Name: Ortelsburg/Szczytno - Es war einmal in Masuren
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1990-11-17
Duration: 1 h 22 min

Looking for the traces of a long lost childhood.

Ortelburg is nestled between the Masurian lakes, and was part of Germany's eastprussia until the fateful year of 1945. Now this beautiful and lost paradise belongs to Poland. Wolfgang Koeppen lived from 1912 until 1922 in Ortelsburg. He spent all his schoolyears here. This documentation and reanactment is based on his idea. He wrote the script, and is also narating the movie reanactment parts. His memories of childhood and youth blend in with telling the tale of a 14 year old polish youth of today. A very personal panorama of Germany's troubled times, starting with the time of the Kaiser and well,today. Together with an enchanting fotographical account, the movie is a timetravel experience.

German cinema is famous for its historical depth, expressionist aesthetics, and social-political engagement. It has moved from Expressionism to political reckoning, from New German Cinema's raw realism to contemporary genre experiments. Its legacy lies in both technical innovation and deep explorations of history, morality, and philosophy.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

Ortelsburg/Szczytno - Es war einmal in Masuren

Ortelsburg/Szczytno - Es war einmal in Masuren (1990)

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Ortelsburg/Szczytno - Es war einmal in Masuren

Photos1

User reviews1

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed