Immensee 1943

Drama

Romance

Runtime

94 mins

Language

German

Made by

UFA

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Immensee Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Immensee (1943). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

In this adaptation loosely based on Theodor Storm’s novella, Elisabeth, Kristina Söderbaum falls in love with Reinhardt, Carl Raddatz. He leaves their village to study music, travel the world, and pursue a career as a composer. His most important compositions are inspired by his love for her, Twelve Songs of Elisabeth and Seerosen (water lilies, the couple’s special flower). But after she visits him on the day of his final examination at the conservatoire and finds a stranger asleep in his bed, Elisabeth marries Erich, the wealthy heir to the estate of Immensee, Paul Klinger. Reinhardt returns to win her back, and Erich releases her, telling her that all that he wants is for her to be happy. This leads Elisabeth to realize what love truly means, and she tells Erich for the first time that she loves him, choosing to remain with him.

In the frame story, many years have passed: Erich is dead and Elisabeth and Reinhardt, who is now a renowned composer, meet for tea at his hotel after a performance of his Seerosen. At the end of the film, she tells him she will stay faithful to Erich and to Immensee, and he leaves for the last time.

The film is loosely based on Theodor Storm’s novella of the same title. The scene where Elisabeth finds a woman in Reinhardt’s bed had been omitted from the novella on the advice of friends of the author, and two thirds of the novella takes place in Elisabeth and Reinhardt’s childhood; instead of using child actors, Harlan chose to cut these scenes and artificially age the two lovers for different stages of their lives (from about 18 to 45 for Elisabeth). Both Söderbaum and Raddatz were 31 at the time of filming. Despite being subtitled Ein deutsches Volkslied (a German folksong), the film also omits a conversation about folksongs which is important in the novella, in which Erich is dismissive but Reinhardt expounds a German Romanticist view entirely in accord with National Socialism, that “[Folksongs are] not made at all; they grow, they fall out of the sky” and refers to a melody sung by a shepherd as Urtöne (ancient tones) which “sleep on forest floors; God knows who found them.”

Immensee Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Immensee (1943) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Elisabeth falls in love with Reinhardt

Elisabeth, living in a small native village, falls in love with Reinhardt. Their affection blooms as he dreams of a musical career away from home. But the separation is inevitable as he leaves to study music and travel the world.

early life native village

Reinhardt departs to study music and pursue fame

Reinhardt leaves the village to study music, travel the world, and build a career as a composer. His art begins to be shaped by Elisabeth. The distance tests their bond.

early career various locations

Songs inspired by Elisabeth

During his years away, Reinhardt composes works that draw from his love for Elisabeth, notably the Twelve Songs of Elisabeth and Seerosen. These pieces become emblematic of their relationship. His growing fame contrasts with Elisabeth's life apart.

during his career various locations / concert venues

Elisabeth discovers a rival in the bed

On the day of his final conservatoire examination, Elisabeth visits Reinhardt and finds a strange woman asleep in his bed. The shock upends her hopes and frames the turning point in their relationship. The moment marks the collapse of their fantasy of togetherness.

day of exam conservatoire

Elisabeth marries Erich of Immensee

Elisabeth marries Erich, the wealthy heir to the Immensee estate. She seeks security and status over romance. The marriage is pragmatic rather than passionate.

shortly after Immensee estate

Reinhardt returns to win her back

Reinhardt returns from his travels, hoping to reclaim Elisabeth. He pleads that their love should be their destiny, not a memory. The reunion sets the stage for a painful choice.

after Elisabeth's marriage Immensee

Erich lets Elisabeth go for her happiness

Erich releases Elisabeth, telling her that all he wants is for her to be happy. He accepts a different life for her rather than clinging to the past. The gesture marks his selfless but heartbreakingly realistic approach.

after Reinhardt's return Immensee

Elisabeth realises true love and stays with Erich

Elisabeth comes to understand what love means and tells Erich that she loves him. She chooses to remain with him, honoring the life they built together. The couple remains bound to Immensee despite the memories with Reinhardt.

some time later Immensee

Years pass; Erich dies; Reinhardt becomes renowned

Many years pass and Erich dies, leaving Elisabeth widowed. Reinhardt, now a renowned composer, has continued to make his music and remains a memory of what could have been. Their paths exist in parallel, tethered by the Seerosen theme.

years later Immensee / various

Tea at the hotel after a Seerosen performance

In the frame of the film, Elisabeth and Reinhardt meet for tea at his hotel after a performance of his Seerosen. The encounter is quiet but heavy with unspoken emotions. The moment underscores the lasting distances between them.

years later Reinhardt's hotel

Final vow: fidelity to Erich and Immensee

Elisabeth tells Reinhardt that she will remain true to Erich and to Immensee, even as the memory of their love lingers. Reinhardt leaves for the last time, accepting the unbridgeable gap between them. The story closes on a note of resolved fidelity.

end of film hotel

Immensee Characters

Explore all characters from Immensee (1943). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Elisabeth Uhl (Kristina Söderbaum)

A woman torn between love and duty, Elisabeth chooses to marry Erich for the estate and social expectations. She remains with Erich even after acknowledging her love for Reinhardt, illustrating the pull of home and obligation. Her choices drive the central tension between personal happiness and familial responsibility.

❤️ Love vs Duty 🏡 Home and Memory 🎭 Social expectations

Reinhardt (Reinhart) (Malte Jaeger)

A gifted composer whose love for Elisabeth inspires his art. He leaves the village to study and build a career, returns to win Elisabeth back, and ultimately becomes a renowned composer shaped by his longing. His passion and dedication show how art and love intertwine over time.

🎼 Artist ❤️ Romance 🧭 Fate

Erich Jürgens (Paul Klinger)

Wealthy heir to the Immensee estate who marries Elisabeth for social stability. He releases her when he realizes her true happiness lies with Reinhardt, choosing to honor her freedom. His character embodies duty, stability, and the pursuit of happiness for others.

💼 Wealth and Duty 🤝 Partnership 🛡️ Shelter

Immensee Settings

Learn where and when Immensee (1943) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Late 19th century

Set in a late 19th-century German countryside, the film frames a romance within the constraints of traditional society. The era values duty, family lineage, and steady careers over personal happiness. Time also drives a long memory, as decades pass between youth and adulthood, shaping the lovers' choices.

Location

Immensee Village, Immensee Estate

Immensee is a rural German village set by a tranquil lake, serving as the film's memory-filled home for Elisabeth and Reinhardt. The estate and surrounding countryside symbolize tradition, social expectations, and the safe harbor of home. The place anchors the lovers' choices and the sense of belonging that influences their fates.

🏡 Village 🌊 Lakeside 🏰 Estate

Immensee Themes

Discover the main themes in Immensee (1943). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

❤️

Love vs Duty

Elisabeth's love for Reinhardt clashes with her duty to marry Erich for the estate and social standing. Reinhardt's absence and return test the strength of their bond. The film uses love as both motivation and tragedy, showing how obligations can redefine devotion. In the end, true love is tempered by the realities of home and commitment.

⏳

Time and Memory

Years pass between youth and adulthood; the frame story reasserts memory and distance. The characters carry memories of Seerosen and Immensee as anchor points. Time reshapes desires into a steadfast sense of belonging and responsibility. Memory becomes both solace and burden.

🎼

Art and Identity

Reinhardt's music serves as expression of his inner life and the romance that fuels his art. Twelve Songs of Elisabeth and Seerosen symbolize how personal relationships shape artistic identity. The film posits art as a reflection of love, memory, and longing. His success is inseparable from Elisabeth's memory.

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Immensee Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Immensee (1943). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a tranquil German lakeside village, life moves to the gentle rhythm of folk songs and the soft rustle of water‑lilies that bloom along the shore. The landscape is painted with mist‑cloaked forests, quiet streets, and an ancestral estate called Immensee, whose name itself sings like a melody passed down through generations. The film’s atmosphere is wistful and lyrical, a blend of romantic longing and the quiet dignity of rural tradition, whispered through the notes of piano and the sigh of the wind over the water.

Elisabeth is a young woman whose spirit is as rooted in the village as the ancient trees that line its paths. She encounters Reinhardt, an aspiring composer whose talent and ambition carry him beyond the village’s borders to study music and travel the world. Their connection deepens into a love that becomes the very inspiration for his most cherished works, pieces that echo the purity of their shared memories and the fragile beauty of the water‑lily. When Erich, a wealthy heir to the Immensee estate, enters the picture, his presence adds a new dimension to Elisabeth’s world—a promise of security and societal standing that contrasts sharply with the artistic freedom she cherishes.

The narrative unfolds like a folk ballad, each stanza revealing the tensions between duty and desire, between the pull of home and the call of distant horizons. As Reinhardt pours his yearning into compositions titled “Twelve Songs of Elisabeth” and “Seerosen,” his music becomes a living diary of what he cannot openly keep. Meanwhile, Elisabeth stands at a crossroads, her heart pulled between the man who awakened her artistic soul and the man who offers a different kind of future. The film lingers on the unspoken words, the lingering glances, and the quiet moments where a simple melody can carry the weight of a lifetime’s love, leaving the audience to wonder which path will ultimately shape the rhythm of their lives.

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