''Before God and Man'' (German: ''Vor Gott und den Menschen'') is a 1955 West German

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Erich Engel Erich Gustav Otto Engel (14 February 1891 – 10 May 1966) was a German film and theatre director.He is often confused with another German film director called Erich Engels (with an s), who specialised in comedy, and crime films. Biography ...

and starring

Viktor de Kowa Viktor de Kowa (also spelled Victor de Kowa, born Victor Paul Karl Kowalczyk; 8 March 1904 – 8 April 1973) was a German stage and film actor, chanson singer, director, narrator, and comic poet. Life He was born the son of a farmer and engineer ...

, Antje Weisgerber and

Hans Söhnker Hans Söhnker (11 October 1903 – 20 April 1981) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1933 and 1980. He was born in Kiel, Germany and died in West Berlin, West Germany. Selected filmography * '' The Tsarevich'' ...

.Elsaesser & Wedel p.81 It was shot at the

Tempelhof Studios The Tempelhof Studios are a film studio located in Tempelhof in the German capital of Berlin. They were founded in 1912, during the silent era, by German film pioneer Alfred Duskes, who built a glass-roofed studio on the site with financial back ...

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Emil Hasler Emil Hasler (8 November 1901 – 15 January 1986) was a German art director who worked on more than a hundred films during his career. These included a number of Weimar classics such as '' Diary of a Lost Girl, M'' and ''The Blue Angel''.Prawer ...

and

Walter Kutz Walter Kutz (1904 – 1983) was a German art director.Langford p.223 Selected filmography * '' Nora'' (1944) * '' Dreaming'' (1944) * '' The Silent Guest'' (1945) * '' And the Heavens Above Us'' (1947) * '' Nights on the Nile'' (1949) * '' The C ...

Synopsis

Shortly after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Maria marries fellow

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

Martin who had been severely wounded in action. She believes that her first husband Georg was killed in action, and married Martin, to some degree, out of pity. Several years later Georg resurfaces alive in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

and tries to resume their former relationship, but Maria comes to realise that it is Martin that she truly loves.

Cast

as Martin * Antje Weisgerber as Maria *

as Georg * Käthe Braun as Katharina *

Emmy Burg Emmy Burg (1903–1982) was a German film and television actress.Rentschler p.326 Selected filmography * ''The Beaver Coat'' (1949) * ''Homesick for You ''Homesick for You'' () is a 1952 West German musical film directed by Robert A. Stemmle a ...

as Anna Mechala *

Werner Peters Werner Peters (7 July 1918 – 30 March 1971) was a German film actor. He appeared in 102 films between 1947 and 1971. Biography Peters was born in Werlitzsch, Kreis Delitzsch, Prussian Saxony, and died of a heart attack on a promotion to ...

as Anton Mechala *

Hilde Sessak Hilde Sessak (27 July 1915 – 17 April 2003) was a German actress who appeared in more than ninety film and television series during her career. She appeared in a number of films during the Nazi era including ''Quax the Crash Pilot'' (1941).Reim ...

as Ida Jucharz *

Trude Berliner Trude Berliner (28 February 1903 – 26 February 1977) was a German actress. She was one of many Jewish actors and actresses who were forced to flee Europe when the Nazis came to power in 1933. Biography Berliner was born Gertrude Berliner in Be ...

as Frau Vikarin *

Gerhard Bienert Gerhard Max Richard Bienert (8 January 1898 – 23 December 1986) was a German stage and film actor. Gerhard Bienert was born in Berlin, Germany and died in the same city in 1986 at age 88. Selected filmography * '' Duke Ferrante's End'' (1922) ...

as Wachtmeister *

Maly Delschaft Martha Amalia "Maly" Delschaft (4 December 1898 – 20 August 1995) was a German stage and film actress. After beginning in theatre, Delschaft switched to silent films. She appeared in mainly supporting roles during the Weimar and Nazi eras. Afte ...

as Dienstmädchen Lina *

Erich Dunskus Erich Adolf Dunskus (27 July 1890 – 25 November 1967) was a German film actor. He appeared in 170 films between 1927 and 1966. He was born in Pillkallen, East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom o ...

as Richter * Hans Hessling as Vogel, Trompeter *

Karl Klüsner Karl Klüsner (1905–1960) was a German film actor. Selected filmography * '' Nights in Andalusia'' (1938) * '' The Green Hell'' (1938) * ''Legion Condor The Condor Legion () was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Na ...

as Geistlicher *

Franz-Otto Krüger Franz-Otto Krüger (1 April 1917 – 17 March 1988) was a German film and television actor. Krüger already started his acting at Berlin theatres in 1934, but his career was interrupted by his service in the Second World War. He appeared in over ...

as Verkehrspolizist * Klaus Miedel as Staatsanwalt *

Hans Stiebner Hans Stiebner (19 November 1898 – 27 March 1958) was a German actor. Steibner was born in Vetschau, Germany as Hans Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Paul Stiebner. He died in 1958 in Baden-Baden, West Germany. Selected filmography * '' The Grand Duk ...

as Mann beim Barbier *

Elsa Wagner Elsa Wagner (24 January 1881 – 17 August 1975) was a German actress who appeared in numerous theatrical productions and feature films during the 20th century, including 1920's ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari''. Life and career Born as Elisabe ...

as Schwester Else

References

Bibliography

* Bock, Hans-Michael & Bergfelder, Tim. ''The Concise CineGraph. Encyclopedia of German Cinema''. Berghahn Books, 2009. * Elsaesser, Thomas & Wedel, Michael . ''The BFI companion to German cinema''. British Film Institute, 1999.

External links

* 1955 films 1955 drama films German drama films West German films 1950s German-language films Films directed by Erich Engel 1950s German films Films shot at Tempelhof Studios {{1950s-Germany-drama-film-stub