For those who grew up in the West, it often comes as a surprise to learn that East Germans celebrated Christmas. After all, wasn’t it a communist country and didn’t Karl Marx say “Religion is the opium of the people?” Well, yes, he did, although he did go on to say it was “…the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of our soulless conditions,” which suggests he also understood religion’s ability to give solace to the people. The same is true for mid-December celebrations. Whether you want to call these celebrations Christmas, Saturnalia, Winter Solstice or Hanukkah, at this time of year, everybody needs some cheer.
Just as the Christians found it impossible to stop people from celebrating the Winter Solstice, and decided to co-opt the event as Christ’s birthday, so too the communists found it no less impossible to stop their populace from celebrating as well. Like the Christians before them, they tried to adopt the holiday as their own, accentuating the non-religious aspects of the holiday. They succeeded to a certain extent, but even atheists enjoy the trappings of the holiday and will go to church on Christmas Eve if only to listen to hymns and Christmas carols.1
Here then are some Christmas movies from East Germany. Some of these reference Chstmas directly while others are associated with the season by their subject matter. With the exceptions of the first film on the list and the last one on the list, these films are aimed more squarely at younger folks. That’s not to say they’re not fun for adults though, they are.
A Lively Christmas Eve (Ach, du fröhliche…)
Set at Christmas time, the movie follows misadventures of the Lörke family as they get ready for the Christmas Eve celebration. Family patriarch Walter Lörke (Erwin Geschonneck) is horrified to meet his daughter Anne’s (Karin Schröder) new boyfriend Thomas Ostermann (Arno Wyzniewski), who, like young man everywhere, spends a lot of time grousing about the government. As a card-carrying communist, Walter isn’t happy to find his daughter dating this guy, but eventually discovers why Thomas is so critical of things and begins to understand.
Santa Willy (Der Weihnachtsmann heißt Willi)
This film is so sweet it should probably come with a warning to diabetics. It’s a version of the old story of the thief at Christmas who eventually discovers the spirit of Christmas. After two boys lose the Christmas presents they were bringing their parents,they win a washing machine in a lottery. While the older boy goes looking for a hand truck to take the washer home, Santa Claus (Rolf Herricht) shows up and offers to take the washer and put it on his sleigh, the younger boy agrees. Needless to say the older boy is not happy and is convinced that this so-called Santa was really a thief, while the younger boy continues to defend the man. The older boy and his friends chase the ersatz Santa (whose name is Willi) through the city. Willi is eventually cornered by a clown named Ferdinand (Jiří Vršťala, who played this character often), who manages to convince him to do the right thing. Joy all around.
Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella (Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel)
This one is not exactly a Christmas movie in its content, but its snowy, festive vibe has become so inextricably linked with the holiday season that is has become staple of German television every December. This is possibly the best film version of the Cinderella story.
A Snowman for Africa (Ein Schneemann für Afrika)
This film is strictly for kids. It’s not exactly a Christmas , but the subject matter (that is, a snowman) is something we all link immediately to Christmas. A sailor named Karli promises to bring an African girl named Asina a special gift. That gift is a talking snowman, but a snowman doesn’t stand a chance in Africa. The girl has to choose to say goodbye to her snowman, who must depart for colder climes if it wants to survive.
Like Father, Like Son (Wie die Alten sungen…)
This is a sequel to A Lively Christmas Eve, which, in and of itself, is not that amazing until you take into account that this film was made twenty-four years after the first movie—and with virtually the same cast, including Mathilde Danegger, who played the grandmother in the first film and the great-grandmother in this one.
Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄 🎅 🕯️
1. Speaking now as an atheist, I can vouch for this. Since Christmas Eve is also my birthday, I enjoy all the trappings and songs of the season, but I treat them as my personal birthday celebrations. That may sound egocentric, but it helps me get through the season.
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