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Ernst Ottwalt

Writing

Ernst Ottwalt

Born November 13, 1901

Died August 24, 1943 · aged 41

Ernst Ottwalt was the pen name of German writer and playwright Ernst Gottwalt Nicolas. A communist, he fled Nazi Germany in 1934 and went into exile in the Soviet Union. It was there that he fell victim to the Great Purge, and died in a Soviet gulag. He collaborated with Bertolt Brecht to write the screenplay for the film Kuhle Wampe.

Known For

Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World?Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World? · 1932
Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World?
★ 6.91932
MovieDrama
Kuhle Wampe takes place in early-1930s Berlin. The film begins with a montage of newspaper headlines describing steadily-rising unemployment figures. This is followed by scenes of a young man looking for work in the city and the family discussing the unpaid back rent. The young man, brother of the protagonist Anni, removes his wristwatch and throws himself from a window out of despair. Shortly thereafter his family is evicted from their apartment. Now homeless, the family moves into a garden colony of sorts with the name “Kuhle Wampe.”

Filmography

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