Die Himmelsleiter Part 1 (Season 1, Episode 1)
TV Episode | 90 min | Drama, History

Die Himmelsleiter

Part 1 (Season 1, Episode 1)

TV Episode | 90 min | Drama, History

Cologne, 1947. The Rhine metropolis has been completely destroyed. For the people, the end of the war does not mean the end of the struggle for survival. On the contrary, the winter of 1946/47 was the hardest of the century. Smuggling, ...See moreCologne, 1947. The Rhine metropolis has been completely destroyed. For the people, the end of the war does not mean the end of the struggle for survival. On the contrary, the winter of 1946/47 was the hardest of the century. Smuggling, stealing, black market: "In bad times all this is allowed," says Cardinal Frings. From now on, "Fringsen" is a survival strategy. But the carnival, which the people of Cologne are carefully rediscovering, also offers a short break from everyday hardship. Hungry, defeated and tired, people don't want to just give themselves up to despair. One of them is Anna Roth (Christiane Paul). Her husband Adam (Ernst Stötzner), a Jew, has been missing for six years and there is little hope that he survived. The seamstress keeps her extended family afloat with hamsters, endless queues and bartering. Daughter Sophie (Sarah Horváth) has an illegitimate son, Paul (Luis Vorbach), and an Italian husband, Francesco (Adam Vacula). While Evchen (Muriel Wimmer), her youngest, tries to write songs for the carnival, Michel (Jonathan Berlin) skips school. He smuggled copper and lead over the ladder to heaven - that's what the mined forest roads to Belgium are called because of their deadly danger. Thanks to Anna's tireless energy, the Roths have found a modest idyll in the basement of their bombed-out house. However, the quarter in which the ruins are located is to be replaced by barracks built by the Belgian occupying forces. Armin Zettler (Axel Prahl) has already bought most of the rubble plots for this purpose. Anna doesn't want to do business with the insidious ex-party bigwig who keeps stalking her. She suspects he denounced her husband, but has no proof. Hopefully Zettler will be put on trial in the tribunal proceedings, to which Anna is also invited as a witness. Meanwhile, she fears for her little grandson Paul, who was caught stealing groceries in the Belgian barracks. The Roths are visited by Belgian officer Valmund (Nikolai Kinski). The young lieutenant falls in love with Sophie and, not entirely unselfishly, ensures that her husband Francesco is arrested. In this difficult situation, Anna is helped by the farmer Josef Halfen (Henning Baum), a helpful person whom she met while hamsters. While she gives him piano lessons, they both experience moments of happiness. But then Zettler's youngest son, the railway policeman Bruno (Lucas Reiber), is shot during a raid on the freight yard. Suspicion falls on Michel, who was present at the secret action. The police search the Roths' house and arrest Anna on suspicion of receiving stolen goods. Suddenly Adam is in the basement apartment. He survived the Mauthausen concentration camp and found his way back to his family via Hungary. He also has a score to settle with Zettler. Written by ADR Das Erste See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
34 cast members

Name	Known for
Christiane Paul Anna Roth Anna Roth See fewer	In July (2000)
Axel Prahl Armin Zettler Armin Zettler See fewer	Tatort (1970)
Henning Baum Josef Halfen Josef Halfen See fewer	The Last Cop (2010)
Ernst Stötzner Adam Roth Adam Roth See fewer	Home for the Weekend (2012)
Lucas Prisor Gerhard Zettler Gerhard Zettler See fewer	Elle (I) (2016)
Lucas Reiber Bruno Zettler Bruno Zettler See fewer	Suck Me Shakespeer 2 (2015)
Sarah Horvath Sophie Roth Sophie Roth See fewer	The Wild Soccer Bunch 5 (2008)
Muriel Wimmer Eva Roth Eva Roth See fewer	Little Thirteen (2012)
Sina Tkotsch Gerda Zettler Gerda Zettler See fewer	Jungle Child (2011)
Nikolai Kinski René Valmund René Valmund See fewer	Masters of the Air (2024)
Jonathan Berlin Michel Roth Michel Roth See fewer	The Forger (2022)
Luis Vorbach Paul Roth Paul Roth See fewer	The Perfect Secret (2019)
Jiri Roskot Heiner Halfen Heiner Halfen See fewer	The Fury (2016)
Adam Vacula Francesco Grasso Francesco Grasso See fewer	Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018)
Teresa Harder Hermine Zettler Hermine Zettler See fewer	The Constant Gardener (2005)
Petr Simcák Stefan Schäfer Stefan Schäfer See fewer	To See the Sea (2014)
Jürgen Schornagel Heinrich Breining Heinrich Breining See fewer	Doppelter Einsatz (1994)
Ilse Strambowski Clara Breining Clara Breining See fewer	Der Idiot (1968)
Thomas Bestvater Josef Rogowski Josef Rogowski See fewer	A Case for Two (1981)
Najet Korel Ilona Schäfer (as Najet El Kamel) Ilona Schäfer (as Najet El Kamel) See fewer	Die Himmelsleiter (2015)
Jan Unger Herr Petz Herr Petz See fewer	The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Marie Jansová Frau Kühnemeier Frau Kühnemeier See fewer	Child 44 (2015)
Jan Kubka Actor Actor See fewer	The Puppeteers (2017)
Veronika Dobesová Woman at milkshop (uncredited) Woman at milkshop (uncredited) See fewer	Guard No. 47 (2008)
Michal Gulyás Pieter Vleesmenn (uncredited) Pieter Vleesmenn (uncredited) See fewer	Child 44 (2015)
Jakub Laurych Clown (uncredited) Clown (uncredited) See fewer	Britannia (2017)
Jirí Marsál Karl Rabatzer (uncredited) Karl Rabatzer (uncredited) See fewer	The Man Who Stood in the Way (2023)
Jitka Prosperi Office woman (uncredited) Office woman (uncredited) See fewer	Forest Walkers (2003)
Petr Reif Valmund's driver (uncredited) Valmund's driver (uncredited) See fewer	Modelky s.r.o. (2014)
Jakub Stepán Collegue 2 (uncredited) Collegue 2 (uncredited) See fewer	To nevymyslís! (2005)
Marek Svitek Russian guard (uncredited) Russian guard (uncredited) See fewer	Dune: Part Two (2024)
Tereza Tezká Selma Rabatzer (uncredited) Selma Rabatzer (uncredited) See fewer	Tiger Theory (2016)
Simon Tintera Frank Rabatzer (uncredited) Frank Rabatzer (uncredited) See fewer	Cetníci z Luhacovic (2017)
Kamila Trnková Susi (uncredited) Susi (uncredited) See fewer	The Fury (2016)