Probably the most popular film ever made in East Germany, I Was Nineteen, is based on Konrad Wolf’s own story. As Hitler came to power many German Communist families fled to Moscow. When the Soviet Army liberated Germany, some of its officers were young Germans who had conflicted feelings about returning to Germany as combat soldiers. They learned Fascism dies hard.

In German with English subtitles

Print is from the DEFA Film Library

Please note: this print has no sound or subtitles 90 minutes in for roughly 4 minutes.