Derek Jacobi starred as Diederich Hessling in this BBC2 adaptation of Heinrich Mann’s so-called prophetic novel of Germany in the first decade of the 20th century, Der Untertan.
The story followed Hessling’s career from his student days when he arrived from a provincial town to study in Berlin, narrowly obtaining a doctorate of chemistry before becoming a paper manufacturer, family patriarch, and eventually the most influential man in his small hometown.
Hessling’s inflexible ideals were often contradicted by his actions: he preached bravery but was a coward; he was the strongest proponent of the military but sought to be excused from his obligatory military service; his greatest political opponents were the proletarian Social Democrats, yet he used his influence to help send his hometown’s SPD candidate to the Reichstag parliament, in order to defeat his liberal competitors in business; he started vicious rumours against the latter and then dissociated himself from them; he preached and enforced Christian virtues upon others but lied, cheated, and regularly committed infidelity.
The role required Jacobi to act in two clearly contrasting styles and to switch from one to the other at the drop of the script.
Diederich Hessling
Derek Jacobi Dr Heuteufel
John Phillips Sotbier
Denis Carey Guste Daimchen
Judy Cornwell Emmi Hessling
Elizabeth Bell Frau Hessling
Sheila Brennan Napoleon Fischer
Dave Hill Katchen Zillich
Judy Loe Magda Hessling
Karin MacCarthy Wolfgang Buck
Ian Ogilvy Von Wulchow
John Savident Agnes Goppel
Juliet Aykroyd Dr Judassohn
Sam Dastor Virsing
Mike Fields Herr Goppel
Derek Francis Judge Sarding
Harry Hutchinson Burgermeister Scheffelweis
David King Herr Cohn
Stanley Lebor Fox Major
Stuart McGugan Judith Lauer
Eve Pearce Herr Lauer
Cyril Shaps Wiebel
Sean Roantree Hernung
Brian Stirner Marklmann
John White Pastor Zillich
Manning Wilson
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The story followed Hessling’s career from his student days when he arrived from a provincial town to study in Berlin, narrowly obtaining a doctorate of chemistry before becoming a paper manufacturer, family patriarch, and eventually the most influential man in his small hometown.
