Metadata
- Title
- SummaryInterview with Alex Werner Olsen (actually Werner Schmidt); about reasons to take the name Alex Olsen in the Emigraion; born 1911 in Berlin; father book printer; a grandfather cooper, the other shipyard worker at the Deutsche Werft Stettin; mother was a seamstress at Siemens; social democrat; a sister; grandmother hated children; bread ration; enrolment in Kreuzberg, 32. Elementary school; corporal punishment and exploitation by teachers; with migratory bird group to Rügen; career choice: wanted to go to sea; father advises against; book printer apprenticeship; First World War and November Revolution; with his friend Walter Schönstedt (communist); Kapp-Putsch; 1930 apprenticeship completed; work as a book printer; contact with the Nazis: since approx. 1930/31; member of the Socialist Workers' Youth (SAJ); resigned from the SAJ; demonstrations and brawls; 1931 more serious; participation in a night exercise and report written; Walter Schönstedt wrote a book about it: The "fight in Nostitzstraße"; danger of National Socialism could not be foreseen; wrong assessment of the situation, also by the Communists; 1932 call of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) for looting actions "fight against hunger and frost"; own actions in the illegal Red Front Fighters Association (RFB); 1931 unemployment; about the trade union to Denmark, Oslo, Stockholm; films "Es lebe die Freiheit" and "Unter den Dachern von Paris" (René Clair); Cologne, Paris, Marseille, Rome; personal experience of Mussolini: Inauguration of a monument to Garibaldi; Ancona, Venice; Consulate: Deported to the Brenner Pass; deported to England to learn English; exchanged to Ostend and England; only returned to Germany at the beginning of 1933; situation in Germany; to the Trotskyists, left-wing opposition, and now only conscious political work; to Hitler's assessment of anti-Semitism at the time; about marches in Skalitzer Strasse; was beaten up because he had not greeted the Sturmabteilung (SA) flag; He has lost the left eye; beginning to take politics seriously; training to understand developments in Russia; working with the Trotskyists, for example spreading leaflets; trying to consolidate and build up new opposition; no united front, many groups; about Daniel Goldhagen's book "Hitler's Willing Executors"; no anti-Semitism in the labor movement in Berlin around 1933 to 1938; work of the Trotskyists: Preparation for the coming revolution and task as "subjective factor"; dangerous work, arrests; reason for emigration: Gestapo already had data on Trotskyists in 1936; by accidental warning he was able to flee; escape via Bernau to England; warning to his later wife Hilde; but arrest and 3 years imprisonment for Hilde and only by accident release; about his first wife, her first husband and others; with the help of Scotland Yard to France/Paris; by Trotskyist Party here work as a helper (Fiseleur); leader of the party group (of emigrants?) in Paris; Fall 1937 Letter from Trotsky: Analysis of the International Situation: There Will Be War with Hitler; Flight to Mexico by Friends of England (Stimulated by Traven's Books); Registration and Stays in Coyoacan with Trotsky; Conversations with Trotsky; Trotsky's Reaction to the Murder of His Favorite Son; Preparation of the Fourth International; Translation of Texts from English into German; Olsen's Concerns; Concept Change (Spring 1938); About Trotsky: Entertainment in German; he was funny and kind; decision to go to the USA; on Trotsky's advice official transit visa through the USA. Sectional views (night shots): New York, Skyline.
- Shotlist03:00:00 Sectional views (night shots): New York, Skyline (bird's eye view) 03:09:17 Interview with Alex Werner Olsen (eigtl. Werner Schmidt); 03:10:33 about reasons to accept the name Alex Olsen in the Emigraion 03:12:20 1911 born in Berlin; father book printer; one grandfather cooper, the other shipyard worker at the Deutsche Werft Stettin; mother seamstress at Siemens; social democrat; one sister 03:13:57 Grandmother hated the children; bread rations 03:14:24 Enrolment in Kreuzberg, 32nd elementary school (?); punishment by beating and exploitation by the teachers 03:16:40 with migratory bird group to Rügen; career choice: wanted to sail; father advises from 03:18:47 book printer apprenticeship 03:19:06 First World War and November Revolution; with his friend Walter Schönstedt (Communist) 03:20:07 Kapp-Putsch 03:20:38 1930 apprenticeship finished; work as book printer 03:21:24 "Touchings" with the Nazis: since about 1930/31; member of the Socialist Workers' Youth (SAJ); withdrawal from the SAJ; demonstrations and beatings 03:23:16 1931 it became more serious; participation in a night exercise and report written; Walter Schönstedt has written book about it: "Kampf in der Nostitzstraße". 03:25:30 Danger of National Socialism could not be foreseen; wrong assessment of the situation, also by the communists; 1932 call of the KPD to plunder actions "fight against hunger and frost"; own actions in the illegal RFB (Roter Frontkämpferbund) 03:28:50 1931 Unemployment; via the trade union to Denmark, Oslo, Stockholm 03:29:38 Films "Es lebe die Freiheit" and "Unter den Dachern von Paris" (René Clair); Cologne, Paris, Marseille, Rome; personal experience of Mussolini: inauguration of a memorial for Garibaldi 03:31:00 Ancona, Venice; Consulate: Deportation to the Brenner Pass 03:31:30 to England to learn English; about exchange to Ostend and England; only at the beginning of 1933 back to Germany 03:32:55 Situation in Germany; to the Trotskyists, left opposition and only now conscious political work 03:34:30 on Hitler's assessment of anti-Semitism at that time; on marches in Skalitzer Straße; was beaten up because he had not greeted the SA flag; he lost his left eye in the process 03:36:54 Beginning to take politics seriously; training to understand developments in Russia, working with the Trotskyists, e.g. spreading leaflets; attempting to consolidate and build new opposition; no united front, many groups 03:40:10 on Daniel Goldhagen's book, "Hitler's Willing Executors." 03:41:25 no anti-Semitism in the labor movement in Berlin around 1933 to 1938; work of the Trotskyists: preparation for the coming revolution and task as "subjective factor"; dangerous work, arrests 03:46:00 Reason for emigration: Gestapo already had data on Trotskyists in 1936; accidental warning allowed him to flee; flight via Bernau to England 03:47:24 Warning to Hilde his wife after him; but arrest and 3 years imprisonment for Hilde and only by chance release; about his first wife, her first husband and others 03:49:26 with "help" from Scotland Yard to France/Paris; through Trotskyist Party here work as helper (Fiseleur); leader of party group (of emigrants ?) in Paris 03:53:53 Fall 1937 Letter from Trotsky: Analysis of the International Situation: With Hitler There Will Be War 03:54 26 Flight to Mexico by English girlfriend (inspired by Traven's books) 03:55:08 Registration and stays in Coyoacan near Trotsky 03:55:30 Conversations with Trotsky 03:56:09 Trotsky's reaction to the murder of his favorite son 03:56:52 Preparation of the Fourth International; translation of texts from English into German 03:57:33 Concerns of Olsen; change of concept (spring 1938) 03:58:34 about Trotsky: entertainment in German; he was funny and kind
- TagsGermany; Berlin; National Socialism; Worker; France; England; Mexico; USA; Emigration; Trotskyists; Worker; Trotskyists
- Decade1990
- Production Year1996
- Release date
- Genre
- Country of Production
- Actors
- PersonalitiesAlex Werner Olsen
- Director
- Producer
- Camera
- Original Clip IdentifierQ6UJ9A00AEDF