Oderbruch (2024) s01e01 Episode Script

(Wind, rustling of grass)
(Crows cawing)
(Ominous music swells)
(Electronic music,
whispering voices in the background)
(Soft ticking of a wall clock)
(Vibrating of a mobile phone)
Hey.
She's asleep again.
Good. Did you give her
the drops again?
Yes.
I'm sorry.
It's okay. What's wrong?
I don't know. I'm still waiting.
Try to get
some more sleep.
Roland Voit?
Detective Voit.
Close the door and please have a seat.
(Man) You're from Krewlow.
And you were in Seelow KKA,
three years of training.
Do you still have ties to the place,
Krewlow?
Kre-lo. My father still lives there.
I visit him regularly.
Do you know your way around there?
The land, the people
Well, not much has really changed.
So yes, I know my way around.
Tell us a little bit
about Krewlow.
Small village.
Something under a hundred inhabitants.
It's more likely to be less than more.
Lots of old people.
Well, I don't know
what you want to hear.
It's in the Oderbruch.
So on the Polish border.
So the Oder is the border.
It's the least densely populated region
in Germany.
What do you think is the reason for that?
Well, war, the post-reunification crisis.
Two flood disasters.
Almost only agriculture,
then rural exodus. Farms dying out.
It's not easy there.
It's a forgotten village.
Two anglers found it this morning
in a fallow field in Krewlow.
It's on the property
of Magdalena Kring's father.
We don't know
who could have done this,
or why.
With your local knowledge,
you'd be the man for us
to question the residents
in Krewlow and the surrounding area.
Your knowledge would be of great importance.
-Excuse the interruption,
but I don't think I'm the right
person for this
You're going to Krewlow.
Either with an assignment,
or we'll send you there
as a witness regarding '97.
(Man) How involved
were you in the case back then?
Well, I was in training,
so I was involved
With your colleague at the time.
Magdalena Kring.
You just need to rule out
that the case
had anything to do with '97.
Then you can go home.
(Click)
(Shot)
(Cow falls)
Yes?
Why do you want to know?
She doesn't want to talk to you.
She doesn't want to talk to anyone.
Yes, I'm still here.
You could have asked me all
of this here.
No. That's not necessary.
You said you burned it all.
It was right that I said that.
And it's also right that
you're seeing this now.
When you go back, take the box with you.
I'm too old to do this again.
It's just for one day.
(Airplane noise increases)
(Airplane noise fades)
Roland Voit?
Zajak. Kripo Warsaw. - I was supposed to meet someone else.
Last-minute change.
At least one victim is from Poland. So, we'll be working together.
It's an hour's drive.
We can get to know each other a little.
Are you from around here too?
I'm here because I speak good German.
Hmmm.
I'm only here because I'm from here. - Hmm.
We can use first names. Stanislaw.
Roland.
Let's talk about 1997, shall we?
You've read everything.
Are you under orders to interrogate me?
So, what happened back then?
Oder River flood, July '97.
Three people missing in the Oderbruch.
Two weeks later, only the body
of one missing person was found.
Death by drowning.
The other two, the Seidel couple,
remained missing,
considered flood victims.
That's the official version.
What's yours?
I don't have another one.
What about your colleague
from back then? Magdalena Kring?
Haven't seen her since.
The person found back then was named Kai Kring.
Seventeen years old.
Related to Magdalena Kring?
Her brother.
ID, please.
(Sniffling)
(Woman) Wait here.
(Door opens)
(Girl) Is that blood?
Um
Yes.
-Whose?
I can tell you, but you're not going to like it.
From the cow I slaughtered this morning.
And why did you do that?
What are you eating?
Sausage.
And where does the meat come from?
Every time you eat meat, I kill an animal.
Come on.
(Voices of emergency services
barely audible)
Voit! Pulver Paul, huh?
-Go home, Olaf.
Stanislaw Zajak.
Roland Voit.
(Loudspeaker) If you are a resident
and have any relevant information,
please contact
our colleagues
outside the cordon.
This way.
Thank you.
(Ominous music swells)
Looks like we're stuck here.
Your further briefing will be handled
by the respective group leaders.
The most important are the owners
of the adjacent properties.
Create profiles of all the neighbors,
then of all the residents.
We're also getting support
from someone familiar with the area. Already here?
Please report directly to Container 2
to colleague Kochel.
Hmmm. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, good.
Thank you.
Who are you
and what can you do for me?
Stanislaw Zajak.
I'm investigating for the Polish side.
Voit, the local expert.
I'm supposed to conduct
interviews with the locals.
Well, maybe assist.
But since you're already here
We're currently investigating
- or trying to -
the owners of these properties.
Well, actually, only
the Krings and the Conradys
still own land.
The remaining farms belong to
Olaf Lehnard,
Doris and Rüdiger Schenk
Edith Trebur's guesthouse
and Paul Möbius.
The land around it
belongs to Sativum AG.
An agricultural corporation.
Hmm.
(Speaker)
Entering the area
Okay. Everything's still
a little improvised here.
Haskel and Wieczek are
in there something.
Wieczorek.
-Exactly, the two anglers.
And Frank Seeger is
in container 1.
Also known? -Hmm.
Good. Listen up for a moment,
and then I'll make sure
you can talk to the two
fishermen afterwards.
And, uh, Arthur Kring?
Yeah he's still in his house.
With his wife
and a shotgun.
There might be
more people inside.
Doesn't come out.
Doesn't let anyone in.
SEK is on its way.
SEK? The man's over 90. The last time I saw him,
he could barely walk.
There's a mountain of corpses on his field, and he's threatening to shoot.
As far as I'm concerned, he can be 150.
Unless you can talk some sense into him.
I'm not going to be any help there.
(Police Officer) Why were you called
to the site where the bodies were found?
I'm always called when mortal
remains are discovered here.
(Knocking)
Good day.
Dr. Seeger, does it happen often
that bodies are found here?
(Dr. Seeger)
In April '45, the Oderbruch was the site of
the bloodiest battle
on German soil.
The Wehrmacht's last bulwark
before Berlin against the Red Army.
Over a hundred thousand
lost their lives here.
Every year,
we still find dozens of fallen soldiers.
The soil in the Oderbruch
is soaked in blood.
I work as a volunteer
for the association
for the recovery of war victims.
I recover soldiers,
try to identify them
and give them
a dignified burial place.
The initial assumption was
that the find involved
fallen soldiers.
I'm always on call
and came immediately.
So you have access
to mortal remains?
Roland, can you explain to these gentlemen
who I am?
Just answer the question.
Out there
Those aren't fallen soldiers.
But you're wasting your time with me.
I know who did this.
Paul Möbius.
He owns the property next door.
He's a known lunatic.
We're constantly having trouble with him.
He collects war material,
weapons, explosives
Hence the name: Powder Paul.
If I may, I have one more question, please.
You're a pathologist, correct?
Also responsible for criminal cases?
-Yes, but it's rare here.
In 1997, you performed the autopsy
on Kai Kring,
Arthur Kring's son, correct?
That wasn't a criminal case.
The boy drowned in the flood back then.
And your investigations
confirmed that? -Yes.
Thank you.
(Speaker announcements
barely audible)
I could have told you
all of that myself.
I know.
(Helicopter noise)
(Helicopter noise louder)
(Ominous music and hissing voices)
(Loudspeaker)
may contain important clues.
We were night fishing at Kiezer Lake.
(Roland) And then out near Kring's?
A little detour through the woods?
Past Paul's?
Hmm.
Why didn't you just take
the Richtgraben?
We smoked a little something.
We always go through the woods.
-Hmm.
Is it forbidden to go through the woods?
No.
I just want to know,
why you were exactly at this spot
in the middle of the night.
We've told you now,
like all the other cops.
One even took notes.
And you have it on video.
Do you want it as
a picture story too?
Apart from the bodies, did you--
-No!
We didn't see
anything out of the ordinary,
didn't feel, smell, or taste anything.
We shit our pants
and called the cops.
And Seeger. He was the first one here.
And there was fog.
I'd say 15°C.
Mild wind from the southeast.
And I had
a slight tickle in my throat.
Caught something?
-No, nothing.
No luck.
All night at Kiezer Lake
and you didn't catch anything?
New bait. Wasn't so good.
What can you do.
(Gunshots from outside)
What happened?
Kring fired two warning shots.
SEK is going in now.
His daughter is there,
she's supposed to talk to him.
She refuses. No chance.
(Radio chatter) Position one occupied.
Team two, move out.
-Roger.
Wolf on A position.
Position two occupied.
His daughter will talk to him.
Give me five minutes Please.
Abort. No access.
(Radio chatter) Waiting for instructions.
Understood. Freeze.
Hold position.
(Door opens)
Do you work here?
Hmm.
I won't talk to him.
Then they'll go in.
No idea what your father
will do then.
(Maggie)
I'm not here voluntarily.
I'll do what I have to do,
then I'll be gone again. - Hmm.
Me too.
Come with me.
(Roland) You always said that
something happened here that nobody wants to talk about,
that your father and Kai's death had something to do with it.
that your father and Kai's death had something to do with it.
I said that our fathers had something to do with it.
Whatever happened here
maybe we could have prevented it.
If things go wrong with your father, we'll never know.
Do you even want to know?
(Funk) Team 1 ready.
-Team 2 ready.
KOK and daughter to Position 1.
(Roland) Maggie, be careful.
(Feedback)
Arthur. Your daughter is here.
She's coming in now.
(Sheep shearing)
You shouldn't be here.
(Old Woman) [Sighs]
(Arthur) Police presence.
They're going to storm my house.
I can't hold out forever.
I know.
I'm sticking to the plan.
My daughter is here.
I have to hang up.
(Radio) Attention. Person approaching
the exit. The daughter is coming out.
My parents are coming out now.
To all units:
Subjects are exiting now.
Maggie.
What did you tell him?
Nothing.
He just said he was coming out
on his own.
Maybe he was trying
to buy some time.
Time? For what?
He was on the phone with someone.
You know I have to ask you this.
I have no explanation for it.
I haven't been home in 20 years,
haven't seen my parents
since then.
I'll give my statement,
then I'm gone.
These animal carcasses remind me of Kai and the cave.
Are you talking as a detective now, or what?
I'm just doing my job.
Twenty years too late.
(Woman, Polish)
You'll make friends quickly here.
Everyone here is like you.
Everyone is an orphan.
Your loneliness is over.
You are now part
of a large family.
This is the start of a new life.
Former students who are now studying
or working all over the world.
One day
your photo could hang there.
If you stick to the rules.
You will have to change.
Not just outwardly.
Your phone.
Come.
Good morning.
-Good morning.
Your new home. Welcome.
[Polish murmuring]
Good morning.
You'll be sharing this room with Luba.
She'll show you everything tomorrow.
Get some rest.
These are your clothes,
your uniform.
You'll wear it every day.
Go on now.
The Kring house is clean.
No traces,
no other people.
There's nothing on the entire property.
There are no matches to his weapon either.
DNA analyses are still running, but so far
nothing matches our corpses.
The old man Kring
is still saying nothing.
His wife only says
that she knows nothing.
We can't
hold him here any longer.
He's about to keel over on us.
Let them go.
The house is under 24/7 surveillance.
And what about her?
We can't force her to help us.
Send her home.
I could try something again.
They don't want to let you go.
They think you want to protect your father.
As long as he doesn't cooperate,
they'll find reasons to keep you here.
Maggie, if you want to go home, get Arthur to talk.
What is she doing here?
I don't want her here.
I won't say anything.
You can say nothing, if you want.
But then you'll be sitting here forever. Again tomorrow.
Again the day after tomorrow. As long as it takes I have time.
(Maggie) They all think
you're hiding something.
That you have something to do with it.
Do I look like I care
what anyone here thinks of me?
what anyone here thinks of me?
And Minna?
Leave your mother out of this.
You leave her out of this.
She's sitting one booth over,
answering the same questions
for hours.
You're dragging her into this.
You're torturing her.
When this is over
you're leaving the Oderbruch immediately
and never coming back.
The field has been fallow since '99.
Our farm went bankrupt back then.
And I haven't set foot on it
since.
My eyes are failing.
Even with glasses, I can't see
more than ten meters.
My ears are fine, but
we didn't hear anything
that night.
We were asleep.
Everyone here knows that my land
is no longer cultivated,
and anyone can enter it
without me noticing.
Just before you
left the house,
who were you talking to on the phone?
I wasn't on the phone.
My daughter has always had
a vivid imagination.
Are you still taking your pills?
Herr Kring, in 1997, three people
disappeared in the Oderbruch.
One, your son Kai, was found dead
two weeks later.
The Seidel couple remained missing.
I know the facts.
And also my daughter's theories.
What are the facts
and the theories?
My son drowned.
What happened to the other two,
only the flood knows.
My daughter rightly blamed herself
for Kai's death.
It broke her.
I think that's where her
conspiracy theories come from.
Why was her daughter to blame?
She was supposed to be watching Kai.
What exactly do you mean by
conspiracy theories, Mr. Kring?
That Kai and the other two
didn't drown in the flood
but were murdered.
But Kai was found, and she gave
up her job as a police officer.
I assume that her
drug abuse also played
a role in that.
Herr Kring, 1947
more than fifty years ago
after a flood in the Oderbruch
two bodies were washed ashore.
Do you remember the facts and the theories?
Take your time. It was a long time ago.
You were 22 years old back then.
This is a police document from Poland from that time.
May I translate it for you?
(Stanislaw)
Two missing farm workers
found dead.
After the autopsy, the official
cause of death is:
Drowning.
History repeats itself,
Ms. Kring.
Initially, however, murder
was suspected.
And back then there were
also two suspects.
One of the two
is named in this document.
I know your eyes are bad,
but please take the trouble
to read the name.
It's my name.
It was just routine that I
was on the suspect list.
The missing people
worked on my land.
That was quickly
cleared up, but
I'm sure you already know that.
All I want to know from you,
Mr. Kring, is
if you remember the name
of the other suspect.
No.
(Police Officer)
Mr. Kring, you can go now.
You are currently
under house arrest.
Should someone take you home?
I don't need any help.
Your wife is already
back home with you.
[Groans]
Let me go!
Help me up.
Then I'll go on alone.
Let me go!
(Minna) Please go.
And never come back.
Arthur was a suspect in a murder case back in '47. Did you know that?
If you know anything
about these dead people
You're leaving now!
And if you don't do
as I said,
you'll regret it.
Get out of here.
Please excuse the interruption,
I should have brought this
directly to you.
Rainer Seidel.
I searched for you for a long time back then.
And I found you.
On your new farm.
Then I wanted to come to you, but
I just couldn't find
the right words.
For what you did to me.
Well, now you've found them.
You have to stay here.
They want to question you again.
There's a match
with a missing person from '97.
Rainer Seidel
was found among the bodies.
I hope you find
what you're looking for here.
Kai.
You have to stop this.
I can't take it anymore.
I have to get out of here.
Where do you want to go?
Anywhere.
Just away.
I will protect you.
Forever.
(Goldhofer) We don't have an exact number yet,
but these are the mortal remains of over a hundred people.
The times of the murders
are spread out over at least the last 50 years.
The same applies to the animals that were also killed.
From today on, the world is watching Krewlow.
Keep your distance from journalists
and don't talk to anyone here you don't have to.
It's up to us
and smoother German-Polish cooperation,
to clarify this exceptional case
as quickly as possible.
Some of the victims have already been
matched to missing persons
and identified.
It could be ritual murders
by some kind of sect
or intergenerational
community.
So far, we haven't been able
to identify a modus operandi.
Arthur Kring may play a role in the
group of perpetrators
or may have played a role,
but due to his age
and physical condition,
it's unlikely
that he was involved in the recent murders,
as well as the transport and construction of the
mound of corpses.
The fact that animals were also killed
makes investigating a motive
and narrowing down a perpetrator type
particularly difficult.
The only commonality
we've been able to determine among the victims
examined so far is
that blood appears to have been
taken from them.
In some cases, almost entirely.
(Ominous music)
(Maggie)
I will protect you. [Echo]
Forever.
[Echoing groan]