The Teutons II - Episodes

Episode 1: Charlemagne and the Saxons

…shows that the roots of many European people reach back to the time of the great Frankish emperor. Charlemagne laid the basis for later developments on German soil – only one century after his subjugation of the Saxons, this German tribe should provide the first German kings.

Episode 2: Frederick II and the Crusade

…portrays one of the most astonishing rulers of the Middle Ages, who was already dubbed ‘wonder of the world’ by his contemporaries. He was a wanderer between Occident and Orient. As German king and Roman emperor, he would come into conflict with the Pope. But without bloodshed, he conquered Jerusalem for the Christians.

Episode 3: Hildegard of Bingen and the Women’s Power

…describes one of the most amazing personalities of the 12th century. No other women of her times reached as much popularity and respect as the visionary, theologian and nun, who was already highly regarded as ‘Prophetissa Teutonica’ during her lifetime.

Episode 4: Charles IV and the Black Death

…sheds light one of the most dramatic eras of German history, the time of the ‘Black Death’. Despite this catastrophe, Charles manages to create the first constitution for the Holy Roman Empire, which balances the relationship between the emperor and the princes: the famous ‘Golden Bull’.

Episode 5: Thomas Müntzer and the Peasants’ War

…shows how Müntzer, a radical theologian and reformer, wants to change society, all based on the Bible. For his support of the peasants in their struggle against nobility and serfdom, he ultimately pays with his life.

Episode 6: August the Strong and Love

…shows one of the most extravagant characters of German baroque, who – even in this era of exaggeration – was regarded as excessive, with his display of art, affairs and his insatiable hunger for glory.

Episode 7: Karl Marx and the Class Struggle

…portrays the mastermind of communism. Few Germans have had a similar impact on the course of history as the German philosopher and disputed theorist and his ideas.

Episode 8: Ludwig II and the Bavarians

…leads us right into the realm of the German ‘fairytale king’. However, Ludwig was not only the creator of pompous castles and palaces, but also a very conscious ruler, who tried to hold out against Prussia’s supremacy.

Episode 9: Rosa Luxemburg and Liberty

…describes the life of the passionate socialist, who already fought for freedom and equality under the reign of German emperor William II. When revolution breaks loose in Germany in November 1918, she eventually sees the time fit for change.

Episode 10: Gustav Stresemann and the Republic

…shows that the first German democracy was not necessarily doomed. As Chancellor of the Republic and minister of foreign affairs, he was one of the first to realise that Germany’s future could only be formed with, not against the other European nations.