Bhagwan - Die Deutschen und der Guru (2020)
- A feature documentary interviewing present day sannyasins and an ex-sannyasin about the phenomenon of sannyas in Germany. Main interviewee is Sw Ramateertha, then, and now, leader of the Osho Uta meditation centre in Cologne.
- Has some unique historical footage.
- The later TV broadcast WDR - Bhagwan in Köln: Eine Stadt wird rot (2022) has apparently been cut from this film.
- Filmfestival Cologne :
- This documentary by Jobst Knigge tells the fascinating story of the the rise and fall of the Indian guru Bhagwan for the first time from the point of view of his German followers. What did they see in the man they worshipped and called Osho? The Sannyasin tell their very personal stories about ecstatic meditation, free love, power and violence, but also about happiness and disappointment, and about the building of a true empire of discos and restaurants all over Germany.
- Presse.WDR.de :
- In den 80erJahren färbte sich das Belgische Viertel in der Kölner Innenstadt plötzlich bunt. Wie aus dem Nichts tauchten junge, in verschiedene rot-, orange- und lila Töne gekleidete Menschen auf und mieteten Wohnungen und Geschäftsräume. Alle trugen sie ein Amulett mit dem Bildnis eines indischen Mannes an einer hölzernen Perlenkette um den Hals. Sie hatten merkwürdige Namen wie Ramatherta, Surabhi oder Nandano. Und sie nannten sich “Sannyasin”.
- Diese Sannyasin waren Anhänger des indischen Gurus Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, der aus einem Ashram in Poona eine Lehre der Selbstfindung durch Meditation, Sex und Hingabe verbreitete. Das traf den Nerv der sinnsuchenden Jugend in der alten Bundesrepublik. Und bald gab es Kommunen des Gurus im ganzen Land.
- Um diese Gemeinschaften herum entstand in Köln, Berlin, Hannover und München ein regelgerechtes Imperium aus Diskotheken, vegetarischen Restaurants, Therapie-, Meditations- und Yogazentren. Die Sannyasin kauften zahlreiche Häuser in den Innenstädten und ein Schloss in Bayern. Sie gründeten Geschäfte, Agenturen, Umzugsunternehmen. Die Geschichte der deutschen Anhänger Bhagwans wurde innerhalb kürzester Zeit zu einem wirtschaftlichen Triumph – endete aber kurz darauf für viele dennoch in großer Enttäuschung. Was war passiert?
- Erstmals erzählen die deutschen Jünger Bhagwans selbst ihre Geschichte - und damit auch die Geschichte der größten neureligiösen Bewegung der deutschen Nachkriegszeit. Mit großer Offenheit berichten sie packend von ihrer Faszination für die Lehren des Gurus. Warum sie alles stehen und liegen ließen, um Osho, wie sie ihren Meister nannten, erst nach Indien und dann in die USA zu folgen.. Warum es sie nicht störte, das sie alles teilen und mit dem Nötigsten auskommen mussten, während Bhagwan sich mit teuren Uhren, aufwendigen Glitzer-Roben und einer Rolls-Royce-Flotte von 93 Fahrzeugen schmückte. Und was mit ihnen geschah, als das Imperium des „heiligen Mannes“ durch Machtmissbrauch, Gier und Gewalt krachend implodierte.
- Aired: German broadcaster ARD, Feb 15, 2021, 23:20 and Feb 16, 2:35
- Also aired as a there part documentary titled Ekstase statt Askese - Bhagwan in Köln
- Folge 1: Ekstase: „Lebe deinen Traum!“ - WDR 5 Tiefenblick, 1/3, 22.05.2021, 13.30-14.00 and 23.05.2021, 18.30-19.00
- Folge 2: Schock: Vertreibung aus dem Paradies - WDR 5 Tiefenblick, 2/3, 29.05.2021, 13.30-14.00 and 30.05.2021, 18.30-19.00
- Folge 3: Alltag: Willkommen im Mainstream - WDR 5 Tiefenblick, 3/3, 05.06.2021, 13.30-14.00 and 06.06.2021, 18.30-19.00
- language
- German
- released
- Filmfestival Cologne, October 2, 2020, 19:00h - Filmpalast 1 - team present
- length
- 1 h 29 min
credits
- credits mentioned at Filmfestival Cologne
- Director: Jobst Knigge ]
- Producers: Fabian Motz, Loraine Blumenthal
- Executive Producers: Stefan Mathieu, Katrin Sandmann
- Cinematography: Jean Schablin
- Editing: Stefanie Reichel
- Music: Hush Hush
- Sound: Julius Hofstädter
- Domestic Sales: WDR
- credits in the film at mediathekview.de
- Kamera: Jean Schablin
- Ton: Alexander Pohl
- Schnitt: Stefanie Reichel
- Musik: Hush Hush
- Tonmischung: Julius Hofstädter
- Farbbearbeitung: Johannes Hilser
- Wisschenschaftliche Beratung: Prof. Dr. Martin Papenheim
- Archivrecherche: Michael H. Gerloff
- Archiv: Osho International Foundation
- Produktion: Fabian Motz; Loraine Blumenthal
- Produzenten: Stefan Mathieu; Katrin Sandmann
- Produktionsleitung WDR: Wolfram Gumbert-Brewitt
- Redaktion: Chritiane Hinz (WDR); Jutta Krug (WDR); Jens Stubenrauch (rbb)
- Eine Produktion von Kobalt
- Im auftrag des WDR1 und RBB
- © WDR1 2021
see also
- WDR: Ekstase statt Askese - Bhagwan in Köln
- At Filmfestival Cologne
- At ARDmediathek.de. Availability in the ARD-Mediathek: until March 11. 2023, 21:00
- At Presse.WDR.de
- The Neo-Sannya Movement in Western Germany in the 1970s and 1980s Ruhr Universität Bochum - Center for Religious Studies (CERES)
- OshoFilmArchive catalog no : OFA00,137
- Ramateertha über die Doku "Bhagwan - Die Deutschen und der Guru" UTA Cologne: Osho heute on YouTube
still gallery
still 0h 00m 00s.
Bhagwan entering a room with folded hands (Namaste)
still 0h 00m 04s.
Bhagwan greeting people with Namaste
still 0h 02m 14s.
Sannyasin Ramateertha (Robert Doetsch) about Bhagwan and the 1968’s movement
still 0h 02m 20s.
Shows Cathedral in Cologne’s downtown
still 0h 03m 02s.
Sannyasin Veeto (Charlotte Eitel) about her upbringing in a catholic family
still 0h 03m 58s.
Ex-Sannyasin Afis (Moritz Börner) about success and sense of life
still 0h 04m 31s.
Bhagwan meeting indian woman
still 0h 04m 39s.
Bhagwan greeting with Namaste
still 0h 04m 48s.
Bhagwan greeting indian man
still 0h 04m 56s.
Bhagwan greeting a group of indians
still 0h 05m 06s.
Bhagwan meeting a western Sannyasin
still 0h 05m 13s.
Shows village Margarethenried where the first german Ashram was located
still 0h 05m 55s.
Sannyasin Shreyas (Karl Giggenbach) about about his feeling of beginning a new phase
still 0h 06m 19s.
Sannyasin Shreyas 1980 explains his former political involvement
still 0h 07m 37s.
Shows a group of 3 sannyasins
still 0h 07m 49s.
Ex-Sannyasin Sathyam (Mario Schwenninger) about his wish for body work beside sports
still 0h 10m 59s.
Sannyasin Premvan (Klaus Franke) about his feelings in the last phase of Dynamic Meditation
still 0h 11m 24s.
Sannyasin Veeto about what came up doing Dynamic Meditation
still 0h 12m 20s.
Shows street scene downtown Poona, India
still 0h 12m 50s.
Sannyasin Surabhi (Milena Messerschmidt-Mount) tells how she came to India
still 0h 13m 27s.
Ex-Sannyasin Eckart Flöther about the loving atmosphere when entering the ashram in Poona
still 0h 14m 14s.
Ramateertha about his feelings when Bhagwan enters Buddha hall (meeting place in Poona Ashram)
still 0h 16m 35s.
Sannyasin Nandano (Bernhard Dambacher) about feeling love being in the presence of Bhagwan
still 0h 18m 14s.
Veeto tells about the becoming a Sannyasin
still 0h 18m 52s.
Sannyasin Premvan about the moment he got his Sannyas name
still 0h 19m 06s.
Sannyasin Prem Nandano explains his Sannyas name
still 0h 19m 24s.
Sannyasin Shreyas tells about his Sannyas name
still 0h 20m 29s.
Shows scene in the Ashram with people hugging
still 0h 21m 23s.
Bhagwan giving discourse about life and how to live
still 0h 23m 13s.
Moritz Boerner about getting his Sannyas name
still 0h 24m 35s.
Mario Schwenninger about encounter therapy in the Poona Ashram
still 0h 30m 24s.
Sannyasin Ramateertha in a german TV-interview about „working“ in Uta commune in Cologne, Germany
still 0h 31m 02s.
Shows lunch time scene in Uta commune
still 0h 31m 19s.
Shows Surabhi on a motor bike in India
still 0h 31m 44s.
Shows Sannyasins eating together in Uta commune
still 0h 32m 03s.
Sannyasin Anando Würzburger about living in a commune with own children
still 0h 32m 32s.
Daughter of Anando, Nina Lösl (Anand Ruho) about growing up as a child of Sannyasins
still 0h 33m 22s.
Shows Bhagwan initiating Ruho as a sannyasin
still 0h 33m 47s.
Sannyasin Ramateertha in a german TV-interview about „red“ as the colour of all clothes
still 0h 34m 00s.
Shows Sannyasins wearing red clothes in Cologne street scene
still 0h 34m 05s.
Sannyasin Nirdosh (Heribert Hufnagel) about creating Sannyas events
still 0h 34m 18s.
Shows scene of 1981 Sannyas event in Berlin
still 0h 35m 55s.
Shows Sannyasin Teertha initiating a Sannyasin in the 1981 Berlin Sannyas event
still 0h 36m 30s.
Nirdosh explains his Sannyas name (picture shows him sitting in grass)
still 0h 38m 57s.
Shows Sannyas disco „Zorba the Buddha“ in cologne
still 0h 39m 21s.
Ex-Sannyasin Ralf Schmerberg about atmosphere in the Sannyas disco in Cologne
still 0h 41m 21s.
Ralf Schmerberg explains the attraction of Sannyasins to Non-Sannyasins in Sannyas discos
still 0h 42m 48s.
Shows the outside of a Sannyas disco in Germany
still 0h 43m 24s.
Eckart Flöther 1984 in a german TV-interview about the Sannyas discos
still 0h 43m 45s.
Eckart Flöther about his mission of informing the public about the Sannyas discos
still 0h 46m 22s.
Shows part of the commune Rajneeshpuram, Oregon, USA in 1982
still 0h 51m 14s.
Shows Bhagwan driving out himself in Rajneeshpuram 1982 with Sannyasins greeting
still 0h 51m 18s.
Shows Bhagwan in a Rolls-Royce driving by greeting Sannyasins
still 0h 51m 42s.
Shows part of the so called „drive by“ of Bhagwan
still 0h 52m 59s.
Shows mall of Rajneeshpuram with Sannyasins
still 0h 53m 01s.
Shows post office of Rahneeshpuram
still 0h 54m 16s.
Bhagwan’s Ex-secretary in the 1980s, Ma Anand Sheela (Sheela Silverman), presenting herself
still 0h 56m 56s.
Sannyasin Paramhans Tostado-Moreno about moving from a spanish commune to Uta commune
still 0h 58m 36s.
Shows laundry of Uta commune
still 0h 59m 59s.
Shows Medina, a sannyas school in England 1985
still 1h 00m 35s.
Shows kids playing in Medina
still 1h 00m 45s.
Shows kids group in Medina
still 1h 13m 12s.
Shows Sheela making a public announcement in Rajeeshpuram
still 1h 18m 35s.
Shows news reporter H.J. Friedrichs in german newscast telling about Bhagwan’s arrest in USA
still 1h 18m 40s.
Shows reporter in german newscast commenting the arrest of Bhagwan
still 1h 18m 52s.
Shows german newspaper „Bild“ with info about Bhagwan’s arrest
still 1h 19m 55s.
Ramateertha about the lesson out of the crash of Rajneeshpuram
still 1h 20m 04s.
Shows the police photos of Sheela and Bhagwan after their arrest
still 1h 21m 06s.
Ramateertha in a german TV-interview about the situation in Uta after the crash of Rajneeshpuram
still 1h 27m 28s.
Presenting Nadano Dambacher
still 1h 27m 42s.
Presenting Moritz Boerner
still 1h 27m 44s.
Presenting Nirdosh Hufnagl
still 1h 27m 56s.
Presenting Eckart Flöther
still 1h 28m 03s.
Presenting Ralf Schmerberg
still 1h 28m 15s.
Presenting Sathyam Schwenninger
still 1h 28m 26s.
Presenting Premvan Franke
still 1h 28m 34s.
Presenting Shreyas Giggenbach
still 1h 28m 41s.
Presenting Ramatheertha, Veeto, Surabhi, Paramhans, Anando and Ruho
- © All fotos, stills etc.: Westdeutscher Rundfunk WDR 2021