Immenhof films

Lore & Background

Following the success of Ursula Bruns' novel Dick und Dalli und die Ponies, Gero Wecker acquired the film rights for his company, Arca-Filmproduktion GmbH in Göttingen. As he was busy with other projects, his wife Carola Bornée took over production management. The success of the first Immenhof film in 1955 led to two sequels by 1957 overseen by other directors. Sixteen years later, Wecker regained control of the films, a situation that continued until his death.

The location for the 1955–1957 trilogy was the Rothensande estate at Malente in Ostholstein. Exterior scenes were filmed in and around Malente, including Eutin, Lübeck, Niendorf, and Plön, while interiors were shot in the studio. For the 1973–1974 films, the Rothensande estate was not used; scenes were mainly shot at the Kletkamp estate, with some at Hof Radlandsichten near Timmdorf.

Specific locations include the Forsthaus Dodau (a forest ranger's office in the grounds of the Schleswig-Holstein State Forestry Agency), the Badestelle am Redderkrug (a bathing spot on the Eutiner lake), the Maria-Magdalene Protestant church in Malente (used for the wedding scene in Hochzeit auf Immenhof), and the primary school in Malente. The ZDF family TV series Immenhof (1993–1995) did not directly relate to the five films and even partially contradicted them.

Reader's Guide

The Immenhof films are significant as a notable example of the German Heimatfilm genre, which idealized rural life and landscapes. They originated from a popular novel and achieved commercial success, spawning a trilogy and later sequels. The films' production history reflects the involvement of a family-run company and the persistence of a producer over decades. Their legacy includes lasting recognition of filming locations in Schleswig-Holstein, some of which remain preserved or accessible. The 2019 reinterpretation indicates continued cultural interest. The films also sparked a minor controversy when a real minister officiated a film wedding, resolved by noting the actors were already married. The unrelated TV series shows the franchise's broader reach beyond cinema.

Did You Know?

• The first Immenhof film was based on the novel Dick und Dalli und die Ponies by Ursula Bruns, a founding member of the German Pony Club.
• The wedding scene in Hochzeit auf Immenhof (1956) was officiated by a real minister, causing a scandal until it was noted that the actors Paul Klinger and Karin Andersen had been married for two years.
• The Badestelle am Redderkrug bathing spot, where a character's riding kit was hidden, lost its beech tree to a lightning strike; only the stump remains.
• The ZDF TV series Immenhof (1993–1995) did not directly relate to the five films and even partially contradicted them.