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Slow German # 043: Stauffenberg
January 29th, 2009 by admin

Especially in the cinema film "Valkyrie - The Stauffenberg assassination" has begun. Tom Cruise plays the main role. The film was shot mainly in Berlin. Many of the actors are well-known German. I myself will not watch it - and as Tom Cruise plays the main role. That annoys me. Actually was the wonderful German actor Thomas Kretschmann to play the main role. But then Tom Cruise announced in Hollywood and grabbed him off the roll.

But perhaps Thomas Kretschmann is now happy that he has not played the role. For I have read many bad reviews about the movie. There has been criticized above all that the film misrepresents many facts. Historically, the film is not correct. It also seems to be a typical Hollywood movie with a lot of explosions, suspense, action and exciting music. I think in this case, it would make more sense to make a character study. Has thus go into detail on what felt Stauffenberg thought and planned. What kind of man he was. A few facts I want to tell you here.

His full name was Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. So even it you realize that he was a nobleman. After graduation he joined the military, where he made career. He became a lieutenant, sergeant and colonel. He married in 1933 his wife Nina and they had five children. Stauffenberg was politically rather on the conservative side, but was not opposed to anything that decided the Nazis and the new Reich Chancellor Hitler.

When the Second World War began, he had various responsibilities. In 1943 he was seriously wounded in an attack by low flying - he lost an eye, a hand and two fingers of your other hand. More and more it grows into a desire to make the Nazi regime to an end. Allegedly been since 1941. There are various reasons that are mentioned again and again. Not all were heroic. Stauffenberg was apparently against a parliamentary democracy and probably did not really forward-looking vision.

Nevertheless, he worked with other senior military officers, most of them also noble, a plan, the plan of operation Valkyrie. With this plan, they wanted to fight against internal unrest. That was the official version. But in this plan, put a coup, Hitler should be assassinated, arrested key commanders. Stauffenberg himself was to exercise the assassination, but then make another group to blame.

Twice Stauffenberg tried to kill Hitler - had to cancel both times he his plan. At the third attempt Stauffenberg bomb deposited in the vicinity of Hitler - in the explosion, four people were killed - Hitler and 19 other survived. Operation Valkyrie failed, Stauffenberg and the others were arrested and shot.

Here in Germany there is much discussion about the film with Tom Cruise. On the one criticism is that an actor who is openly Scientologist, plays the Hitler assassin. On the other hand is also praised by well known that this film all over the world, that there were courageous people like Stauffenberg. You know also determines the history of the Scholl siblings (Film: Sophie Scholl - The Final Days) have done a resistance against the Nazis in Munich. If you are interested Graf Stauffenberg and the resistance against Hitler, then I have a tip for you:

There are a good side of the ZDF on the Internet, so the second German television, where you can read more about this subject.

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21 Responses
  • BepaX writes:
    February 1st, 200900:39 at

    I chose Operation Valkyrie for some reasons not to see. One, Tom Cruise, two, I expected to see the Hollywood treatment, which means that facts are flexible and warned the latter that the criticism Staffenberg-motivation is lacking. I think that a German actor should have played this role.

  • Dirk von diweli.de writes:
    February 1st, 200922:35 at

    Hi Annik!
    From the Post: "[...] Nevertheless, he worked with other senior military officers, most of them also noble, a plan, the plan of operation Valkyrie [...]" - small note. The plan of operation Valkyrie was actually before, the only group around Stauffenberg worked this (older) plan, which, ironically, unrest in the empire during the war should stop in order to plan a coup. Or rather, these modified, with additional commands to the instrument. These plans could succeed only feasible course, was as Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg as Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Army - July 1944.

    Regards, Dirk

  • Valkyrie - The Stauffenberg Attentag "German blog writes:
    February 2nd, 200912:31 at

    [...] You want to know what you think about this film in Germany, then listen to the latest times Slow German podcast. There was also told Annik Rubens, what kind of person Stauffenberg. And for all the more [...]

  • Katrin writes:
    February 2nd, 200912:42 at

    Annik love, great podcast. I've recommended it to my students in my Italian blog. Speak slowly and read along - that's German for many learners do not understand the regular radio broadcasts, a huge boost. Please keep up the Sun

    Greetings Katrin

  • Håvard Egeland writes:
    February 3rd, 200900:10 at

    This really is a great podcast Annik. I'll start on Monday with my internship period as a German teacher in Bergen (Norway). The podcast is very helpful to make more exciting to the teaching of German. As Katrin says: Do please keep it up :-)!

  • Haoss writes:
    February 5th, 200911:29 at

    hi,

    I'm new in Germany and studying at university. I have degree are that you can learn German here, and I think so too.

    Jetet I have a problem, the speed of the reader is too quick for me, so I will keep looking for a slow listening text or listen to?

    I hope someone could help me from here. or someone who has the ability to zusammenzulernen German with me?

    Thank you and best regards,

    Haoss comes from korea

  • zhu'en writes:
    February 9th, 200908:28 at

    Hi Annik,
    I am from China, now I am learning German at the university. I find your podcasts Wonderbar! Many thanks for your good Work! Do please continue ~

  • UAMW writes:
    February 9th, 200920:29 at

    Annik,
    I hope you write us something about the carnival.

  • bing wrote:
    June 15th, 200923:47 at

    I noticed this sentence:

    I am getting "it to me" do not watch.

    The following was found by google Dikussion. http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=334049

    Apparently, the order is "to me it" grammatically sensible.

    Who has a better argument or statement?

  • Astrid writes:
    June 20th, 200919:32 at

    Hi bing,

    the word order in the German language is more flexible than the word order in other languages.
    Sometimes you can vary the meaning of a sentence a little, by reducing his reordering. Often there are several variants that mean the same thing.

    In this particular example:
    "I'll be looking at him not." Is a correct sentence.
    "I will not watch it." Is a correct sentence. The meaning is the same. The first variant, but is used more often.

    You can also "Him I will not see me." Write. That is correct. However, here is the word "him" especially emphasized. You can use such a sentence, if you over several similar things (for example, several films) set in front of it and talk about this particular thing.

    "Look I will have it." Is also a grammatically correct sentence. The emphasis here is on the word "view". Such a sentence is normally used when one wants to do something else with an object or has done a certain thing but not explicitly. In this sentence you could "he" and replace "me" without changing the meaning. He would also still be grammatically correct. For a German, but the wording would seem unusual.

    Greetings
    Astrid

  • 65th Anniversary of the July 20, 1944 | Learn German and study in Germany writes:
    July 20th, 200906:02 at

    [...] Slow German podcast - "Stauffenberg" [...]

  • Karl Kuhn writes:
    July 20th, 200922:47 at

    The whole fuss about Stauffenberg I find it simply disgusting and incomprehensible.

    It should be in glorifying Stauffenberg - especially on today's 20th July 2009 - do not forget that on 20 July 1944 had to die bomb ITS 4 people. Murdered by His bomb! The other participants of the meeting were injured some seriously.
    The witness Misch dubbed it with the right words: "Stauffenberg was a fellow murderer."

    The same applies to Georg Elser. By the ignition of his bomb (as well as by a timer Stauffenberg) died on 8 November 1939, seven people, they were killed in its attack, and another 63 people injured / wounded.
    This should - and should - you do not forget!

    If you make murderers into heroes? And yet this "reward" with monuments? In any other country in the world these "gentlemen" would have been sentenced to death.
    Especially on 20 July 2009 Stauffenberg, one should remember the victims!

    Especially on the Internet site "Learn everything about Germany" this fact should not be ignored ...

    Karl Kuhn

  • admin wrote:
    July 21st, 200911:57 at

    Because we value in our country's freedom and honor, I leave to this comment. I dissociate myself personally but in your opinion, Mr. Kuhn. Further discussion and I will not want to admit at this point.

  • John Campbell writes:
    August 6th, 200902:57 at

    Excuse me if you have already asked this but what the music is at the beginning of your speech?

  • Annik writes:
    August 6th, 200907:39 at

    These are Apple GarageBand loops.

  • Sergio writes:
    December 24th, 201101:06 at

    Hi Bing,

    the word order is correct: When are pronominalized accusative and dative, the accusative precedes the dative.

    Regards,
    Sergio

  • Kurt writes:
    March 25th, 201203:12 at

    Dear Anna, I'm from America and we have a very famous' film "The Lion King" is. There is a German version of the film and I think it's "The Lion King" is. I heard that Nazi symbols is illegal in Germany but the film has the goose-step in the song "Be Prepared." I know that many countries of the goose-step to use yet, but in American culture is lockstep with the Third Reich in conjunction always brought. So I'm wondering why the film is allowed in Germany, when the film Schriftstellere allude to the Third Reich in the song. Can you explain something?

  • Annik writes:
    March 25th, 201221:20 at

    Dear Kurt, as far as I know, the goose-stepping in Germany is not forbidden, but he is no longer practiced, because (as you said) is brought into connection with the Third Reich. Nazi symbols are banned but in fact, that as the swastika or the Hitler salute. BUT: Of course, swastikas are still shown, for example, in films about the Nazi era. An example: The film "Valkyrie" with Tom Cruise. When the movie was filmed (partly in Berlin), were also swastikas shown. For example, on flags.

  • Alex writes:
    March 30th, 201205:07 at

    Hi Annik,

    The audio does not work on this one. Any reason why?

    Alex

  • admin wrote:
    April 2nd, 201221:01 at

    It is working fine - the problem seems to be on your side. Sorry.

  • Alex writes:
    April 7th, 201207:38 at

    Thanks Annik. It is working now. Perhaps an internet hiccup.

    I never heard of Thomas Kretschmann. He could be a great actor for the role, I'm not but just not too sure how well he is known outside of Germany, Tom Cruise's name sells tickets and it is what counts at the end of the day.

    Best,

    Alex


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