Cornelius Rost
Encyclopedia
Cornelius Rost was a German World War II
soldier
who became known for having escaped a Soviet Gulag
camp in Siberia
. His experiences were the basis for a book, a TV series, and a movie.
but never wanted his identity to become known due to his fear of KGB
retribution. In 2010, the four original tapes containing Bauer's interviews with Rost were discovered.
. It was one of German TV's earliest and still biggest productions.
In 2001 it was remade as a film
starring Bernhard Bettermann as Forell. Added was a duel between Forell and a Soviet officer chasing him, ending in a showdown on a bridge at the Soviet-Iranian border. Many scenes feature characters speaking Russian
or other foreign languages (see Shamanistic cultures in Siberia
), without any subtitles, which was intended to give the (German and other non-Russian) viewer the feeling of helplessness experienced by the protagonist with his limited knowledge of Russian.
This film is now available online at Netflix with English Subtitles.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
who became known for having escaped a Soviet Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
camp in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. His experiences were the basis for a book, a TV series, and a movie.
Biography
In 1955, German author Josef Martin Bauer published So weit die Füße tragen (English: As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me), a novel about a character called Clemens Forell, based in part on Rost. The novel was a major success in Germany, and led to many former World War II prisoners of war talking about and publicizing their own experiences. Journalists later tracked down Rost, who at the time was living in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
but never wanted his identity to become known due to his fear of KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
retribution. In 2010, the four original tapes containing Bauer's interviews with Rost were discovered.
TV version, movie
In 1959 it was made into a television series, starring Heinz WeissHeinz Weiss
Heinz Weiss was a German film actor.Weiss is best known for playing the role of Phil Decker in the Jerry Cotton series of films and the role of Captain Heinz Hansen in Das Traumschiff....
. It was one of German TV's earliest and still biggest productions.
In 2001 it was remade as a film
As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me
As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me is a 2001 film about German World War II prisoner of war Clemens Forell's escape from a Siberian Gulag in Russia back to Germany. It is based on the eponymous book written by Josef Martin Bauer...
starring Bernhard Bettermann as Forell. Added was a duel between Forell and a Soviet officer chasing him, ending in a showdown on a bridge at the Soviet-Iranian border. Many scenes feature characters speaking Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
or other foreign languages (see Shamanistic cultures in Siberia
Shamanistic cultures in Siberia
Northern Asia, particularly Siberia is regarded as the locus classicus of shamanism. It is inhabited by a variety of ethnic groups, many of whom observe shamanistic practices even in modern times. Many classical ethnographic sources of “shamanism” were recorded among Siberian peoples.These cultures...
), without any subtitles, which was intended to give the (German and other non-Russian) viewer the feeling of helplessness experienced by the protagonist with his limited knowledge of Russian.
This film is now available online at Netflix with English Subtitles.