Scene from the movie: “Ingenieure heraus! Ein Film vom technischen Hochschulstudium” (Engineers, Step Forward!), director: Karl Georg Schmidt, script: Otto Kraemer, cinematography and editor: L. Koch, lighting: Otto H. Knoll, 1937, 68 minutes, 16 mm, black-and-white, silent with voiceover commentary. KIT Archives 28504/52. One scene enacts the handshake between rector Rudolf Weigel and the student, during the matriculation ceremony (25:49–25:57). The actors are the rector of Karlsruhe Polytechnic, Rudolf Weigel, and the student Carl August Landfermann.
In the years leading up to World War II, the number of students at Karlsruhe Polytechnic declined sharply. Compared to approximately 1,200 enrollments per semester in the 1920s, the academic teaching load had halved. To address this concerning trend, a promotional film was created to attract students to the Polytechnic. The screenplay was written by Mechanical Engineering Professor Otto Kraemer (1900–1986). The 68-minute black-and-white film in 16-millimeter format presented local academic members and was largely filmed on campus and in Karlsruhe. It was produced as a silent film with intermittent explanatory captions. A narration was also prepared for live presentation. The film follows the journey of an engineering student through to his early professional achievements. It highlights the advantages of studying in Karlsruhe, the city’s charm, the allure of the Black Forest, and not least the career opportunities available after graduation. The Polytechnic is portrayed as an institution integrated in the National Socialist state. This is evident in scenes showing the rector, Rudolf Weigel (1899–1955), in NSDAP uniform and wearing the chain of office, surrounded by other uniformed figures. One caption underscores the conformity with National Socialist ideology by defining the engineer as an implementer of “the Führer’s plans.” kn