Artur "Atze" Brauner (born Abraham Brauner; 1 August 1918 – 7 July 2019) was a German film producer and entrepreneur of Polish origin. He produced more than 300 films from 1946.
Life and career He was born the oldest son of a Jewish family in Łódź, Poland. His father was a timber wholesaler. Brauner attended a general education liceum in Łódź, where he took the matura final exam, and then studied at a local polytechnic technical school until the German attack on Poland in September 1939. With his parents and four siblings, he fled to the Soviet Union and survived the Holocaust. Following the war, he and his brother, Wolf Brauner emigrated to Berlin; his parents and three of his siblings emigrated to Israel. Twelve of his relatives were killed at Babi Yar,Boston, William: Time (1 October 2003). Retrieved 29 February 2012 among forty-nine who died at the hands of the Nazis.Hans Schmid, "Old Atze und der Schatz im Silbersee" Heise Online. (23 August 2008) Retrieved 1 March 2012
Brauner married Theresa Albert, called Maria, in 1947. They had four children.
As a young man, he saw Fritz Lang's film The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, which affected him greatly, making him interested in film. In September 1946, he founded the Central Cinema Company or CCC Films in the American sector of Berlin. He produced Sag' die Wahrheit, one of the first films produced in Germany after the war, followed by Morituri, which was a commercial failure and threw him into debt. Brauner realised that to produce critically successful films he had to make up their losses by producing critically derided films that were appreciated by the public. He lured back many Germans who had experience in Hollywood such as Robert Siodmak and later Fritz Lang who started a revival of Dr. Mabuse.Kalat, David: German Trash Cinema: The Story of Artur Brauner in: The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse: A Study of the Twelve Films and Five Novels. McFarland (2005), pp. 131–142
In 2009, Yad Vashem received a donation of 21 of Brauner's productions having to do with the Holocaust, including Die Weiße Rose, The Plot to Assassinate Hitler (Der 20. Juli) and Man and Beast (Mensch und Bestie). In 2010, Yad Vashem opened a media center in Brauner's name."German film producer to receive Yad Vashem honour" Deutsche Presse-Agentur (2010). Retrieved 1 March 2012 Brauner called it the "crowning achievement of my film career".
Brauner was a prominent member of the Jewish community of Berlin and a recipient of the Bundesverdienstkreuz. At the 2003 Berlinale, he was awarded the Berlinale Kamera honouring his lifetime achievement. His many other awards included two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award for his co-production of the film The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Vittorio De Sica. Brauner lived and worked in Berlin. He turned 100 in August 2018.
Brauner died on 7 July 2019 in Berlin.
Selected filmography Brauner produced over 250 movies. Here a list of selected films produced by him:
Year Title Director Notes1946Tell the TruthHelmut Weiss1947King of HeartsHelmut Weiss1948MorituriEugen York1949Don't Play with LoveHans Deppe1949Girls Behind BarsAlfred Braun1950Five SuspectsKurt Hoffmann1950The Orplid MysteryHelmut Käutner 1950 The Reluctant Maharaja Ákos Ráthonyi1952All Clues Lead to Berlin František Čáp1953The Empress of ChinaSteve Sekely1955The Star of RioKurt Neumann1955The Plot to Assassinate HitlerFalk HarnackGerman Federal Film Award1955Die RattenRobert SiodmakGolden Bear1955The Captain and His HeroMax Nosseck1956Before SundownGottfried ReinhardtGolden Bear (Audience award)1957The Last Ones Shall Be FirstRolf Hansen1957Kindermädchen für Papa gesuchtHans Quest1957 Just Once a Great Lady Erik Ode1958 Confess, Doctor Corda Josef von Báky1958It Happened in Broad DaylightLadislao Vajda1958Münchhausen in AfrikaWerner Jacobs1958Mädchen in UniformGéza von Radványi1958Der Stern von Santa ClaraWerner Jacobs1959Here I Am, Here I StayWerner Jacobs1959Der Tiger von EschnapurFritz Lang1959Das indische GrabmalFritz Lang1959And That on Monday MorningLuigi Comencini1959Menschen im HotelGottfried Reinhardt1959The Black ChapelRalph Habib1959Abschied von den WolkenGottfried Reinhardt1959The Day the Rains CameGerd Oswald1959Old HeidelbergErnst Marischka1960 Sweetheart of the Gods Gottfried Reinhardt1960 Mistress of the World William Dieterle2 films1960The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse Fritz Lang 1960 Stefanie in Rio Curtis Bernhardt 1960 Grounds for Divorce Cyril Frankel 1960The Good Soldier SchweikAxel von AmbesserNominated for a Golden Globe1960 Wilhelm Thiele1961 World in My Pocket Alvin Rakoff1961The Marriage of Mr. MississippiKurt Hoffmann1961 Via Mala Paul May1961The Shadows Grow LongerLadislao Vajda1961Das RiesenradGéza von Radványi1961Robert and BertramHans Deppe1961The Return of Doctor MabuseHarald Reinl1961It Can't Always Be CaviarGéza von Radványi1961This Time It Must Be CaviarGéza von Radványi1962The BrainFreddie Francis1962The Devil's AgentJohn Paddy Carstairs 1962 The Secret of the Black Trunk Werner Klingler1962Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly NecklaceTerence Fisher1962Doctor SibeliusRudolf Jugert 1962 The Invisible Dr. MabuseHarald Reinl1963Station Six-SaharaSeth Holt 1963 The Hangman of London Edwin Zbonek1963Man and BeastEdwin Zbonek1963Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. MabusePaul May1964Old ShatterhandHugo Fregonese1964Der SchutRobert Siodmak1964Fanny HillRuss Meyer1965 The Treasure of the AztecsRobert Siodmak1965The Pyramid of the Sun God Robert Siodmak1965 Wild KurdistanFranz Josef Gottlieb 1965 Kingdom of the Silver LionFranz Josef Gottlieb1966Long Legs, Long FingersAlfred Vohrer1966Lucky the InscrutableJesús Franco1966 Who Killed Johnny R.?José Luis Madrid1966Witness Out of HellZika Mitrovic1966/67Die NibelungenHarald Reinl2 films1967The Peking MedallionJames Hill1968Tevye and His Seven DaughtersMenahem Golan1968/69The Last RomanRobert Siodmak2 films1970The Bird with the Crystal PlumageDario Argento1970Vampyros LesbosJesús Franco1970She Killed in EcstasyJesús Franco1970The Devil Came from AkasavaJesús Franco1970X312 - Flight to HellJesús Franco1970The Garden of the Finzi-ContinisVittorio De SicaAcademy Award1971The Deadly Avenger of SohoJesús Franco1971Jungfrauen ReportJesús Franco1971Robinson and his Wild Slaves (Sexy Darlings)Jesús Franco1971Black BeautyJames Hill1972The Dead Are AliveArmando Crispino1972Jesús Franco1974Aleksander Ford1977Es muss nicht immer Kaviar seinThomas EngelTV miniseries1981CharlotteFrans Weisz1981Wolf Gremm1982The PasserbyJacques Rouffio1982Die Weiße RoseMichael Verhoeven1983S.A.S. à San SalvadorRaoul Coutard1983A Love in GermanyAndrzej Wajda1984Jerzy Hoffman1985Angry HarvestAgnieszka HollandNominated Academy Award1987Der Stein des TodesFranz Josef Gottlieb1988HanussenIstván SzabóNominated Academy Award1989The Rose GardenFons Rademakers1990Europa EuropaAgnieszka HollandGolden Globe1992Warsaw – Year 5703Janusz Kijowski1996From Hell to HellDmitri Astrakhan2003Babiy YarJeff Kanew2006The Last TrainJoseph Vilsmaier and Dana Vávrová2011
Publications Mich gibt's nur einmal (autobiography). Munich, Berlin: Herbig (1976)
Awards 1965: Goldene Leinwand for Old Shatterhand 1965: Goldene Leinwand for Der Schut 1967: Goldene Leinwand for Die Nibelungen 1970: Golden Bear for The Garden of the Finzi-Continis 1972: Academy Award for The Garden of the Finzi-Continis 1983: Deutscher Filmpreis: Filmband in Silber for Die Weiße Rose 1990: Deutscher Filmpreis: Filmband in Gold for "long and outstanding work in German cinema" 1992: Golden Globe for Europa Europa 1993: Bundesverdienstkreuz I. Klasse 2000: Goldene Kamera
References
External links
CCC Film. Retrieved 1 March 2012
Brauner at germanfilms.de Biography and portrait Ulrich Gutmair, Interview with Brauner die Tageszeitung (10 July 2008). Retrieved 1 March 2012 Artur Brauner Archive at Deutsches Filminstitut, Frankfurt/Main Artur Brauner Archive at European Film Gateway