German Television Programs: Heimat 1 (1984)


Figure 1.--This shot from "Heimat 1" of a teenage boy with the white cardigan sweater wearing shorts and long stockings is from the section of Heimat that covers the period just after World War II when Paul, the son who has lived in America, has just returned to Schabbach. The date depicted in the film would be about 1946-47. The boy is a village teenager, unamed, who is simply one of the children interested in the return of a prominent citizen of the town, and particularly in his fancy car.

"Heimat 1" was broadcast in 1984. It was initially known as "Heimat". The Full title was, "Heimat: Eine Deutsche Chronik - A German Chronicle. The series depicts the experiences Maria Simon, a woman living in a small village -- Schabbach (a fictional Rhineland village). Notice the name Simon. This is not a distinctly German name, but illustrates the intertwined French-German heritage of the Rhineland. The series covers the period from 1919 to 1982. There were 11 episodes. In contrast to a classic Heimat film, "Heimat 1" realistically depicts the life of a German family and how historical events affected them. While the realistic depiction contrasts with the sacrine sentimentality of classic Heimat films, the focus on family and a small rural village does adapt some of thge Heimat genre.

TV-Ology

"Heimat 1" was broadcast in 1984. It was initially known as "Heimat". The Full title was, "Heimat: Eine Deutsche Chronik - A German Chronicle. Edgar Reitz's great German television movie--an eleven-part series consuming 15 and a half hours--tells the story of the German village of Schabbach over a span of time from 1919 to 1982. A reader writes, "Strangely the film moves back and forth between color and black and white footage without any particular significance other than lyrical intensification at certain points." I though the color meant the present day, but I guess I am wrong about that.

Chronology

The series covers the period from 1919 to 1982.

Setting

Schabbach (a fictional Rhineland village). The Rhineland is the area of Germany west of the Rhine bordering on France. Notice the name Simon. This is not a distinctly German name, but illustrates the intertwined French-German heritage of the Rhineland.

Cast


Plot

The series depicts the experiences Maria Simon, a woman living in a small village -- Schabbach. The chronicle unfolds through Maria's eyes as she marries, raises her sons, and grows old while Germany changes around her. The Simon family, like the rest of the German people, endures the hard times after World War I, struggles with the rise and fall of Nazism and World War II, and then prospers in the rebuilding of the country in the postwar era. Despite the vast scope of this film, Reitz keeps the tone intimate and focused on the Simon family and its extended relations, the political and military affairs of Germany and world events being kept more or less in the background and seen only on the fringes. The film shows the history of the German people through the intimate relationships and reactions of very ordinary people. An enormous cast was used for many crowd scenes and for a great number of bit parts. But the acting of the principal characters is low key but of a very high quality. Although the characters are fictional, they seem to be taken out of the pages of history and to be the stuff of newsreels.

Title

The use of the title "Heimat" is curious. This production is nothing like the Heimat films that were popular in Germany and Austria. In contrast to a classic Heimat film, "Heimat 1" realistically depicts the life of a German family and how historical events affected them. While the realistic depiction contrasts with the sacrine sentimentality of classic Heimat films, the focus on family and a small rural village does adapt some of the Heimat genre.

Costuming

Children appear from time to time in the film and are meticulously costumed according to the styles of the period with great historical accuracy. The emphasis is on regional and rural dress, but a range of social types and classes is treated. One of the most revealing sections of the film from the point of view of children's clothing shows life in Schabbach during 1943 during the height of World War II. Many of Schabbach's young men have gone off to defend Germany, but Maria remains at home with her youngest boy Hermann who is shown at the age of about 6 years. Already he does chores for his mother such as taking care of the chickens. One sequence shows him wearing Lederhosen with long tan stockings and hightop shoes. He is only vaguely aware of his older brothers' experience in the military. Near the end of the war, one of the Simon boys who flies a plane in the German army, flies over the village in winter to drop some flowers upon the town as his contribution to a family celebration. We see the children gathering up the dropped flowers in one episode. One of the older boys picking up the scattered blossoms is shown wearing Lederhosen shorts with long brown stockings. A third episode deals with the return to his home town of Paul Simon after the war. Paul, one of the Simon sons who has made his fortune in America and returns to Schabbach with a fancy car and chaufeur, is greeted with some surprise by the townsfolk. The third shot shows a local teenager running to see the stranger's new car. He wears a white cardigan sweater that buttons down the front, short pants, and long brown stockings.

Episodes

We have some information on individual episodes in "Heimat 1" Episode 6 is about "The Proxy Marriage". It is about a marriage during World war II with the bridegroom on the Eastern Front. Episode 9 is : " Hermännchen ", from the name of the 3rd family child, who is 14-15 years old in (1955-1956). Unfortunately our reader does not provide us details on the episode.








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Created: 2:25 AM 10/23/2005
Last updated: 3:05 AM 10/28/2005