München während der letzten Revolution

Stadtarchiv München

Description

At the beginning of May 1919, Reichswehr and Freikorp units defeated the communist Soviet Republic in battles akin to a civil war situation in Munich. Some of the units had used disproportionate force. The Bavarian government under Prime Minister Johannes Hoffmann (MSPD, 1867-1930), which had been located in Bamberg since the proclamation of the first Soviet Republic on 7 April 1919, did not return to Munich until August. The film documents events from the beginning of May 1919 in Munich in several sequences. With a propagandistic intention, it solely takes the side of the “liberators” and exclusively shows their perspective. Firstly, ravaged office spaces can be seen (00:08-00:46), followed by scenes showing large numbers of files thrown into the courtyard of the police headquarters by supporters of the Soviet Republic (00:47-02:35). This is followed by several sections showing different contingents of troops marching through Munich (02:57-14:41). In addition to scenes taking place on squares or main streets, photographs of Freikorps members on railway wagons are also included. Finally, pictures of the destructions in Munich are shown, among them Karlsplatz (Stachus) and the Löwenbrauerei (14:42-18:16). The film was a production of the Munich Kopp-Film. Carl Gabriel (1857-1931), showman and operator of several cinemas, donated it to the Munich City Archive in 1924.

Author

Dr. Matthias Bader

Rights Statement Description

CC0