Germany's Historic, and Very Revealing, Fraud

It was on October 16, 1906 that Wilhelm Voigt, an unemployed shoemaker just out of prison, donned the uniform of a Prussian guard captain, commandeered the services of ten grenadiers, marched them on the city hall in Köpenick and arrested the mayor.

Ever since, this "Captain of Köpenick" has been the subject of amusement, many plays and movies, and historical reenactments. Voigt's aim was to get a passport so that he could resume his life. He had tried several times to get one, but without success because of his criminal record. He was no more successful this time. There was no passport office in the Köpenick city hall.

The 57-year-old Voigt had obtained his uniform at some junk shops in Potsdam. One day he put it on, commandeered the soldiers on the street and took the train from Berlin to Köpenick, which was then a separate city but is now a district of Berlin.

It was easy for him to commandeer the troops in the Prussia of that era. Kadavergehorsamkeit, more or less "corpse-like obedience," was the rule. The authority of officers was unquestioned. He marched his troops to the city hall, ordered them to cover all entrances and then went in and arrested the mayor and the city treasurer. They too acceded to his authority without question.

On finding that he couldn't get his passport he commandeered the city cash box containing 4000 marks, commandeered two coaches and had some of his troops take the mayor and treasurer to a military headquarters. He then ordered the remaining troops to continue guarding the entrances for half an hour while he went to the station, changed into civilian clothing and took the train back to Berlin.

He was arrested ten days later and thrown back into jail. The military was mightily embarrassed by this farce, exposing as it did Germany's unbridled militarism. But the public, especially outside of Germany, found it highly amusing. So, apparently, did Kaiser Wilhelm II, who pardoned Voigt after only two years.

The incident has been remembered in many ways, notably in a 1931 hit play, Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, by Carl Zuckmayer and a 1956 movie starring Heinz Rühmann. And it has put Köpenick on the map. A statue of the alleged captain stands at the entrance to the city hall and his feat is reenacted regularly with spike-helmeted troops. The German Post Office issued a special stamp on the centennial of the event.