The Blue Swords

The Blue Swords

99 mins | Drama, History | Dec. 30, 1949

The story of Johann Friedrich Böttger, an apothecary’s apprentice and alchemist’s assistant. Fleeing from the Prussian King, he goes to Saxony, where King Frederick August the Strong takes him to a fortress and demands that he create gold. Böttger is equipped with everything he would need for the task, but he has known for a while that actual gold production is a myth and instead experiments with porcelain—white porcelain, as the Chinese are said to possess. In 1709, he finally succeeds in surprising the King with the "white gold," the first white porcelain made in Europe, he hopes for freedom.

The Blue Swords

99 mins | Drama, History | Dec. 30, 1949

The Blue Swords
The story of Johann Friedrich Böttger, an apothecary’s apprentice and alchemist’s assistant. Fleeing from the Prussian King, he goes to Saxony, where King Frederick August the Strong takes him to a fortress and demands that he create gold. Böttger is equipped with everything he would need for the task, but he has known for a while that actual gold production is a myth and instead experiments with porcelain—white porcelain, as the Chinese are said to possess. In 1709, he finally succeeds in surprising the King with the "white gold," the first white porcelain made in Europe, he hopes for freedom.
Producers DEFA
Original title Die blauen Schwerter
Directors Wolfgang Schleif
Writers Alfred Böttcher

Cast

Hans Quest

as Johann Böttger

Ilse Steppat

as Frau von Tschirnhausen

Herbert Hübner

as Nehmitz

Albert Bessler

as Finanzminister

Alexander Engel

as Herr von Tschirnhausen

Willy A. Kleinau

as August der Starke

Marianne Prenzel

as Katharina

Paul Wagner

as König Friedrich I.

Werner Pledath

as Kreisamtmann von Wittenberg

Klaus Miedel

as Laskari

Rolf Weih

as Leutnant Menzel

Siegfried Dornbusch

as Köhler

Hans Emons

as Wildenstein

Hans Fiebrandt

as Gehilfe von Dünnbrot

Margarete Schön

as Frau Zorn

Erik von Loewis

as Leutnant von Kittwitz