Karl Liebknecht: Der Märtyrer der Revolution is a documentary film about the life of the controversial German politician Karl Liebknecht (1871-1919).
It was shown on German television (MDR) in 2010 and released on DVD in 2012.
It is an episode in the long-running series Die Geschichte Mitteldeutschlands (S12.E02)
Here is some basic information about it:
** English title: Karl Liebknecht: Martyr of the Revolution
** Director: Michael Erler
** Writer: Steffen Jindra
** Narrators: Andreas Keller & Gunter Schoss
** Language: German
** Run time: 45 minutes
This film is a combination of three elements: (1) archive footage (in black-and-white); (2) re-enactments of some historical moments (in colour); and (3) interviews with historical experts.
The following actors were used for the re-enactments:
** Alexander Altomirianos as Karl Liebknecht (1871-1919)
** Lissa Schwerm as Julia Liebknecht (born Paradies) (1873-1911) – Karl’s first wife
** Lisa Jopt as Sophie Liebknecht (born Ryss) (1884-1964) – Karl’s second wife
** Doreen Kähler as Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) – a revolutionary activist from Poland who was also active in Germany
** Thomas Schumann as Waldemar Papst (1880-1970) - a German soldier and right-wing political activist who organised the arrest and assassination of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg in January 1919
Three historical experts are interviewed:
** Walter Mühlhausen – a historian
** Manfred Scharrer – a historian
** Helmut Trotnow - author of a biography about Karl Liebknecht
As stated above, Karl Liebknecht is a controversial figure. For some he is a traitor, for others he is a hero.
This film does not take a stand on this issue. Instead, it covers his life and explains why some people regard him as a traitor and why others regard him as a hero.
When you have watched the film, you can make up your own mind about him.
The film runs for 45 minutes. It does not seem long. I was expecting a much longer film. But I have to say I am amazed to see how much information the filmmakers were able to present in a short time.
What do reviewers say about it?
It is listed on IMDb, but there is no rating.
There are no user reviews.
On Amazon Germany there are at the moment only two reviews of this product. Both reviews offer a rating of five stars. If you ask me, this rating is very appropriate.
Why?
This film is short and to the point. It covers his personal life as well as his public career.
It shows why he was (and still is) a controversial person. It shows why some people regard him as a traitor and why others regard him as a hero.
Whatever you think of this person, he plays an important role in the modern history of Germany.
He deserves to be remembered. His story deserves to be told, and in this film, it is done very well. This is why I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).
PS # 1. Helmut Trotnow’s biography about Karl Liebknecht was published in German in 1980. An English version appeared in 1984:
Karl Liebknecht 1871-1919:
A Political Biography
PS # 2. Karl Liebknecht is the title of a DVD box set released in 2005 which includes two old films:
** So lange Leben in mir ist (1965)
** Trotz alledem (1972)
Both films were made by DEFA in East Germany.
PS # 3. The following items are available online:
Peter Schwarz
"One Hundred Years since the Murder of Rosa Luxemburg and Klaus Liebknecht,"
World Socialist Website
15 January 2019
Klaus Gietinger
"The Man Who Murdered Karl Liebknecht,"
Jacobin
15 January 2020
Paul Levi,
"In Memory of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht,"
Verso Books
14 January 2022
*****
The German revolutionary
Karl Liebknecht
(1871-1919)
*****
The Polish revolutionary
Rosa Luxemburg
(1871-1919)
*****
Large posters with pictures of
Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
are carried in a demonstration
*****
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