Ku'damm 56


Ku’damm 56 is a German television trilogy about the 50s youth generation in the period between the end of World War II and the German Wirtschaftswunder. It tells the story of a conservative mother and her three daughters of marriageable age. The setting is the family-owned dance school. The trilogy deals with prudish morality, the first sexual experiences of the young women, and the desire for values, underscored by the association with Nazi Germany of the mother and many of her contemporaries.
It first aired on ZDF on March 20, 21, and 23, 2016. In 2018, it was followed by a sequel mini-series, Ku'damm 59.

Plot

, 1956. Caterina Schöllack, owner of a dance school, has three daughters, of whom two are fulfilling the expectations of society: Helga is going to marry attorney Wolfgang von Boost, while nurse Eva has planned every detail of her future, including her plan to marry her boss, Professor Fassbender. Only Monika fights against the conventions of her time. Her great aspiration is to do rock ’n’ roll.

Background

Monika's and her sisters' stories show what it was like for many women in a time when they were expected to marry as soon as possible and their social class was determined by the man at their side. However, the desire for a new female identity and equal rights shaped this generation.
Heike Hempel, editor-in-chief of ZDF, stated: "With Ku’damm 56 we continue our tradition of narrating history in a contemporary way. Ku’damm 56 shows women on their path to self-determined sexuality and equal rights."