Pioneers turned Millionaires (5 parts)

A TV-Series by Ira Beetz, Christoph Weinert, Kai Christiansen and Achim Scheunert

5x52 min., NDR/arte
Funded by Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig Holstein GmbH and nordmedia GmbH

The legendary Levi’s jeans, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Boeing planes, precious Steinway pianos and the legendary Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.
“Pioneers Turned Millionaires” is a five-part series that delves deep into the stories of five German entrepreneurs who redefined American economy and left a major imprint on American culture.

News

  • 11/2011 - Our series “Pioneers turned Millionaires” on the Smithsonian Channel

    We are very proud to announce that the Smithsonian Channel will be showing our series “Pioneers turned Millionaires” on November [...]

    We are very proud to announce that the Smithsonian Channel will be showing our series "Pioneers turned Millionaires" on November 17th and 18th. For exact airing times please visit the following link:

    Pioneers turned Millionaires - Smithsonian


Parts

  • pioiniere_astor_artikelbild

    John Jacob Astor

  • pioniere_artikelbild

    Henry John Heinz

  • pioniere_boeing_artikelbild

    William Edward Boeing

  • pioniere_steinway_artikelbild

    Henry Steinway

  • pioniere_levis_artikelbild

    Levi Strauss

Pioneers turned Millionaires (5 parts)

A TV-Series by Ira Beetz, Christoph Weinert, Kai Christiansen and Achim Scheunert

5x52 min., NDR/arte
Funded by Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig Holstein GmbH and nordmedia GmbH

Five visionary entrepreneurs from the ‘old world’ redefined the economy of the ‘new world’ and left a major imprint on American culture. Levi Strauss, Henry E. Steinway, William E. Boeing, John Jacob Astor and Henry J. Heinz – one can hardly ignore their names or products anywhere in the world today.

„Pioneers turned Millionaires“ tells in 5 episodes stories of innovation, courage, persistency, hard work and success in a strange new country. Using high-end reconstructions and exquisite archive footage, this series presents one of the most fascinating and exciting eras of American economic history. How did these five men who all started out as immigrants become archetypical self-made millionaires who even now epitomize the American success story? We visit the companies of Levi Strauss & Co., Steinway & Sons, Heinz and Boeing. We see how each of their founders had novel and brilliant ideas for establishing a company and gaining fame, honour and wealth. These biographies are the definitive portraits of these five entrepreneurial giants; businessmen who have their homeland in common and their place in history secured. They had left for economic, social, political or religious reasons – but all to find a better life in the United States.

Concept Development: Ira Beetz, Reinhardt Beetz
Script, Directors: Achim Scheunert, Kai Christiansen, Christoph Weinert, Ira Beetz
Production: Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion Hamburg GmbH+Co KG
Producer: Reinhardt Beetz
Project Coordinator: Eva Fouquet
Assistant Producers: Hanna Meyer zu Hörste, Cordula Stadter, Cornelia Schöffler (NDR)
Technical Directors: Jathavan Sriram, Stefan Strömer
Camera: Reiner Bauer, Jan Kerhart, Jörg Hammermeister, Beatrice Maier, André Dekker, Grischa Schaufuß, Martin Langner, Hans Jakobi
Sound: Imme Schütz, Susanne Heinz, Stefan Tuchel, Rupert Scheele, Jens Ziegler, Ole Fensky, Jens Müller-Ali, Frederik Schultz, Martin Pflüger, Thomas Mayr, Patrick Pierce
Editing: Ramin Sabeti, Christoph Senn, Carsten Piefke
Music: Nils Kacirek, Jörg Hochapfel, Sipho Khumalo
Commissioning Editor: Ulrike Dotzer, NDR/ARTE

Coproduction

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Cooperation

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Sponsors

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  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Levi Strauss)

    Smithsonian Channel
    14 May 2013 at 4.00 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry Steinway)

    Smithsonian Channel
    30 April 2013 at 4.00 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (William Edward Boeing)

    Servus TV
    30 June 2013 at 8:40 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry John Heinz)

    Servus TV
    6 July 2013 at 7 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Levi Strauss)

    Smithsonian Channel
    12 May 2013 at 10.00 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (William Edward Boeing)

    Smithsonian Channel
    8 May 2013 at 9.00 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (William Edward Boeing)

    Smithsonian Channel
    19 May 2013 at 10.00 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry John Heinz)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    03 February 2013 at 6.10 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry John Heinz)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    04 February 2013 at 12.50 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (William Edward Boeing)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    21 January 2013 at 2.45 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (John Jacob Astor)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    14 January 2013 at 2.40 pm

  • Pioneers turned Milionaires (John Jacob Astor)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    19 December 2012 at 10.40 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (John Jacob Astor)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    16 January 2013 at 4.40 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (William Edward)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    19 December 2012 at 7.00 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (John Jacob Astor)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    16 January 2013 at 6.15 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Levi Strauss)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    20 December 2012 at 4:15 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry John Heinz)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    21 December 2012 at 11.20 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (William Edward)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    20 December 2012 at 10.55 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry John Heinz)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    20 December 2012 at 7.00 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (William Edward Boeing)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    24 December 2012 at 12.55 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry John Heinz)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    20 December 2012 at 7.00 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Levi Strauss)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    06 January 2013 at 18.10 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (John Jacob Astor)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    21 December 2012 at 4.20 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry Steinway)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    22 December 2012 at 11.05 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (John Jacob Astor)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    13 January 2013 at 6.10 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Henry John Heinz)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    23 December 2012 at 3.45 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (William Edward Boing)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    22 December 2012 at 04.55 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Levi Strauss)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    18 December 2012 at 10.45 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Levi Strauss)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    17 December 2012 at 7.00 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires

    Spiegel Geschichte
    21 December 2012 at 4.20 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Levi Strauss)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    9 January 2013 at 4.45 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (Levi Strauss)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    9 January 2013 at 6.35 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires (John Jacob Astor)

    Spiegel Geschichte
    18 December 2012 at 7.00 pm

  • William Edward Boeing - Ace of Aircraft

    NDR
    06 February 2011 at 03.15 am

  • Henry John Heinz - Ketchup King

    arte
    from 22th to 26th February 2010 at 2.00 pm

  • Henry Steinway - Birth of a Legend

    arte
    from 22th to 26th February 2010 at 14.00 pm

  • Henry John Heinz - Ketchup King

    arte
    from 15th to 19th February 2010 at 07.30 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Henry John Heinz

    ORF3
    8 May 2012 at 1.05 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Henry E. Steinway

    ORF3
    8 May 2012 at 5.25 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Henry John Heinz

    ORF3
    8 May 2012 at 4.30 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Henry John Heinz

    ORF3
    8 May 2012 at 3.55 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Johann Jacob Astor

    ORF3
    8 May 2012 at 4.40 pm

  • Levi Strauss - Blue Jeans Billionaire

    arte
    from 15th to 19th February 2010 at 07.30 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Johann Jacob Astor

    ORF3
    8 May 2012 at 1.50 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – John Jacob Astor

    DR2
    2 February 2012 at 5.50 pm

  • Henry John Heinz - Ketchup King

    ARDPlus
    26 December 2010 um 06:30 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Henry John Heinz

    ORF3
    7 May 2012 at 9.25 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Henry E. Steinway

    ORF3
    7 May 2012 at 10.55 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Levi Strauss

    ORF3
    15 May 2012 at 5.20 pm

  • William Edward Boeing – Ace of Aircraft

    SF1
    16 January 2012 at 9.00 am

  • William Edward Boeing - Ace of Aircraft

    3sat
    30. September 2011 at 08:15 pm

  • Henry John Heinz - Ketchup King

    NDR
    06 February 2011 at 01.45 am

  • William Edward Boeing - Ace of Aircraft

    NDR
    6 December 2010 at 3.15 pm

  • Henry Steinway – Birth of a Legend

    SF1
    2 December 2010 at 09.45 am

  • Levi Strauss - Blue Jeans Billionaire

    arte
    from 22th to 26th February 2010 at 14.00 pm

  • Henry Steinway – Birth of a Legend

    SF1
    9 January 2012 at 9.00 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires - Henry Steinway

    arte
    25 October 2011 at 08.00 am

  • John Jacob Astor - America's Richest Man

    arte
    from 22th to 26th February 2010 at 14.00 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Johann Jacob Astor

    ORF3
    7 May 2012 at 10.10 pm

  • John Jacob Astor – America’s Richest Man

    SF1
    23 January 2012 at 9.00 am

  • Henry Steinway - Birth of a Legend

    NDR
    06 February 2011 at 04.00 am

  • William Edward Boeing - Ace of Aircraft

    SF1
    9 December 2010 at 9.00 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – William Edward Boeing

    ORF3
    15 May 2012 at 4.30 pm

  • John Jacob Astor - America's Richest Man

    3sat
    20 March 2011 at 8.15 pm

  • Levi Strauss - Blue Jeans Billionaire

    ARDPlus
    26 December at 8.15 pm

  • William Edward Boeing - Ace of Aircraft

    arte
    from 15th to 19th February 2010 at 07.30 pm

  • Henry John Heinz - Ketchup King

    NDR
    8 December 2010 at 3.15 pm

  • William Edward Boeing - Ace of Aircraft

    arte
    from 22th to 26th February 2010 at 14.00 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Henry E. Steinway

    ORF3
    8 May 2012 at 2.35 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Levi Strauss

    ORF3
    14 May 2012 at 10.25 pm

  • Levi Strauss - Blue Jeans Billionaire

    NDR
    06 February 2011 at 01.00 am

  • Henry John Heinz - Ketchup King

    SF1
    23 December 2010 at 09.00 am

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – John Jacob Astor

    3Sat
    20 March 2011 at 08:15 pm

  • Levi Strauss - Blue Jeans Billionaire

    NDR
    10 December at 3.15 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Levi Strauss

    ORF3
    15 May 2012 at 02.45 am

  • John Jacob Astor - America's Richest Man

    NDR
    06 February 2011 at 02.30 am

  • Henry Steinway - Birth of a Legend

    ARDPlus
    26 December 2010 at 5.45 pm

  • John Jacob Astor - America's Richest Man

    arte
    from 15th to 19th February 2010 at 07.30 pm

  • William Edward Boeing - Ace of Aircraft

    ARDPlus
    26 December 2010 at 05.00 pm

  • John Jacob Astor - America's Richest Man

    SF1
    16 December 2010 at 9.00 am

  • Henry Steinway - Birth of a Legend

    NDR
    7 December 2010 at 3.15 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – William Edward Boeing

    DR2
    1 February 2012 at 5.50 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires - John Jacob Astor

    arte
    24 October 2011 at 08:00 am

  • John Jacob Astor - America's Richest Man

    NDR
    9 December 2010 at 3.15 pm

  • Pioneers turned Millionaires – Henry John Heinz

    DR2
    3 February 2012 at 5.55 pm

  • Henry Steinway - Birth of a Legend

    arte
    from 15th to 19th February 2010 at 07.30 pm