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The storyline and plot in Downfall follows the perspectives of at least three characters - Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge, physician Ernst-Günther Schenck and Hitler Youth member Peter Kranz, and so there are at least three observable timelines in which the events taking place in Downfall can be grouped into:

  • Traudl and the Führerbunker's timeline
  • Schenck's timeline
  • Peter Kranz's timeline

These timelines criss-cross each other at various points in the film. However, Schenck's timeline never crossed with Peter Kranz's.

Various minor timelines also exist, which follows some other characters, all happening around Berlin. For simplicity's sake, the timelines of all other characters are merged into the Fuhrerbunker's timeline. Hermann Fegelein could have had his own timeline, if not for his extended absence around the Chancellery (and therefore the lack of historical records). Their timelines are considered incomplete, as they mostly died in the course of the film. It can also be noted that the three main timelines in this article had their central character live through the war.

Traudl and the Führerbunker's timeline[]

TraudlTooMuch

Traudl's seen some shit.

This timeline loosely follows the events happening around Traudl Junge, who for the most part of the film, resides in and near the Führerbunker. Being one of Hitler's secretaries, it also follows the events of Hitler and his aides, and thus forms the main timeline of the film.

Most of the events happen in parts of the Reich Chancellery e.g. the reception hall, ballroom, Chancellery gardens, and of course the Führerbunker. When it followed some of Hitler's generals (e.g. Helmuth Weidling and Wilhelm Mohnke), the events can happen elsewhere in Berlin.

Schenck's timeline[]

Schenk2

Schenck, putting the civilians first.

Events in Schenck's timeline occur in a wider range of locations around Berlin. This includes the abandoned office building and the abandoned hospital. Schenck also spends a few days in the Reich Chancellery underground complex, inside a makeshift military hospital. Those days, however, were largely off-screen and Schenck doesn't really meet the other characters common in the Führerbunker timeline so it is considered separate.

Peter Kranz's timeline[]

First time seeing Peter

Peter Kranz and pals.

Parts of Downfall feature the fictional Peter Kranz, a generalization of German's youth towards the end of the war period. Peter's timeline serves to show what happens around Berlin, and what tragedies the Berliners had to deal with. In concurrence with this, almost all of the events taking place in this timeline occur outdoors - on the street battle and on a flak nest erected in the middle of the street. Some indoor scenes, when Peter fled his post and returns to his home, serves to show domestic conflicts.

Interactions[]

Schenck's timeline Traudl and the Führerbunker's timeline Peter Kranz's timeline
Present era
Prologue

Doesn't occur in the same era and place of the rest of the film

1942, Wolfsschanze
Hitler's secretarial interview
20 April (daytime)
Schenck and the burning of documents
Battle Scenes (first part)
Hitler Youth Scene
Traudl, Gerda and Constanze wake up to artillery fire
Hitler Phone Scene
Eva and Traudl discuss in the kitchen
Fegelein and Himmler at Hitler's birthday
Himmler greets Hitler (aka Hitler Wants Himmler Scene)
Himmler and Fegelein at the garage
Hitler walks around the model of Berlin
Hitler Planning Scene
Hitler's Generals Discussing Scene
Hitler congratulates the Hitler Youth
Traudl, Gerda and Constanze talk in bed
20 April (nighttime)
Schenck and Muller around a bonfire
Hitler and Speer chat
Party Scene
21 April (daytime)
Battle Scenes (second part - Weidling)
Peter Kranz's street battle
Mohnke calls Schenck
Schenck in the Hospital
Weidling goes in the Bunker
Singing Burgdorf Scene
Fegelein talking to Traudl and Gerda
Original Bunker Scene
After the Original Bunker Scene
Fegelein and Friends
Traudl and Gerda talking in bed
Eva walks Blondi
Hitler Laughing Scene
21 April (nighttime)
Schenck and Muller in a truck
Battle Scenes (third part - Mohnke)
Mohnke talks to Goebbels
Eva talking on the phone with Fegelein
Goebbels's children sing to Hitler
Hitler instructs how to commit suicide
between 22-28 April
Eva and Magda write their letters

Characters from all timelines made a cameo appearance in a montage

Hitler stares at his favourite painting
Battle Scenes (fourth part - Peter Kranz)

Date unknown

Hitler talks about the Battle of Berlin (aka Bunker Scene 2)
Keitel, Krebs and others talk
Hitler talks to Keitel
Hitler Is Informed Scene
Speer stares at Traudl's boobs
Magda, Eva and Bormann talk to Speer
Hitler and Speer Scene

Albert Speer's mini timeline

Traudl and the singing Goebbels children
Hitler meets Greim and Reitsch

They actually arrived on 26 April 1945, so the scene might have been pushed backwards in time

Hitler Eating Scene, Hitler Explains Scene
Traudl and Eva discuss Fegelein's flee
Reviews / Pros and Cons scenes
Grawitz family's suicide

Actual death on 24 April 1945, scene's timeline might have been pushed forward in the film.

Fegelein's Arrest Scene

May have occurred on 28 April 1945, assuming Fegelein was arrested and executed on the same day/night

Eva wants Hitler to spare Fegelein
Weidling and Mohnke inform Hitler (Bunker Scene 3, pt1)
Hitler's generals discusses and Burgdorf gets angry (Bunker Scene 3, pt2)
Fegelein Execution Scene
28 April 1945
Hitler will scene
Hitler wedding scene / Goebbels crying scene
Mohnke talks to Hitler
Hitler and his generals receive telegram from Keitel (Bunker Scene 4, pt1)
Hitler instructs Günsche (Bunker Scene 4, pt2)
29 April
Haase, Flegel and Schenck meet Hitler
The doctors and the drunken people / Bunker Jokes
Blondi is killed
Traudl's last chat with Eva
Presumably the night of 29 April 1945
30 April
Hitler's last supper
Hitler's Farewell Scene
Magda begs Hitler
Hitler Suicide Scene
1 - 2 May
Krebs meets General Chuikov

Krebs met Chuikov twice, once on 1 May and the other a day later.

Goebbels Rants Scene
Goebbels children murder
Krebs and Burgdorf's suicide
Weidling announces Berlin's surrender
Goebbels and Magda suicide
Soviet women in the Bunker
Berlin's breakthrough
German soldiers gathered in a plaza
Schenck's conversation with Stehr and Hewel
Traudl and Peter leave Berlin
Present era
Fates of surviving characters scene

(Peter Kranz's fate is not mentioned, as he's a fictional character.)

Epilogue
  • Unless specified, the dates occur in the year 1945.
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