Hollywood stars filming in Görlitz

British movie stars Emma Thompson ("Harry Potter") and Brendan Gleeson ("Braveheart") have been shooting a World War II drama in Görlitz since early April. At a press conference on Wednesday they spoke with enthusiasm about the city, calling it a peaceful town of friendly people.

The movie, which will also be on location in Berlin and Cologne, is based on a novel by German writer Hans Fallada. It tells the story of a working-class couple who become part of the German resistance against the Nazi regime. More than 60 years after its initial publication, the book became a surprise bestseller when it was translated into English in 2009. It has since been translated into more than 30 languages.

This is not the first time Görlitz has been used as a film location. It can be seen in Hollywood hits such as "The Reader" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel". What makes it so appealing are the many splendid and perfectly preserved buildings spanning several periods in history, from the Middle Ages to the post-war era. It would be next to impossible to find more grand examples of Late Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Nouveau architecture in such close quarters. And it’s almost all original: Görlitz survived the Second World War virtually unscathed.

ej/mj (dpa, Stadt Görlitz, Spiegel.de)