
125 minutes
5/15/1975
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was the author of Werther, the romantic novel that was transformed into a play during Goethe's lifetime and which initiated the whole German romantic movement. The book's story tells of young love and suicide. In this East German film, based on a book by Thomas Mann, Lotte (Lilli Palmer) was the woman who served as the model for the heroine in the novel Werther. She comes to Goethe's hometown for a visit, and her experiences there eerily re-create episodes from the book. Goethe comes across as a pompous old bore, and his friends as pandering sycophants, in this very proper communist party-sponsored, anti-heroic movie.

Lilli Palmer
as Lotte

Martin Hellberg
as Goethe

Rolf Ludwig
as Kellner Mager

Hilmar Baumann
as August Goethe

Jutta Hoffmann
as Adele Schopenhauer

Katharina Thalbach
as Ottilie von Pogwisch

Monika Lennartz
as Charlotte, Lottes Tochter

Norbert Christian
as Professor Meyer
Hans-Joachim Hegewald
as Dr. Riemer

Walter Lendrich
as Landkammerrat Ridel

Dieter Mann
as Diener Karl
Angelika Ritter
as Klärchen

Annemone Haase
as Amalie Ridel
Gisa Stoll
as Frau Riemer
Christa Lehmann
as Frau Meyer
Linde Sommer
as Frau Kirms
Sonja Hörbing
as Frau Coudray

Victor Deiß
as Stephan Schütze

Hans-Dieter Schlegel
as Hofkammerrat Krims
Peter Köhncke
as Oberbaurat Coudray
Wilhelm Gröhl
as Bergrat Werner

Fred Delmare
as Bauer

Wolfgang Greese
as Rühring

Thomas Neumann
as Ferdinand Heinke

Barbara Brecht-Schall
as Frau Elmenreich
Axel Triebel
as Diener

Martina Servatius
as Junge Lotte

Hilmar Eichhorn
as Junger Goethe

Thomas Thieme
as Kestner
Manuela Marx
Berko Acker

Klaus Manchen
Heinz-Dieter Knaup

Paul Arenkens

Hannes Stelzer
Horst Giesen
Heinz Laggies
Friedrich Teitge
Werner Kanitz
Jörg Gillner

Jochen Diestelmann
Birgit Edenharter

Ilse Voigt
Klaus Schleiff