Robert Bernardis – A Forgotten Hero

in German:
Robert Bernardis – Ein vergessener Held

 

Robert Bernardis, born in Innsbruck in 1908, was – as Lieutenant Colonel of the General Staff in Berlin –the only Austrian officer to play a decisive role in assassination attempt against Hitler on 20 July 1944, also known as “Operation Valkyrie”. Bernardis was to lay the groundwork for the operation in Vienna. This preparatory work, carried out in collaboration with Carl Szokoll, was so successful that it – despite the failure of the assassination attempt and in contrast to other military districts –actually worked as planned. The reasons for the failure will be examined in the film, as will the key question of what its success would have meant for the political future of Austria. Following the attempted coup, Robert Bernardis was executed on 8 August 1944 in Plötzensee, Berlin.

in German:
Der 1908 in Innsbruck geborene Robert Bernardis war als Oberstleutnant des Generalstabes in Berlin der einzige österreichische Offizier, der beim Hitlerattentat am 20. Juli 1944, auch „Aktion Walküre“ genannt, eine entscheidende Rolle spielte. Bernardis soll die „Operation Walküre“ in Wien vorbereiten. Diese Vorbereitungen sollten in Zusammenarbeit mit Carl Szokoll so gut gelingen, dass sie – im Gegensatz zu anderen Wehrkreisen – trotz des gescheiterten Attentats, wie geplant funktionierten. Warum das Attentat scheiterte, soll im Film ebenso behandelt werden wie die wichtige Frage, was dessen Gelingen für die politisch Zukunft Österreichs bedeutet hätte. Nach dem gescheiterten Umsturzversuch wird Robert Bernardis am 8. August 1944 in Berlin Plötzensee hingerichtet.

Epo Film Production Ltd.

in German:
Epo Film Produktions GesmbH

Austria | show on map

15 May 2017

documentary film

Commemoration / remembrance

National Fund budget

The project contents and descriptions are based primarily on the submissions of the project applicants. These submissions are edited for publication and translated into English. Although it is subjected to rigorous checks, the National Fund does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided.