The Tailor from Ulm

The Tailor from Ulm

Year: 1978

Runtime: 120 mins

Language: German

Director: Edgar Reitz

DramaHistory

Albrecht Berblinger, a Bavarian tailor, in the early 19th century, is inspired by an odd encounter with a balloon and sets out to construct his own flying machine. Though he lacks formal engineering training, his determination never wavers; despite countless setbacks and opposition, he clings to his ambition to soar like a bird.

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Timeline – The Tailor from Ulm (1978)

Trace every key event in The Tailor from Ulm (1978) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Aerial rescue and awakening

In 1791 near Vienna, the protagonist spots a runaway hot-air balloon carrying a distressed lady crying for help. He chases and helps, an act he has never witnessed before. The grateful Moretti family takes him in, and he begins reading a book about flight, his fascination with birds deepening.

1791 Countryside near Vienna
2

Meeting the Morettis and an invitation to flight

Through the Moretti family, he meets Jakob von Degen, an early experimenter in human flight. Degen speaks of his flying machine and invites the protagonist to a public demonstration. This encounter seeds his dreams of taking to the skies.

1791 Moretti household
3

Move to Ulm and a royal invitation in the making

Two years pass and the story shifts to Ulm, where Albrecht works as a tailor with a wife. Degen, now married to Irma, visits en route to Paris to demonstrate his flying machine behind a coach-cart. The promise of flight begins to pull Albrecht into new ambitions.

1793 Ulm
4

Tavern gossip and political danger

In a tavern, Kaspar Fesslen is tossed out after leafleting about a Paris demonstration. Whispers label him a Jacobin trying to incite rebellion. The political heat foreshadows the trouble that will entangle Albrecht's experiments.

1793 Tavern in Ulm
5

First glider tests and a painful setback

Albrecht unveils a wing-shaped glider and attempts to fly down a hillside, but he tumbles and is left injured. His wife discovers the damaged machine, and the episode hardens his resolve. Fesslen visits and invites him back to his printshop, stoking the talk of flight.

1793-1794 Local hill near Ulm
6

Jacobins and the crackdown

At Fesslen's printshop, Albrecht discusses flight and becomes drawn into rebellious circles. The crackdown follows: his house and goods are confiscated and Fesslen is imprisoned. The setback forces him to rethink his approach and pursue the dream in secret.

1794 Fesslen's printshop, Ulm
7

Rebuilding and repeated crashes

Albrecht breaks into his old workshop to rebuild the flying machine. Tests grow more ambitious, but each ascent ends in a crash, testing his perseverance and belief that flight is possible. The dream endures despite repeated failure.

1794-1795 Old workshop, Ulm
8

Napoleonic money and renewed momentum

During the Napoleonic Wars and the siege of Ulm, revolutionary sympathisers offer financial support to fund his research. The extra resources give him the means to push the project forward. Momentum returns to the distant dream of flight.

1805 Ulm
9

First major flight and a tragic ally

With backing, he achieves his first fully successful flight from a local hill and lands safely. Fesslen is released and stays with him, dying soon after, while Irma appears and they plan a public Pentecost performance. The team grows closer as the dream edges toward a public test.

1805 Local hill near Ulm
10

Public demonstration promised to royalty

They prepare to stage a Pentecost demonstration of the flying machine and invite Herr Degen to attend. The authorities push for a display that would impress the King of Württemberg, heightening the stakes for everyone involved.

1805 Ulm
11

A precarious launch from the town wall

On the day of the flight, the launch must occur from a low platform on the town wall rather than a hill. The wind is unfavourable, and the crowd jeers as delays mount. He finally jumps and attempts to fly over the river, but the plan unravels.

Pentecost day, 1805 Town wall, Ulm
12

Fall, rescue, and a glimpse of flight from above

He lands in the river and is dragged from the water by soldiers, later awakening in a cart filled with gilded but broken furniture. He fashions a makeshift periscope and, through it, sees himself flying above, a vision of success born from his perilous ordeal.

Pentecost day, 1805 Ulm river and cart

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:03

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