emil und die detektive
gerhard lamprecht, 1931
robert stemmle, 1954
Although Erich Kästner’s beloved classic, Emil und die Detektive, has been adapted for film multiple times in the last 75 years, the 1931 and 1956 versions offer a compelling contrast between pre- and post-WWII Berlin. By comparing the travails of young Emil as he wanders through the city in search of a mysterious train-riding pickpocket in these two versions, the viewer sees examples of some of the city’s remarkable sites before the ravages of war and experiences the restrictions of a divided capital city—the Unter den Linden car chase must, in the later version, take place on Ku’damm, and in 1956, Berlin, for Emil, is strictly West Berlin.