Karlsbader Reise 1939 - Volkswagen - KdF-Wagen

about this film Karlsbader Reise is a film co-financed by Deutsche Shell’s daughter Rhenania-Ossag. It is a mixture of car advertising, Heimatfilm, “good mood“ - and geographical educational film from the time of National Socialism. Place of action is the border region of Thuringia and Tschechien. Amazingly, there is no direct political Nazi propaganda. The film was made in 1939. The Second Worldwar was only months away. It might strike you that - although the film was shot in 1939 - no single Swastika or other Nazi symbol is visible. The Ministry of Propaganda under Joseph Goebbels controlled nearly every aspect of filmmaking in Germany at that time. It was Goebbels’ view that propaganda was not effective if it was explicit recognizable as such. He preferred propaganda packaged in, for example, romantic dramas and adventure films. One could consider Carlsbader Reise as subtile propaganda for the KdF savings program. After all the choice for the volkswagen featuring prominently in this film, was not possible without the help of the KdF-organisation. the story Back to the film. Fritz and Ilse (Erik Ode and Liselotte Schaak) are a couple who visit the Goethehaus in Weimar, Goethe’s carriage and the attached description of Goethe’s travels to the spa gives Fritz the idea to do exactly this trip with Ilse. “What does not happen today is not done tomorrow“, he quotes Goethe and off they go, in the Volkswagen (or KdF-wagen) in Goethe’s footsteps from Weimar to Carlsbad. With the travel guide in her hand Ilse reads the stations: Weimar - Jena - Prössneck - Schleiz - Hof - Franzensbad - Eger - Carlsbad. Fritz and Ilse are a nice couple: Homely, optimistic and adventurous. The film is thoroughly informative about Goethe’s life and his journeys, but also about the historical border situation. Above all, it shows a view of the Czech border region as a “German-native“ area. You also see a lot about the area through which Ilse and Fritz drive - a road movie of a different kind. The film is situated in a border region, which at the time had no institutional border - it plays a short time after the so-called Sudeten Crisis, in which the region was “recaptured“ by the Germans. In the movie Goethe’s journey goes to Bohemia, which is depicted as a natural part of Germany. Everywhere they go there are Germans and German is spoken. The map shows no borderlines and all street signs are in German. The car in this film The car featuring in the film is a Volkswagen. However, in the pre-war years it was referred to by Hitler as the KdF-wagen (Kraft durch Freude, or Strength through Joy-car). But even in those days most people preferred the name Volkswagen. The limousine with sunroof featuring in the film was a VW38. Its licenceplate is clearly visible: IIIA - 43016. This makes it easier to determine more about the car itself. The building of this KdF-series began in juni 1938. This specific car was also built in 1938, but received the later and better 1939 motor. I have a picture of this car along 8 other KdF wagens in the winter of 1938-39 (Birth of the Beetle by Chris Barber, page 167)). All 44 cars produced were still so called ’Versuchswagen’ (try-out cars). This meant that they were still only used for testing and publicity trips. There was no sale to the public yet. Later, some cars were given to high ranking Nazi party members. For example, car IIIA - 43017 was given to Robert Ley (boss of the Deutsche Arbeits Front), for his department’s use in Berlin. The car in this film belonged to Dr. Bodo Lafferentz (executive secretary of Volkswagenwerk). However, starting in 1938, no less than 300,000 German workers joined the KdF savings program of RM 5,- per week, to buy their own KdF-car. It would take an average worker 4 years to get his car. Some 600 KdF wagens were built during the war but no single worker who joined the savings program ever received his KdF wagen. Due to the war, the programm simply ended. After the war and many lawsuits, some 120,000 savers received compensation from Volkswagen in the early 1960s. KdF participants received a discount on a new Volkswagen Beetle or a small amount in cash in proportion to the number of stamps saved.