1947: “The Hofrat Geiger“

The title song of the movie Der Hofrat Geiger (1947) captivated the Austrian nation and became almost as immortal as Anton Kara's zither playing in Carol Reed's masterpiece The Third Man.

Der Hofrat Geiger was one of the most popular Austrian film productions after the Second World War. It tells the story of a senior Austrian civil servant, the titular Hofrat Geiger (Paul Hörbiger), who lives in seclusion in post-war Vienna together with his loyal subordinate Lechner (Hans Moser). By chance, Geiger learns that he has a 17-year-old daughter in the Wachau (a renowned holiday region on the Danube river). The child is the result of a holiday romance with Marianne Mühlhuber (Maria Andergast), whom he met on a summer holiday in the village of Spitz many years ago. Thrilled about his newly discovered fatherhood, Geiger travels straight to Spitz to reunite with his former lover and their daughter Mariandl. Marianne, however, who had to raise their daughter alone in poverty, is far less enthusiastic about the unexpected reunion. After many detours and challenges, particularly for Marianne, the couple reconciles, leading to a happy ending in the Wachau.

In addition to the popular acting duo Hans Moser and Paul Hörbiger, it was the film's setting that contributed to its unexpected success. Der Hofrat Geiger whisked the audiences away to the lovely Wachau countryside, presented it with an image of Austria seemingly untouched by war, destruction and Nazi dictatorship. For the price of a movie ticket, it offered the audience an escape from the dreariness of everyday life. Unlike the hugely popular Heimat films which also featured beautiful landscapes but were much more conservative in their outlook, Der Hofrat Geiger conveyed optimism about the future and encouraged the audiences to embrace change. 

On the surface, the film presents itself as a harmless romantic comedy––the  film production company promoted it as a “clean, average film”. Yet a significant part of the appeal lay in its humorous jabs at contentious issues, such as reparations, Austria's involvement in Nazi crimes, the issue of displaced persons and the gender crisis, which is probably part of its appeal. A fascinating contemporary document, Der Hofrat Geiger already indicates the direction in which Austrian society will develop: the strengthening of the male position of power, the curtailing of women's independence, the enshrining of Austria's “innocence”––embedded in sunny vineyards and accompanied by the gentle lapping of the Danube river.