The Weapons of the Hanseatic League
–
Aldermen at War
A Docudrama by Jean Zühlsdorff
Table of Contents
Logline
Page 3
Project Page
Page 4
Project Information
Page 5
Content
Page 6
Form and Style
Page 7
Questions to the Director
Page 8
The Crew (Selected Biographies)
Page 9–13
Advisors and Experts of the Docudrama
Page 14
Patrons and Sponsors (Acknowledgments)
Page 15
Contact
Page 16
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Logline
S
tralsund at the time of the Hanse, an influential city on the Baltic Sea. The residents of Stralsund
became rich through long-distance, sea-borne trade and contributed greatly to the rise in
power of the regional merchant guilds (or Hanse) who eventually formed an alliance known as
the Hanseatic League, the most powerful league of cities in the Middle Ages. Though an influential
city, Stralsund was nonetheless—as were many other cities of the time—simultaneously stricken
with internal unrest and upheaval as its citizens rebelled against the ruling upper class‘s abuse
of power.
3
Project Page
S
ince 1980, 163 cities in 15 different countries have joined forces to form an active network
of cities. The cities all have one thing in common: They were once all either members or
had close trading relationships with a powerful, influential league of cities —
The Hanseatic League.
The Hanseatic League, or Hanse, is considered to have been the first supra-regional economic
community of the world. The Hanse was held together by a common economic interest: The
idea of free trade — a concept that has gained new relevance in contemporary Europe since
the fall of the Iron Curtain. The representatives of the medieval League met regularly to
exchange information, share advice and make decisions. This tradition continues today
among the new Hanseatic cities. In 2006, the Spirit of the Hanse was evoked at the celebration
of the 650-year anniversary of the first „Day of the Hanse“ in 1356.
In Stralsund, as is the case in numerous other Hanseatic cities and towns, the remaining
preserved medieval brick churches, merchant‘s houses and (in particular) historical town
hall all act as visual symbols of and a tangible testimonial to the city and the Hanseatic
history. Not only do the structures function as symbols of the city‘s past economic power
and politically influential position, but they also document the Hanseatic affiliation and the
League‘s victory over external enemies. By the same token, the town hall was also the scene
of internal crisis, corrupt machinations, and embittered power struggles.
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Project Information
Genre
Docudrama
Filming Locations
(Germany)
Stralsund, Rügen, Kiel, Munich
Length
1 x 45’ / 52’
Format/Aspect Ratio
Digibeta 1:1.78
Post-production
Munich/Berlin
Filming Days
40 Days
Language
German/ English
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Content
T
he turbulent decades surrounding the signing of the Treaty of Stralsund in 1370 are the
focus of this docudrama.
The history of Stralsund is in many ways typical of the other Hanseatic cities and towns on
the Baltic Sea. This gives rise to a closer look at the historical background and the social
structures of the cities, the long-distance trade and, in particular, the development of the
League itself.
Stralsund‘s rapid rise from an unimportant fishing village to a wealthy, powerful commercial
city and the increasing emancipation of its citizens from the royal city founders were the basis
of Stralsund‘s important position in the Hanseatic League. Together with the other Hanseatic
cities, Stralsund helped strengthen the alliance‘s position in opposition to competitors and
the noble ruling powers, thus contributing greatly to the League‘s ascension and heyday.
The central story of the docudrama is the power struggle between the long-established
patricians, the Wulflams Family, and the upwardly mobile Karsten Sarnow. This historical
narrative reflects events common to other Hanseatic cities where similar massive social
unrest and rebellion against the ruling monopolies of the patrician merchants also came to
happen.
Though the collapse of the Hanse and Stralsund‘s descent into relative unimportance still
lie in the future, some of the eventual causes are already discernable here. The patricians
that determine the city‘s fate and fortune as well as the politics of the Hanseatic League are
primarily interested in conserving their privileges and acquired status. Thus, they are not
open to new developments.
Karsten Sarnow and his followers fail in their attempt to introduce a liberal constitution.
Sarnow even pays for revolting against the Hanse with his life.
But the spirit of rebellion is awoken and, throughout the centuries that follow, can never
again be silenced.
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Form and Style
I
mmediate access to the events and conditions of the historical epoch is supplied in
particularly through the numerous enacted scenes which place the spectator directly
amidst the events as they occur.
For the most part, enacted scenes such as these are utilized to convey the central „historical
narrative“ of the film, the power struggle between the long-established patricians, as
embodied by the Wulflam Family, and the upwardly mobile middleclass lead by the „climber“
Karsten Sarnow.
On the one hand, the docudrama is based on historical sources such as contracts and
agreements, city books and other documents; on the other hand, the still-standing
architectural monuments of the time, supplemented by archeological finds and the
corresponding knowledge gained, also come into play. Furthermore, related commentary on
the current state in research is supplied by a variety of academics and scholars.
Structures, harbor and port facilities, townscapes and ships that no longer exist are
reconstructed through complex computer animation; thus, historical facts are presented in
a lively and visually exciting manner.
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Question to the Director Jean Zühlsdorff
What inspired the idea of this film?
The history of my hometown Stralsund has always interested me, particularly the turbulent
time of the Hanse. It seemed obvious, since I could, so to say, narrate from my own living room...
Stories and history of Stralsund. The deciding factor behind the project was a fascinating
discovery in the Stralsund city archives. There, I stumbled across a page in a historical city
book from the 14th Century that had been made illegible by angry scribbles. The text proved
to be a reformed city constitution that had, however, only been briefly valid. That woke my
curiosity. I did more research and brought a story to the light of day that positively screamed
to be filmed.
And the visual concept?
The idea was to have the entire documentary take place in the 14th Century. As if one were in
a time machine and could experience history first hand.
To achieve this, we filmed scenes with actors at original locations. We supplemented them
with 3D and computer generated elements and virtual map animation. In addition, we also
created scenes that were entirely computer animated. This presented us with the task of
reconstructing historical structures so as to present the medieval townscape as fully as
possible. To be able to supply the 3D designers with the needed models we worked closely
with historians and archeologists. In regard to the visual design—as in the production design,
the lighting design, the color selection, the technical realization and so forth—we naturally
took full advantage of all common modern stylistic devices and also let ourselves be inspired
by the old masters of both the visual arts and film.
How were you able to get such a complex project done?
It took 40 shooting days with over 165 actors of differing backgrounds in Stralsund, Kiel,
Munich and on the island of Rügen. That, however, was only one part of the production. The
post-production phase is being done primarily online, or virtually. Most of the interaction
between the various members of the Hanse Doc team takes place using common online tools.
A central element here is the „online board“ on which all team members can present their
work and express themselves. This structure enables us to collaborate with numerous creative
individuals in Germany and abroad. What‘s also special about this project is that everyone‘s
involvement is idealistically based—it is in addition to and outside of their normal jobs. In
total, over 200 film people, artists and experts have worked on the Hanse Doc. I think that this
method of working together, as well as the extent of the associated zeal and idealism of the
individual team members in regard to the project, is almost unique.
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Crew (Selected)
Producer
STiC-er Theater Stralsund
Director/ Screenplay
Jean Zühlsdorff
Script Development/
Narration Text
Christine Kabus
Historical Research/
Screen Story
Karsten Schönbach
Director of Photography
Holger Seidel
Steadicam Operator
Stefan Olivier
Editing
Anne Jünemann
VFX-Supervisor
Stefan Kirste
3D Supervisor
Andreas Kirste
Brand Design
Christiane Böhm
Music
Markus Lehmann-Horn & Ingo P. Stefans
Narration
Lutz Riedel/ Martin Heckmann
Scenography
Florian Duelli
Production Manager (On-site)
Mark Löbnitz
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Biographies (Selected)
Jean Zühlsdorff – Director
She presented her first short film in 1998. While studying film and television direction at the
Kassel School of Art and Design she made a number of filmic works in a variety of genres and
won numerous awards (among others: „Best Experimental Film“ at DAFF, Gold at „FanTex“ and
Silver at Bundesfestival für Spielfilm („Federal Film Festival“) in Dortmund). The docudrama
„The Weapons of the Hanseatic League – Aldermen at War“ is the thesis project of her film
studies.
Filmography (Selected):
2000 Land in Sicht („Land in View“) | Reportage
Concept, Production, Directing, Camera, Editing
Commissioned by the Präventivrat der Hansestadt Stralsund
(„Preventive Council of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund“)
2001/2002 freibeuter.tv („buccaneer.tv“)| Youth Broadcast
Conception/Implementation of the Youth Broadcast Program,
Broadcast on diverse regional broadcasting stations, Regional Program Series
2002 Etap | Experimental Film
Concept, Directing, Camera, Editing
2003 instant friend – just add water | Ultra Short (Short Movie)
Concept, Directing
Holger Seidel – Director of Photography
Following his training in fashion and commercial photography he worked as a gaffer and
camera assistant for numerous films by Dominik Graf, Rainer Kaufmann, Edgar Reitz, HansChristian Schmidt and Edoardo Winspeare. Since 1997 he has been active as a freelance
cameraman in commercials, feature films and documentaries.
Filmography (Selected):
2003 Georgisches Liebeslied | 2nd Unit | Director: Tatjana Brandrup
2004 The Weapons of the Hanseatic League – Aldermen at War
Director: Jean Zühlsdorff
2005 Tatort - Borowski in der Unterwelt | 2nd Unit and B-Camera
Director: Claudia Garde
2006 Musée Dar el Bacha | Director: Farida Belyazid
Hokuspokus Junior | 2nd Unit and B-Camera | Director: Claudia Garde
2007 Brunsbüttel. Watt? | Director: Frank D. Müller
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Selected Biographies: Crew (Continued)
Christine Kabus – Concept/ Narration Texts
After her studies (History/German Studies), Christine Kabus worked for three years at a
variety of theaters as both director and dramatic advisor. In 1996 she changed to the film
industry and began working as a reader for KirchMedia in Munich. For the next seven years
she appraised film scripts and supervised numerous film projects as dramatic advisor. In
2003 she went into business for herself and began to develop and write her own film projects
including, among others, the ZDF television series „Küstenwache“.
Karsten Schönbach – Historical Research/ Screen Story
Since 2003 Karsten Schönbach has been studying at the Ernst Moritz Arndt University in
the Hanseatic City of Greifswald to become a teacher of German and History. Alongside
Hanseatic topics, for a number of years now the focus of his historic studies has been in
the sphere of economic history; currently he is completing his academic study „The German
Corporation and the Rise of Hitler“.
Anne Jünemann – Editing
She came to film by way of photography. Together with Jean Zühlsdorff, she was co-director
of the youth broadcast „freibeuter.tv (buccaneer.tv)“. During this time she also made a short
film that was screened successfully at a variety of film festivals. After an internship at the
design company Stereolize she worked as an assistant editor for Nathalie Pürzer in 2002
and then became a junior editor at Second Unit Services. Since 2005 she has been working
freelance in commercials and broadcast promotion. The docudrama „The Weapons of the
Hanseatic League – Aldermen at War“ is her first feature-length film project.
Markus Lehmann-Horn – Music
From 1987, he received private piano and guitar lessons. Followed by composition lessons
by Tobias PM Schneid from 2000 until 2003. Subsequently the study of film music by Enjott
Schneider. In the last years, compositions emerged for the A*Devantgarde-Festival (2003),
the opera-festival (2004), as well as for the „Cosi Cantano“ (2005) in Munich. Today he works
as an commission composer for radio, film and television.
Ingo P. Stefans – Music
He studied Musicology, Dramatics and Art History at the LMU in Munich. This year he
received his diploma in “Composition for Film and Television” at the University for Music and
Drama in Munich with Prof. Dr. phil. Enjott Schneider. While studying he composed various
soundtracks for short films, feature films, documentaries and industrial films as well as
orchestra and chamber music.
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Selected Biographies: Crew (Continued)
Stefan Kirste – VFX-Supervisor
Prior to studying media informatics Stefan Kirste worked with juveniles learning video
production at the STiC-er Theater e.V. of the Pädagogischen Zentrums (Educational Center)
of Stralsund and assisted in the production of the youth broadcast „freibeuter.tv (buccaneer.
tv)“. During his studies he did freelance video effects work for the company Capture Berlin,
where he shared responsibilities in the post-production of advertising spots, music videos
and tradeshow films. Since November 2005 he has been active as a VFX artist at Südlich-t in
Munich and has done diverse projects for various advertising agencies and ProSiebenSat.1
Media AG.
Andreas Kirste – 3D-Supervisor
Andreas Kirste was active in multimedia productions even before he began studying
informatics. He participated in the media workshop of the STiC-er Theater e.V. in Stralsund
and taught himself computer graphics. During his studies he realized numerous projects in
the media sector for, among others, SonicMaze, computer game DiceNShoot.
Florian Duelli – Scenography
Floian Duelli received his diploma in interior architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts of
Munich in 2003. Subsequently he completed postgraduate courses in stage and production
design at the University of Television and Film Munich. He is a member of „camp“, a partnership
involved in interior architecture, stage design, production design and design in general. At
the moment he is active in the coordination of varied film and architectural projects.
Christiane Böhm – Brand Design
Christiane Böhm completed her multimedia studies in Augsburg in 2004. „The Circle“, the
film she made as her final project, was awarded the London Short Film Award „The Eye“ in
2005. Since then she has worked as a freelance visual effects and composite designer for
commercial and independent films. As of 2006 she has been an instructor for the interface
design at the University of Applied Sciences in Augsburg.
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Selected Biographies: Crew (Continued)
Rayk Schroeder – 3D Operating/ Compositing/ Research
In 2003 Rayk Schroeder finished his studies in Applied Computer Sciences (Multimedia)
at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. Subsequently he worked as a 3D modeler
and level designer at the computer firm BVM, and then as a composite artist at Capture
Berlin. Since 2004 he has been working freelance as a composite and 3D artist.
Anne Fuhrmann - Compositing
As a trainee in the Visual Effects department, she started in autumn 2001 for Action Concept
Film- und Stuntproduktion in Hürth. Anne was there from April 2002 until June 2006 working
as a VFX-Operator. In this time, she was involved in projects as „The Clown“ (feature film)
and more than 95 TV-productions, mainly „Alarm für Cobra 11“, after that followed various
projects. Since April 2007 she has been working as a freelancer.
Jan Erdmann – 3D-Operating/ Research
In 1999 Jan Erdmann completed his training as a digital media designer at the company Drefa
Atelier. Subsequently, he completed his studies in audio visual media at the Academy of
Media Arts in Cologne in 2004. Since 1999 (and throughout his studies) he has worked as an
editor for various television projects and as a 3D modeler for the Hanseatic documentary.
Daniel Arweiler – 3D Operating/ Research
Daniel Arweiler studied media informatics at the Fachhochschule of Flensburg. During
his studies, he completed a traineeship at the TV production company Cologne News
Corporation where he was involved in various areas of film production and was also
employed by an advertising agency in Munich. For this documentary he was responsible for
the 3D reconstruction the city Stralsund during the time of the Hanse. After completing his
diploma project in Rosenheim, he was hired in 2006 as a software developer for a company
in Unterschleißheim.
Stefan Thomas – 3D Operating/ Research
Following his training as a furniture carpenter, Stefan Thomas initially worked as a detail
designer and model builder in the industry and design fields. Following an outing as stage
designer at the Theaterakademie (Academy of Theatre) in Munich, he completed training as
media designer. Since 2002 he has been working freelance in 3D visualization with emphasis
on reconstruction for medicinal and scientific purposes. Since 2005 he has also been doing
advertising work for Infinite Vision and Fiction Films.
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Advisors and Experts of the Docudrama
Prof. Horst Wernicke (Ph.D) – Medieval Historian
University of Greifswald
Managing Director of the Historical Institute of the University of Greifswald
Hansischer Geschichtsverein (Hanseatic Historical Association)
Dr. Ralf-Gunnar Werlich (Ph.D) – Medieval Historian
University of Greifswald
Historical Institute of the University of Greifswald
Dr. Hans Joachim Hacker – Director
Hansestadt Stralsund Archiv (Stralsund City Archives)
Nicole Kiesewetter – Medieval Historian
Journalist - Hansestadt Greifswald
Dr. Birgit Kulessa – Medieval Archeologist
Pre and Early History, as well as Medieval Archeology
Dr. Thomas Förster – Underwater Archeology & Museology
Landesverband für Unterwasserarchäologie Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
(Society for Underwater Archaeology in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Project Coordinator OZEANEUM – Hanseatic City of Stralsund
Gunnar Möller – Diploma in Prehistory
Hansestadt Stralsund, Bauamt
Abteilung Planung und Denkmalpflege
Untere Denkmalschutzbehörde
(Hanseatic City of Stralsund, Office of Planning & Building
Department of Planning and Preservation of Historical Buildings
Lower Authority of Historical Monuments & Building)
Dr. Andreas Grüger – Director
The Stralsund Museum of Cultural History
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Patrons and Sponsors
This documentary was aided, sponsored and supported by:
Landesrundfunkzentrale Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Landesjugendamt - Abteilung Jugend u. Familie M-V
Landesfilmzentrum M-V/ Film e.V.
Kulturelle Filmförderung M-V
Landesförderinstitut M-V
Ministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur
Kunsthochschule Kassel
Fachhochschule Flensburg
Hansestadt Stralsund
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin
Theater Vorpommern - Greifswald/ Stralsund
Kulturhof Mölschow M-V
Koggen e.V. Bremen
Institut für Neue Medien - Rostock
FAS Fernsehen am Strelasund - Stralsund, Rügen - Vorpommern
Second Unit Services - München
Südlich-t - München
Bernd Rillich Postproduktion- München
Giesing-Team - München
Sound Shop Michael Stecher München - Grünwald
ARRI Film und TV Services - München
Capture Berlin
AnyMotion - Computeranimation & Visualisierung - Bremen
industry graphics - realtexture Chemnitz
SplutterFish, LLC
Wacom Europe
Comet GmbH Pyrotechnik Apparatebau Bremerhaven
Keramik-Werkstattgalerie Weber - Stralsund
Adrian Butler „Zur Werkstatt-Anker“ - Stralsund
Hannelore Höpner „Zur Fähre-Kneipe“ - Stralsund
Wallensteinkeller Restaurant - Stralsund
Fisherman´s Restaurant - Stralsund
Kösteritzer - Wernesgrüner Vertriebs GmbH
SWS Stralsunder Wohnungsbau
ABC Schloßtechnik - Stralsund
Jörg Matuschat Autor von „Stralsunder Geschichte von A bis Z“
Jorinde Gustav Weberin - Stralsund
John Flooks Bildhauer - Stralsund
Josef Wycisk Giebelhausbesitzer 14. Jahrhundert - Stralsund
Daniel Klimt ökolog./ hist. Bauen - Stralsund
Familie Früchtenich Ferienwohnungen - Stralsund
Anette Zellmer Tierärztin Homöop./ Züchterin - Niepars
Sebastian Schwinkendorf Fotograf & Webdesigner
Geflügelzucht Andershofer Puten GmbH
Stralsunder Getreide- u. Handels AG
Sven Kleinert – Bauingenieur - Stralsund
SES mbH Stralsund - Herr Boie
Rechtsanwälte Brauch, Bischoff & Partner - Stralsund
Anke Fonferek - Landestheater Schwaben
Ostseezeitung
Special thanks also go out to everyone that we could no longer fit on our list here.
We hope you understand.
15
Contact:
Production
STiC-er Theater e.V. Stralsund
Frankenstr. 61
18435 Hansestadt Stralsund/ Germany
Axel Zühlsdorff
Artistic Director
Lilian Martinez Miguel
Puplic Relations
Telephone
Fax
+49 3831 - 280786
+49 3831 - 29074 5
Internet
www.h a n s e d o k u .d e
www.s t i c - e r.de
E-Mail
[email protected] e
post @s t i c - e r .d e
Jean Zühlsdorff
Director & Production
Telephone
Cell Phone
E-Mail
+ 49 30 - 46 99 88 24
+ 49 162 - 1 3 4 3 3 0 8
[email protected]
Holger Seidel
Cinematography & Production
Telephone
Fax
Cell Phone
E-Mail
+4 9 30 - 420 11 6 0 0
+ 4 9 3 0 - 420 11 6 0 1
+4 9 176 - 27 27 48 3 0
[email protected]
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