21,187 views
The film by director Helmut Käutner is based on the tragicomedy by Carl Zuckmayer "The Captain of Köpenick. His name is Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt, and he is one of the most famous swindlers in the world. Once upon a time he was a simple shoemaker - though with an extraordinary imagination. One day he bought a captain's uniform from a junkman and, dressed in it, ordered two squads of Prussian guards to escort him to the town hall of Köpenick. As a result, the town hall was captured by soldiers under his command, the burgomaster was arrested allegedly for embezzlement, and the cash register with a tidy sum was confiscated "for the needs of the army." More about the biography of Carl Zuckmayer here part 1 part 2