Documentary film "In Kiel ist Revolution!" 53 minutes, DVD (German
version), 2018.
The film is also available in English in a high definition mp4
format.
By Kay Gerdes und Klaus Kuhl, published by the Gesellschaft für
Kieler Stadtgeschichte e.V. as "Historische Filmdokumente
Nr. 9". Sponsored by City of Kiel and Filmförderung
Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein.
The film highlights in detail the events in November 1918 in Kiel and present them in a larger historical frame. The authors employ historical film- and photo-material, footage from original locations, interviews from the 1970s and 80s with contemporary witnesses (among them Lothar Popp, one of the leaders of the uprising) and explanations by the historian, peace researcher and Noske-biograph Prof. Wolfram Wette. The events in Kiel are presented from different perspectives.
The film music was composed by Gerhard Folkerts. German speaker is the actor and dubbing artist Rolf Becker. The English text was translated by Ian Bennett who is also the speaker of the Englisgh version. We were allowed to use a number of rare photos for the film, among them photos from the collections of Wolfgang D. Kuessner, Klaus Schoppe and Sönke Linning. The project was supported intensively by the City Archive of Kiel.
An accopmpanying brochure in English with the complete text, plus the used sources, and information for teachers is available here (PDF): >>.
The German version of the film was first presented on 24 April 2018 at the metro-cinema in Kiel.
Evaluations and comments on the film: >>
See a small part of the videofilm: Interview with Julius Bredenbek (*.wmv) then a member of the workers' youth
(1,3 Minuten; 3,5 MB)
To start the clip please click on the photo.
The complete interview and a CV can be found here >>For individual or scientific use only.
Translated text of the video clip:
Kuhl: The soldier’s council (Soldatenrat) sent delegations
to Berlin repeatedly to see Noske and protest against measures
downsizing their authority. From your memory, did the workers
support this protest?
Bredenbek: Yes, partly. But the larger part was too tired politically,
as well as too little developed to comprehend the situation. People
wanted to see the war and the consequences of the war eliminated
by all means, they wanted order in the country. How we assess
this nowadays is a different thing, but this was the overall situation.
Tiredness of the war, rejection of the old political powers, yes,
but there was no readiness to do something constructively for
it. “This will be done by those on top,” was a common
saying also among the organised workers, “they will do it
allright.”
Kuhl: Could have loyalty against the party leadership also played
a part?
Bredenbek: Partly also. One could almost say even a certain implicit
obedience against party respective trade union. That’s obvious.
Earlier versions:
"November - Kiel schreibt Geschichte - Matrosenaufstand im November 1918", Klaus Kuhl, 1991. Evaluation of the film by Dirk Dähnhardt (pdf): >>
"Der Zündfunke", 1990 im Rahmen der Medienpädagogik am Kieler Kulturzentrum "Pumpe" von Kay Gerdes produziert.
Update 10 Dec. 2021