'TheCaptainofKöpenick'isatruestorythatcouldonlyhavehappenedinGermany,wheretheauthorityofauniformwasobeyedwithoutquestion. In1906,anobscureTilsitercobblernamedWilhelmVoigt(1849-1922)purchasedthesecond-handuniformofaPrussianinfantrycaptain.Wearingthis,hetravelledtotheboroughofKöpenickandorderedatroopofguardsmentoplacethemselvesunderhiscommand.Hethendeclaredthetownhalltobeundermilitarylaw,orderingthearrestofthemayorandtreasurerandconfiscatingallthefundsintheexchequer.(Inthisversionit's4,000deutschemarks,atidysum.)NoneofVoigt'sorderswerequestioned,andhegotawaywiththedosh.Whenhewaseventuallycaught,theGermanpeopleregardedVoigt'simpostureasajollyhoaxthatprickedthepomposityofpettybureaucrats.AlthoughVoigtwasclearlymotivatedbyunlawfulfinancialgain,heemergedfromtheaffairasafolkhero. Thisfilmisbasedonastageadaptationoftheoriginalincident;