Character Relationship Map: Hanussen

Characters

• Klaus Schneider / Eric Jan Hanussen (played by Klaus Maria Brandauer) — protagonist

  Klaus Schneider is a train conductor hospitalized with head injuries during World War I. After Dr. Bettelheim recognizes his clairvoyant abilities, he becomes the celebrated variety performer Eric Jan...

• Dr. Bettelheim (played by Erland Josephson) — supporting

  Dr. Bettelheim is the physician who treats Klaus Schneider after his wartime head injuries. He is the first person in the story to discover and recognize Schneider's clairvoyant abilities, providing t...

• Sister Betty (played by Ildikó Bánsági) — supporting

  Sister Betty is a nurse who knew Klaus Schneider during the war and meets him again after he has recovered. She works at the clinic where a ward for suicidal patients has been established. Her reunion...

• Valery de la Meer (played by Grażyna Szapołowska) — supporting

  Valery de la Meer is identified in the plot as the protagonist's girlfriend, also referred to as Wally. She lives with Eric Jan Hanussen and Tibor Nowotny in Berlin and is part of their social world a...

• Count Trantow-Waldbach (played by György Cserhalmi) — supporting

  The count is mentioned in connection with Valery de la Meer's safety after her nightclub is attacked. She considers leaving for Paris but chooses to remain under his protection. The synopsis does not...

• Hennie Stahl (played by Ewa Błaszczyk) — minor

  Hennie Stahl takes part in elaborate photographs staged by Hanussen in Berlin. He then summons Fabian to publish the photographs, linking Stahl to Hanussen's efforts to shape his public image. The syn...

• Fabian (played by Péter Andorai) — minor

  Fabian is summoned by Hanussen after Hanussen stages elaborate photographs with Hennie Stahl. Hanussen asks him to publish the images, placing Fabian in a role connected to the promotion of Hanussen's...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Fabian → Klaus Schneider / Eric Jan Hanussen (Professional Publisher And Subject) — Hanussen calls on Fabian to publish the staged photographs, using Fabian's publishing role to publicize the images.

  After staging photographs with Hennie Stahl, Hanussen summons Fabian to publish them.

• Hennie Stahl → Klaus Schneider / Eric Jan Hanussen (Professional Collaborators) — Hennie participates in Hanussen's staged photographic presentation, which he arranges before summoning Fabian to publish the photographs.

  Hanussen stages elaborate photographs with Hennie Stahl.

• Valery de la Meer → Klaus Schneider / Eric Jan Hanussen (Romantic Girlfriend) — Valery is part of Hanussen's Berlin life. After the nightclub attack she considers leaving, but remains under the count's protection.

  The character profile identifies Valery as Hanussen's girlfriend; the plot describes her nightclub being attacked and her considering leaving for Pari...

• Dr. Bettelheim → Klaus Schneider / Eric Jan Hanussen (Professional Physician And Patient) — Bettelheim recognizes Schneider's unusual perceptions during treatment, helping set him on the path toward public clairvoyance; later, Bettelheim confronts him about money.

  Dr. Bettelheim treats Schneider after his wartime head injuries, becomes interested in his visions, and suggests hypnotism to investigate them.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Valery de la Meer → Count Trantow-Waldbach (Alliance Protector And Protected) — The count provides Valery protection after the attack on her nightclub, influencing her decision not to leave for Paris.

  After telling Hanussen that her nightclub was attacked, Valery chooses to remain under the count's protection.

• Sister Betty → Klaus Schneider / Eric Jan Hanussen (Social Former Wartime Acquaintances) — Their wartime acquaintance resumes when they meet at the clinic, where Schneider begins displaying his ability to perceive people's fears and thoughts.

  After Schneider recovers, Sister Betty, whom he knew during the war, meets him again at the clinic.

Story Analysis

A wounded man turns uncanny perceptions into a public performance, while fame, political anxiety, and personal confrontations shape his path.

Plot Progression

1. Wounds and Unsettling Visions — During the war, Schneider is wounded and later describes nightmares, fear, and disturbing childhood images. Bettelheim takes an interest in his visions and proposes hypnotism.
2. A Talent Draws Attention — After recovering, Schneider works at a clinic and reunites with Sister Betty. His apparent ability to perceive hidden fears and predict futures turns him into a public attraction.
3. The Courtroom and Berlin — Accused of charlatanism, Schneider defends his act as an expression of collective anxieties. He plans to pursue a career in Berlin, where a hostile spectator challenges his performance.
4. Fame Under Pressure — Hanussen's reputation grows in Berlin as he predicts upheaval and a coming age of order. Valery weighs leaving after her nightclub is attacked but remains under the count's protection.
5. Photographs and Departure — Hanussen stages photographs with Hennie Stahl and summons Fabian to publish them. The film closes with Bettelheim confronting him about money and Hanussen declaring that he is leaving.