On 12 November 1918, one day after the end of World War I, the Republic was proclaimed in Vienna – marking the end of a multi-ethnic empire whose origins dated back to the 13th century. The loss of the Crown Lands and the ensuing economic collapse hit Vienna particularly hard. There was barely enough food or fuel, and rampant inflation plunged vast numbers of people into poverty. Death and hardship were everywhere, for years.
And yet, another side of Vienna quickly re-emerged – a city of balls and entertainment, of theatre and opera, art and science. Soon thereafter, ambitious reforms in education, social welfare, and housing transformed the city into a model metropolis of the early twentieth century. But how did ordinary people experience these upheavals and contradictions? The maidservant, the factory worker, the former Imperial and Royal officer turned penniless industrialist, the young teacher, the nature enthusiast?
The Austrian Film Archive and the Austrian Film Museum in Vienna preserve numerous film documents—some never shown before—that capture both the splendor and the misery of this era. Descendants have collected stories passed down by their parents and grandparents: photographs, possessions, diaries, and letters. They reflect hardship and hope, shattered identities, and the radical, aggressive, and idealistic ideas of the time. Through these personal records, narrated voices, and reenactments that reveal who is speaking to the audience, combined with historical film footage, the documentary builds a bridge between the present day and a time now more than a century past, whose drama is scarcely imaginable in today’s peaceful city.
A film by Peter Beringer.
Credits
Documentary
45 Min.
Written and Directed by: Peter Beringer
Producers: Jakob Pochlatko, Dieter Pochlatko
Line Producer: Ricki Oelmack
Production Manager: Florian Brandt
Director of Photography: Franz Schrems
Sound: Ekkehard Braun, Michael Ahorner
Music: Markus Pöchinger
Edited by: Michaela Müllner
among others
produced in: 2018
first broadcasted: 1. Mai 2018
a co-production by EPO-Film, ORFIII, Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung
in association with Rai Südtirol
with the financial support of FERNSEHFONDS AUSTRIA, Filmfonds Wien, VAM