Der Engel mit der Posaune

DER ENGEL MIT DER POSAUNE (The Angel with the Trumpet) is the first major prestige project of Austrian cinema after 1945. Based on a novel written in American exile, it tells the story of the bourgeois piano-making family Alt, who live in a house in the heart of Vienna. Spanning the years 1888 to 1945, their fate is intricately tied to the historical upheavals of the era.

Both in front of and behind the camera, the production features numerous former members of the so-called “Divinely Gifted” list (Gottbegnadeten-Liste), highlighting Austria’s problematic self-image and its unbroken relationship with its past. However, the film manages a form of rehabilitation, particularly through the performance of its lead actress.

As one of the few films of its time, DER ENGEL MIT DER POSAUNE stands as quintessential Austrian cultural heritage—recognized as such even today. (Florian Widegger)