Im Westen nichts Neues. (All Quiet on the Western Front, 2022). This Oscar-winning adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel presents World War I from a German soldier’s perspective. The film meticulously reconstructs the horrors and motivations of war, focusing on the evidence of human suffering, bureaucratic decision-making, and the negotiations leading to the armistice. Its narrative avoids stereotypes and instead seeks to understand the causes and consequences of conflict through detailed, fact-based storytelling.
Baader Meinhof
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex. (The Baader Meinhof Complex, 2008). This film examines the rise of the Red Army Faction (RAF), a left-wing terrorist group in 1970s Germany. Through investigative sequences, archival materials, and a focus on the motivations and societal conditions that led to radicalization, the film reconstructs the circumstances behind the violence. It provides a multi-faceted, evidence-driven exploration of why such a movement emerged.
Das letzte Schweigen
Das letzte Schweigen (The Silence, 2010). A crime thriller where a girl’s disappearance echoes a decades-old unsolved murder. The film follows detectives as they meticulously gather evidence, revisit past testimonies, and reconstruct the sequence of events. The narrative is structured around the gradual revelation of facts, mirroring the German logic of resolving conflict through objective investigation and analysis.
Namibia
Der vermessene Mensch (Measures of Men, 2023). This recent film confronts Germany’s colonial past and the genocide of the Herero and Nama in Namibia. It reconstructs historical events through the lens of a German ethnologist, using documentary evidence and personal testimony to explore the causes and consequences of colonial violence. The film’s structure emphasizes the importance of historical documentation and objective analysis in understanding and reconciling with the past.
“rubble film”
Die Mörder sind unter uns (The Murderers Are Among Us, 1946). This is one of the first German films made after WWII and a classic of the “rubble film” (Trümmerfilm) genre. Set in the ruins of Berlin, it follows a traumatized doctor who discovers that a former Nazi officer responsible for atrocities is living unpunished among the survivors. The film centers on the protagonist’s moral and psychological investigation into the past, piecing together evidence and memories to confront personal and collective guilt. It dramatizes the process of uncovering the truth about wartime crimes and seeking accountability, embodying the German approach of reconstructing causes and circumstances
Deutschland 83 86 89
Deutschland 83 / Deutschland 86 / Deutschland 89: This acclaimed spy thriller trilogy follows a young East German border guard who is sent to West Germany as an undercover spy during the Cold War. The series meticulously reconstructs the political, social, and personal factors driving East-West tensions. Characters constantly seek evidence—through espionage, surveillance, and analysis—to understand motivations and prevent escalation. The narrative emphasizes cause-and-effect and the critical role of information in resolving or escalating conflict.
Vergangenheitsbewältigung
Postwar Trials and Vergangenheitsbewältigung (Coming to Terms with the Past). After World War II, Germany’s approach to dealing with Nazi crimes was grounded in the collection and presentation of objective evidence—such as documents, photographs, and testimonies—during the Nuremberg Trials and subsequent legal proceedings. This process set a precedent for addressing historical wrongdoing through meticulous reconstruction of facts and causes.
Roads not Taken
The Exhibition “Roads not Taken. Or: Things Could Have Turned Out Differently.” This exhibition at the Deutsches Historisches Museum explores key turning points in German history by reconstructing the causes and circumstances of major events, and also examining alternative outcomes that were possible but did not occur. The exhibit’s very premise reflects the German logic of analyzing contingencies, actions, and omissions to understand why history unfolded as it did.
German Reunification
The reunification of East and West Germany is a landmark case of conflict resolution managed through careful negotiation, legal frameworks, and evidence-based policymaking. The process involved extensive documentation, transparent communication, and step-by-step integration of political, economic, and legal systems. While not mediated by a single agency, the approach relied on traditional German strengths: methodical problem-solving, inclusion of multiple stakeholders, and a commitment to transparency and rule of law.
The Broken Jug
Heinrich von Kleist – Der zerbrochne Krug (The Broken Jug, 1808). This classic play centers on a village court case in which a judge must determine who broke a jug belonging to a local woman. The entire plot revolves around the careful reconstruction of events, examination of evidence, and the search for truth through witness testimony and logical deduction. The play is a brilliant satire of the judicial process, but at its core, it exemplifies the German logic of conflict resolution: reconstructing causes, scrutinizing evidence, and striving for objective truth, even as human flaws complicate the process.