▁SS , ▁Martin ▁allows ▁Friedrich , ▁who ▁by ▁dec ree ▁has ▁inherited ▁the ▁name ▁and ▁title ▁of ▁von ▁Ess en beck , ▁to ▁wed ▁his ▁mother , ▁and ▁then ▁hands ▁them ▁poison ▁to ▁commit ▁suic ide . ▁He ▁then ▁hands ▁over ▁the ▁family ' s ▁steel works ▁to ▁the ▁Naz i ▁government , ▁which ▁means ▁that ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁war ▁is ▁more ▁than ▁secured . ▁ ▁Cast ▁ ▁D irk ▁Bog arde ▁as ▁Friedrich ▁Bru ck mann ▁ ▁In grid ▁Th ul in ▁as ▁Soph ie ▁von ▁Ess en beck ▁ ▁Hel mut ▁G ri em ▁as ▁Haupt st urm führ er ▁A schen bach ▁ ▁Hel mut ▁Ber ger ▁as ▁Martin ▁von ▁Ess en beck ▁ ▁Rena ud ▁Ver ley ▁as ▁Gün ther ▁von ▁Ess en beck ▁ ▁Um berto ▁Or s ini ▁as ▁Herbert ▁Th all man ▁ ▁Rein hard ▁K oll de hoff ▁as ▁Konst antin ▁von ▁Ess en beck ▁ ▁Al bre cht ▁Sch o en h als ▁as ▁Jo achim ▁von ▁Ess en beck ▁ ▁Flor inda ▁Bol kan ▁as ▁Ol ga ▁ ▁N ora ▁Ric ci ▁as ▁the ▁G over ness ▁ ▁Charlotte ▁Ram pling ▁as ▁Elizabeth ▁Th al mann ▁ ▁Karl - O tto ▁Al ber ty ▁as ▁German ▁Officer ▁ ▁Response ▁The ▁film ▁opened ▁to ▁world wide ▁acc laim . ▁It ▁received ▁an ▁Oscar ▁nom ination ▁for ▁Best ▁Original ▁Screen play ▁and ▁was ▁named ▁Best ▁Foreign ▁Film ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Board ▁of ▁Review . ▁Among ▁the ▁international ▁cast , ▁Hel mut ▁Ber ger ▁was ▁sing