Weiss Ferdl Explained

Weiss Ferdl
Birth Date:	28 June 1883
Birth Place:	Altötting, German Empire
Death Place:	Munich, West Germany
Occupation:	Actor
Yearsactive:	1928-1941

Weiss Ferdl (28 June 1883  - 19 June 1949, real name: Ferdinand Weisheitinger)^[1] was a German actor,^[2] humorous folksinger, and author. He appeared in 19 films between 1928 and 1941 and performed regularly at the Platzl, a well-known Munich theater. Weiß Ferdl was born in the town of Altötting, 96km (60miles) east of Munich.

His famous song "Ein Wagen von der Linie Acht" ("A Carriage from Line 8") is still played to this day. It is a mocking song about Munich people and the trams in Munich.^[3] The Weiß-Ferdl-Mittelschule, a secondary school in Altötting, has a retired blue Munich Tram carriage in the southeast corner of the schoolyard.^[4]

Selected filmography

• Behind Monastery Walls (1928)
• Left of the Isar, Right of the Spree (1929)
• The Immortal Vagabond (1930)
• The Song of the Nations (1931)
• The Champion Shot (1932)
• The Master Detective (1933)
• The Two Seals (1934)
• Financial Opportunists (1934)
• All Because of the Dog (1935)
• Orders Are Orders (1936)
• Gordian the Tyrant (1937)
• Wunschkonzert (1940)

Selected discography

• CD Weiß Ferdl, I woaß net wia ma is, Aufnahmen 1919–1946, Ed. Christian Springer, Trikont 2001

Selected bibliography

• Ich bin kein Intellektueller. Ein heiteres Buch. Hugendubel, München 1941.
• Bayerische Schmankerl. Hrsg.: Bertl Weiss. dtv, München 1982, .

Further reading

• Sabine Sünwoldt (Bearb.): Weiß Ferdl. Eine weiß-blaue Karriere. Hugendubel, München 1983, .
• Robert Eben Sackett: Popular entertainment, class, and politics in Munich, 1900-1923. Study of Munich popular theatre, focusing on Karl Valentin and Weiß Ferdl. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 1982, (englisch).
• Rolf Giesen: Hitler’s Third Reich of the Movies. BearManor Media ISBN 978-1-62933-629-9

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ferdinand Weisheitinger genannt Weiß Ferdl 1883-1949 . de . Ferdinand Weisheitinger known as Weiß Ferdl 1883-1949 . volkssaengerei.de . 25 June 2017.
2. Web site: Weiß Ferdl . de . 18 July 2013 . filmportal.de.
3. Web site: Ein Wagen der Linie 8 . de . A Carriage from Line 8 . volkssaengerei.de . 25 June 2017.
4. Web site: Weiß-Ferdl-Mittelschule ... Lernen und Lachen . de . Weiß Ferdl Middle School ... Learning and Laughing . Weiß-Ferdl-Mittelschule . 27 November 2020 . (as of November 2020, the homepage images include one showing the blue streetcar).