Death Is My Trade

Death Is My Trade

Year: 1977

Runtime: 145 mins

Language: German

Director: Theodor Kotulla

DramaWar

A biography of Auschwitz commander Rudolf Höss.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Death Is My Trade (1977)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Death Is My Trade (1977). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1917-1945

The timeline spans from the 1917 WWI front through the interwar years, the Nazi ascent, World War II, and the immediate postwar period. It traces Lang’s rise from a young recruit to a senior figure in the SS and his involvement in the Holocaust. The sequence highlights how swiftly the era moved from imperial conflict to genocidal policy.

Location

Western Front (World War I), Mecklenburg region, Dachau near Munich, Auschwitz in Poland, American-occupied Germany

The story unfolds across key locations tied to 20th-century upheavals. It begins on the World War I front, moves through postwar German towns in Mecklenburg, and follows Lang into the Dachau concentration camp and the Auschwitz complex in occupied Poland. The narrative also touches on the American-occupied zone in Germany as the war ends and accountability begins.

🗺️ Europe 🕰️ 20th Century ⚔️ War 🪖 Totalitarianism

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:44

Main Characters – Death Is My Trade (1977)

Meet the key characters of Death Is My Trade (1977), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Franz Lang (Götz George)

Franz Lang, born 1900, rises from a wartime recruit to a fanatic Nazi administrator. His unwavering loyalty to orders shapes every stage of his life, from the trenches to postwar political service and the Holocaust. He embodies a chilling faith in duty that overrides compassion or conscience.

🪖 Loyalist 🧭 Ideology 🗡️ Violence

Hauptmann Günther (Sigurd Fitzek)

A German Army officer who mentors Lang during the war and grounds him in the logic of duty. He promotes Lang when the frontline battle ends, seeing in him a capable, steadfast soldier. He represents the civilian-military leadership that legitimizes brutal obedience.

🛡️ Leadership ⚔️ Duty

Heinrich Himmler (Hans Korte)

SS leader who recognizes Lang's organizational skills and guides his rise within the Nazi machine. He assigns Lang to key posts and ultimately pressures him into roles connected to the Holocaust. Himmler embodies the bureaucratic power behind genocide.

🎖️ Leadership 🧭 Ideology

Else Lang (Elisabeth Schwarz)

Lang's wife, chosen for Aryan conformity and later confronted with his crimes. She questions the regime but remains complicit as the apparatus of power continues. Her presence exposes the personal costs of political allegiance.

💑 Partner 🕊️ Conscience

Baron von Jeseritz (Kurt Hübner)

An influential landowner who provides Lang with property and social standing, enabling his entry into the party and the SS. He serves as the patron who arms Lang with the means to climb the hierarchy.

🏰 Aristocracy 🗺️ Landownership

Dietrich Kerky (Leutnant im Freikorps)

A Freikorps officer who anchors Lang in nationalist militancy after the war, guiding his early involvement in right‑wing violence. He symbolizes the blur between veteran service and paramilitary action.

🗡️ Militancy 🏛️ Authority

Obersturmführer (Werner Schwuchow)

A senior SS officer who embodies the efficiency and brutality of the Nazi regime. He represents the institutional ladder that Lang climbs through obedience and loyalty.

🪖 Bureaucracy 🗡️ Violence

Obersturmbannführer Eichmann (Walter Czaschke)

A Nazi officer involved in the regime's higher echelons who informs Lang about the capacity and logistics of the camps, reinforcing the administrative nature of genocide.

🎖️ Bureaucracy 🧭 Ideology

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:44

Major Themes – Death Is My Trade (1977)

Explore the central themes of Death Is My Trade (1977), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗡️ Obedience

Lang adheres to orders with relentless steadfastness, reshaping his morality around duty. The film shows how institutional loyalty can normalize cruelty and erode personal conscience. The refrain 'I merely obeyed' underscores the moral peril of obedient systems.

🎖️ Radicalization

From nationalist circles to the SA and then the NSDAP, Lang’s loyalties harden as ideological indoctrination takes hold. The narrative traces the gradual transformation from soldierly discipline to fanatic devotion. It demonstrates how belonging and power can eclipse humanity.

🛡️ Genocide and Authority

Lang’s ascent culminates in administrative roles within Dachau and Auschwitz, where bureaucratic efficiency meets monstrous intent. The film documents the logistics of murder and the moral detachment required to carry it out. It questions whether obedience to higher authorities justifies participation in genocide.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:44

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Death Is My Trade Summary

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Death Is My Trade Summary

Death Is My Trade Timeline

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Death Is My Trade Timeline

More About Death Is My Trade

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