German films · the top 40

The 40 most-looked-up German films and where they are set

German productions in German (one exception: Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel), ranked by German Wikipedia pageviews from August 2021 to July 2026. Places are where the story is set, not where it was filmed.

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Map: The 40 most-looked-up German films and where they are set, ranked by German Wikipedia pageviews, August 2021 – July 2026. A named town is a pin; an area the story is set in, where it names no town, is shaded; a film set wholly abroad has no pin. 1. Im Westen nichts Neues (2022): outside Germany. 2. Das Boot (1981): outside Germany. 3. Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel (1973): a fairy-tale kingdom. 4. Der Untergang (2004): Berlin. 5. Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944): a fictional town. 6. Der Schuh des Manitu (2001): outside Germany. 7. Werk ohne Autor (2018): Dresden; Düsseldorf. 8. Fack ju Göhte (2013): Munich. 9. Kaiserschmarrndrama (2021): fictional village, Bavaria. 10. Manta Manta (1991): Ruhr. 11. Der Goldene Handschuh (2019): Hamburg. 12. Die Welle (2008): a fictional town. 13. Das perfekte Geheimnis (2019): Munich. 14. Dampfnudelblues (2013): fictional village, Bavaria. 15. Das Leben der Anderen (2006): Berlin. 16. Leberkäsjunkie (2019): fictional village, Bavaria. 17. Wunderschön (2022): no town named. 18. Contra (2021): Frankfurt. 19. Der Fall Collini (2019): Berlin; + abroad. 20. Der Vorname (2018): Bonn. 21. Die Wannseekonferenz (2022): Berlin. 22. In die Sonne schauen (2025): Altmark, Saxony-Anhalt. 23. Das Lehrerzimmer (2023): no town named. 24. Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (1981): Berlin. 25. Sonne und Beton (2023): Berlin. 26. Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008): Berlin; Frankfurt; Stuttgart; + abroad. 27. Das Kanu des Manitu (2025): outside Germany. 28. Guglhupfgeschwader (2022): fictional village, Bavaria. 29. Winterkartoffelknödel (2014): fictional village, Bavaria. 30. Er ist wieder da (2015): Berlin. 31. Die Blechtrommel (1979): outside Germany. 32. Die Schule der magischen Tiere (2021): a fictional school. 33. Die Brücke (1959): a small town, Bavaria. 34. Metropolis (1927): a fictional city, nowhere real. 35. Sauerkrautkoma (2018): Munich; fictional village, Bavaria. 36. Die Wilden Kerle (2003): no town named. 37. Rehragout-Rendezvous (2023): fictional village, Bavaria. 38. Der Junge muss an die frische Luft (2018): Recklinghausen. 39. Werner – Beinhart! (1990): Süderbrarup; Munich. 40. Manta Manta – Zwoter Teil (2023): the race, Bilster Berg.
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The films behind the map

33 of the 40 are set wholly or partly in Germany. “Outside Germany” marks a film set wholly abroad; “+ abroad”, one largely set elsewhere.

  1. Im Westen nichts Neues 2022outside GermanyIMDb
  2. Das Boot 1981outside GermanyIMDb
  3. Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel 1973a fairy-tale kingdomIMDb
  4. Der Untergang 2004BerlinIMDb
  5. Die Feuerzangenbowle 1944a fictional townIMDb
  6. Der Schuh des Manitu 2001outside GermanyIMDb
  7. Werk ohne Autor 2018Dresden; DüsseldorfIMDb
  8. Fack ju Göhte 2013MunichIMDb
  9. Kaiserschmarrndrama 2021fictional village, BavariaIMDb
  10. Manta Manta 1991RuhrIMDb
  11. Der Goldene Handschuh 2019HamburgIMDb
  12. Die Welle 2008a fictional townIMDb
  13. Das perfekte Geheimnis 2019MunichIMDb
  14. Dampfnudelblues 2013fictional village, BavariaIMDb
  15. Das Leben der Anderen 2006BerlinIMDb
  16. Leberkäsjunkie 2019fictional village, BavariaIMDb
  17. Wunderschön 2022no town namedIMDb
  18. Contra 2021FrankfurtIMDb
  19. Der Fall Collini 2019Berlin + abroadIMDb
  20. Der Vorname 2018BonnIMDb
  21. Die Wannseekonferenz 2022BerlinIMDb
  22. In die Sonne schauen 2025Altmark, Saxony-AnhaltIMDb
  23. Das Lehrerzimmer 2023no town namedIMDb
  24. Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo 1981BerlinIMDb
  25. Sonne und Beton 2023BerlinIMDb
  26. Der Baader Meinhof Komplex 2008Berlin; Frankfurt; Stuttgart + abroadIMDb
  27. Das Kanu des Manitu 2025outside GermanyIMDb
  28. Guglhupfgeschwader 2022fictional village, BavariaIMDb
  29. Winterkartoffelknödel 2014fictional village, BavariaIMDb
  30. Er ist wieder da 2015BerlinIMDb
  31. Die Blechtrommel 1979outside GermanyIMDb
  32. Die Schule der magischen Tiere 2021a fictional schoolIMDb
  33. Die Brücke 1959a small town, BavariaIMDb
  34. Metropolis 1927a fictional city, nowhere realIMDb
  35. Sauerkrautkoma 2018Munich; fictional village, BavariaIMDb
  36. Die Wilden Kerle 2003no town namedIMDb
  37. Rehragout-Rendezvous 2023fictional village, BavariaIMDb
  38. Der Junge muss an die frische Luft 2018RecklinghausenIMDb
  39. Werner – Beinhart! 1990Süderbrarup; MunichIMDb
  40. Manta Manta – Zwoter Teil 2023the race, Bilster BergIMDb

How we placed them

Two rules: Germany (or West or East Germany before 1990) is the first producing country in the film's German Wikipedia infobox, and the first language it lists is German. Of every film with a German Wikipedia article that Wikidata lists with German among its languages, these are the 40 with the most lookups that pass. Where German Wikipedia states no language, the English Wikipedia infobox decides. Two exceptions by hand: Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel is let in (a Czechoslovak–East German co-production listed as Czech first), and Ku’damm 56 is left out (a TV miniseries). Films with no named setting stay in.

Left out by that rule, though looked up more: Inglourious Basterds (2009), Sissi (1955), Army of Thieves (2021), Ku’damm 56 (2016).

Each setting was read from the plot of the film's German and English Wikipedia articles, then checked against Wikidata's narrative location and the Wikipedias' “set in” categories. The plot decides; where neither plot names a place, a place is shown only when Wikidata and a category agree.

On the map a pin marks a named town; shading marks an area the story is set in when it names no town there. A setting is where the story takes place, never where it was filmed.

The order is German Wikipedia lookups from August 2021 to July 2026: visits to each film's article, not viewings, tickets or streams.

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