19 Facts About Wilhelm Voigt

Wilhelm Voigt then changed back into civilian clothing and disappeared with the money.

Between 1864 and 1891, Wilhelm Voigt was sentenced to prison for a total of 25 years for thefts, forgery and burglary.

Wilhelm Voigt drifted from place to place until he went to live with his sister in Rixdorf near Berlin.

Wilhelm Voigt was briefly employed by a well-reputed shoemaker until the local police expelled him from Berlin as an undesirable, based solely on his being an ex-convict, on 24 August 1906.

On 16 October 1906, Wilhelm Voigt was ready for his next caper.

Wilhelm Voigt had purchased parts of used Prussian Guards Captain's uniforms from different shops and tested their effect on soldiers.

Wilhelm Voigt had resigned from the shoe factory ten days previously.

Wilhelm Voigt took the uniform out of baggage storage, put it on and went to the local army barracks, stopped four grenadiers and a sergeant on their way back to barracks and told them to come with him and they followed.

Wilhelm Voigt dismissed the commanding sergeant to report to his superiors and later commandeered six more soldiers from a shooting range.

Wilhelm Voigt told the local police to "care for law and order" and to "prevent calls to Berlin for one hour" at the local post office.

Wilhelm Voigt told the remaining soldiers to stand in their places for half an hour and then left for the train station, where he changed back into civilian clothes and disappeared with the money.

Wilhelm Voigt was arrested on 26 October 1906 after a former cellmate who knew about Wilhelm Voigt's plans had tipped off the police, hoping for a high reward.

German Kaiser Wilhelm Voigt II pardoned him on 16 August 1908.

Wilhelm Voigt appeared in the museum to sign his pictures, but public officials banned the appearances on the same day.

Wilhelm Voigt appeared in small theatres in a play that depicted his exploit and signed more photographs as the Captain of Kopenick.

Wilhelm Voigt inspired a waxwork in Madame Tussaud's museum in London.

Wilhelm Voigt received a life pension from a rich Berlin dowager.

Wilhelm Voigt's grave is on the Cimetiere Notre-Dame in Luxembourg.

Several more films were produced about Wilhelm Voigt, most based on Zuckmayer's play; among them Der Hauptmann von Kopenick ; The Captain from Kopenick, starring Albert Bassermann; Der Hauptmann von Kopenick, with Heinz Ruhmann; a 1956 US TV adaptation starring Emmett Kelly, the circus clown; the 1960 TV movie Der Hauptmann von Kopenick, featuring Rudolf Platte; and the 1997 TV movie Der Hauptmann von Kopenick, starring Harald Juhnke.