Die Nibelungen
Two-part silent fantasy film series by Fritz Lang.
Die Nibelungen is a two-part German silent fantasy film series created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924. The series consists of Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge, with scenarios co-written by Lang's then-wife Thea von Harbou, based on the epic poem Nibelungenlied written around AD 1200. The films are significant for their epic scale and influence on fantasy cinema.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Fritz Lang
- Producer
- Erich Pommer
- Screenplay
- Fritz Lang / Thea von Harbou
- Based On
- Nibelungenlied
- Music
- Gottfried Huppertz
- Cinematography
- Carl Hoffmann / Günther Rittau / Walter Ruttmann
- Studio
- Decla-Bioscop
- Distributor
- UFA
- Released
- 14 February 1924 · part 1 · 1924 · 4 · 26 · part 2
- Runtime
- 143 minutes (part 1) / 145 minutes (part 2)
- Country
- Weimar Republic
- Language
- Silent film / German intertitles
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried follows the title character Siegfried, son of King Siegmund of Xanten, who masters sword-forging, slays a dragon, and bathes in its blood to become invincible except for one spot on his shoulder blade. He defeats Alberich, King of the Dwarves, acquires a net of invisibility and the sword Balmung, and arrives in Burgundy to win Kriemhild. Siegfried helps King Gunther defeat Queen Brunhild of Iceland through deception, leading to a quarrel between Kriemhild and Brunhild, Siegfried's murder by Hagen, and Brunhild's suicide.
Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge depicts Kriemhild's marriage to King Etzel of the Huns to gain revenge against Hagen. She bribes Hun warriors to attack the Burgundians, leading to a series of battles. Hagen kills Etzel's son, and after many deaths, only Gunther and Hagen survive. Kriemhild has Gunther beheaded, kills Hagen with Siegfried's sword, and is then stabbed by Hildebrandt. Etzel declares that Kriemhild should be returned to her dead husband Siegfried.
Reader's Guide
Die Nibelungen is a landmark of German silent cinema, noted for its ambitious two-part structure and its adaptation of the medieval Nibelungenlied. The series premiered in the UK at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with 40 performances from 29 April to 20 June 1924. Siegfried was released in the United States on 23 August 1925 at the Century Theatre in New York City using the short-lived Phonofilm sound-on-film process, while Kriemhild's Revenge followed in 1928. The films are remembered for their visual grandeur, use of special effects, and influence on later fantasy films, though they also reflect the cultural and political currents of Weimar Germany. The cast includes Paul Richter as Siegfried, Margarete Schön as Kriemhild, and Hans Adalbert Schlettow as Hagen.
Did You Know?
- Die Nibelungen is a two-part series consisting of Siegfried and Kriemhild's Revenge.
- Siegfried premiered in the UK at the Royal Albert Hall, playing 40 performances from 29 April to 20 June 1924; Kriemhild's Revenge did not premiere in the UK during that same run.
- Siegfried was released in the US on 23 August 1925 at the Century Theatre using the Phonofilm sound-on-film process for a synchronized musical score and sound effects only, not for dialogue.
- The scenarios were co-written by Fritz Lang's then-wife Thea von Harbou, based on the epic poem Nibelungenlied from around AD 1200.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Die Nibelungen?
Die Nibelungen is a 1924 German silent fantasy film series split into two installments: Siegfried and Kriemhild's Revenge. It was directed by Austrian filmmaker Fritz Lang.
Who wrote the screenplay for Die Nibelungen?
The scenarios were crafted by Fritz Lang together with his then-wife, screenwriter Thea von Harbou. Their story is adapted from the Nibelungenlied, a Middle High German epic poem composed around the 12th century.
What source material does Die Nibelungen draw from?
The films are adapted from the Nibelungenlied, a medieval German epic poem written around AD 1200. Lang and von Harbou restructured the poem's narrative into a two-part cinematic arc.
Why is Die Nibelungen significant to sword and sorcery cinema?
Its enormous production scope and mythic visual language helped establish what large-scale fantasy filmmaking could look like in the silent era. Many later sword-and-sorcery and epic fantasy projects cite it as a foundational influence.
What are the two parts of Die Nibelungen called?
The series is divided into Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge. Both parts premiered in 1924 as a connected double feature.
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