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Cast
Emil Jannings
as Dr. Robert Koch
Werner Krauss
as Geheimrat Rudolf Virchow
Viktoria von Ballasko
as Schwester Else
Hilde Körber
as Frau Göhrke
Theodor Loos
as Dr. Georg Gaffky
Bernhard Minetti
as Sprecher der Gesundbeter
Paul Bildt
as Baron von Kossin, Reichstagsabgeordneter
Elisabeth Flickenschildt
as seine Frau
Paul Dahlke
as Lehrer
Eduard von Winterstein
as Prof. Ernst von Bergmann
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1939
Runtime1h 53m
LanguageGerman
CertificationNR
GenresDrama, History
Votes5
DirectorHans Steinhoff
WritersLotte Neumann, Walter Wassermann
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.6 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsRobert Koch, der Bekämpfer des Todes
About Robert Koch, der Bekämpfer des Todes
Country Dr. Robert Koch is desperate: a tuberculosis epidemic is decimating the children in his district and no one is able to do anything about it. Every fourth child is already sick and the parents must helplessly watch as their young ones die. Now Koch is undertaking to find the cause of the tuberculosis --- something he has already been working on for years --- which has been causing this plague of illness. His work is made more difficult by envy; for example, that of his teacher, who was wounded defending his honor. But his greatest obstacle is the famous Berliner scientist and Reichstag deputy, Privy Councilor Rudolf Virchow: He is extraordinarily skeptical of Koch's theory, that the cause for tuberculosis is a bacteria.
Directed by Hans Steinhoff, Robert Koch, der Bekämpfer des Todes leans on a strong ensemble — Emil Jannings, Werner Krauss, Viktoria von Ballasko — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1939.
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