docudrama about the history of Nuremberg is available on the ARD-website until December 2024. All three episodes are available on YouTube.
*****
The German publisher and bookseller
Johann Philipp Palm
(1768-1806)
His execution was ordered by Napoleon
This statue was erected in 1866
*****
The German reporter
Kadda Gehret
She is the host and presenter of
the docudrama about
the history of Nuremberg
1787-1851
*****
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