"Archiv des Todes" (1980) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

4 January 1980 (East Germany)

Genre:

Drama | War | Action | Adventure

Plot Keywords:

Poland | Resistance | Fascism | Holocaust | Nazi

Cast

Jürgen Zartmann	...	Georg (13 episodes, 1980)
Gojko Mitic	...	Boris (13 episodes, 1980)
Leon Niemczyk	...	Janek (13 episodes, 1980)
Krzysztof Stroinski	...	Heiner (13 episodes, 1980)
Alfred Struwe	...	Standartenführer Hauk (13 episodes, 1980)
Gerd Blahuschek	...	Hauptmann Ernst (12 episodes, 1980)
Hannjo Hasse	...	Major Zirrgiebel (11 episodes, 1980)
Harald Warmbrunn	...	Hauptmann Frenzel (11 episodes, 1980)
Joachim Tomaschewsky	...	Obersturmführer Beisel (8 episodes, 1980)
Renate Blume	...	Unterführerin Renate Wiesner (8 episodes, 1980)
Angel Stojanov	...	Marek / ... (8 episodes, 1980)
Barbara Brylska	...	Hanka (7 episodes, 1980)
Ulrich Voß	...	Obersturmbannführer Flint (6 episodes, 1980)
Helmut Schellhardt	...	Obergefreiter Henselmann (6 episodes, 1980)

Runtime:

Germany:57 min (13 Episodes) | Germany:742 min (13 Episodes)

Country:

East Germany

Language:

German | Polish

Color:

Color

Company:

Deutsche Film (DEFA)

thrilling WW2 drama with a convincing cast

In my opinion, this is one of the few acceptable East German shows with political content. The story is persuasive and even the Nazis do not only serve clichés, but appear as convincing characters.

I liked very much the amount of detail to be seen in outdoor sets. But the best part remains the story that produces a high level of tension which is only gradually solved. The flashbacks helped to develop the mystery of the "Death's Archive".

It seems that the director put most of the censor-pleasing "communistic messages" in the last ten minutes of the film. So, if you skip this part, or see it with different eyes, you can really enjoy the series.