Series synopsis
Colonia Dignidad is a German documentary television series that premiered on ARTE on March 10, 2020. It ended on March 10, 2020. It stars Jonas Baeck, Edeltraud Bohnau, Willi Malessa and Wolfgang Kneese.
The self-proclaimed preacher Paul Schäfer gathered people around him in post-war Germany. The sect founded a youth home near Cologne. But in 1961 Schäfer had to flee. Many followers followed him to Chile. 350 kilometers south of Santiago, far away from civilization, they begin building the Colonia Dignidad. A supposed model village with workshops, agriculture, livestock breeding was being created. But paradise became hell because slave labor, violence and sexual abuse soon became a part of every ...
Premise
The self-proclaimed preacher Paul Schäfer gathered people around him in post-war Germany. The sect founded a youth home near Cologne. But in 1961 Schäfer had to flee. Many followers followed him to Chile. 350 kilometers south of Santiago, far away from civilization, they begin building the Colonia Dignidad. A supposed model village with workshops, agriculture, livestock breeding was being created. But paradise became hell because slave labor, violence and sexual abuse soon became a part of everyday life. After the military coup in 1973, Schäfer served the new rulers: secret police chief Manuel Contreras and dictator Augusto Pinochet now came and went in the colony, while the opponents of the terrorist regime are tortured and killed in the cellars. Using unpublished archive material and contemporary witness statements, this 4-part documentary miniseries traces the complex, 50-year history of perpetrators, victims, supporters and opponents of this place that became the epitome of evil.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Jonas Baeck as Himself - Narrator
- Edeltraud Bohnau as Herself - Interviewee
- Willi Malessa as Himself - Interviewee
- Wolfgang Kneese as Himself - Interviewee
- Erika Tymm as Herself - Interviewee
- Günter Schaffrik as Himself - Interviewee
- Karl Van Den Berg as Himself - Interviewee
- Robert Matthusen as Himself - Interviewee
Supporting cast
- Esther Müller as Herself - Interviewee
- Martin Matthusen as Himself - Interviewee
- Anne Schnellenkamp as Herself - Interviewee
- Brigitte Baak as Herself - Interviewee
- Kurt Schnellenkamp as Himself - Interviewee
- Jürgen Szurgelies as Himself - Interviewee
- Georg Laube as Himself - Interviewee
- Luis Peebles as Himself - Interviewee
- Salo Luna as Himself - Interviewee
- Roberto Thieme as Himself - Interviewee
- Alfred Gerlach as Himself - Interviewee
- Luis Henríquez as Himself - Interviewee
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 4 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 4 | March 10, 2020 | October 1, 2021 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
In Paradise Self-proclaimed preacher, Paul Schäfer from Bonn, emigrates with his community to Chile in 1961. About 350 kilometres south of Santiago, far away from all civilization, they found Colonia Dignidad, the "colony of dignity". In the middle of untouched wilderness, they build an ideal German village with workshops, agriculture, cattle breeding and a hospital for the suffering Chilean population. A model of solidarity and sincerity, it seems. Paul Schäfer, however, is pursuing his own agenda. |
March 10, 2020 |
| 2 |
Long Shadows 300 Germans in Chile, right at the end of the world, have dedicated their lives to the service of God and the poor. Their religious leader, Paul Schäfer, has what he always dreamed of: his own kingdom, sealed off from the outside world. |
March 10, 2020 |
| 3 |
Looking into the Abyss There is great relief among German sect members about the military coup in September 1973. Paul Schäfer is serving the new rulers: From now on, secret police chief Manuel Contreras and dictator Augusto Pinochet come and go from the colony. |
March 10, 2020 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ARTE |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 10, 2020 |
| Last aired | March 10, 2020 |
| Runtime | 52 minutes |
| Status | ended |