The book
At the beginning of January 1960, the writer couple Brigitte Reimann and Siegfried Pitschmann moved to Hoyerswerda on Bitterfelder Weg to start work at the Schwarze Pumpe lignite combine. Brigitte Reimann’s editor at Verlag Neues Leben, Walter Lewerenz, wrote her a letter there on 12 January with a wish: „Hopefully you will come across interesting material in your new field of work that you will then work on for us!“[1] Brigitte Reimann’s reply reached him just six days later: „An idea for a girls' book has already emerged, but I will have to keep it in my heart for a long time before it [has] condensed into a solid fable and can be presented to you.“[2]The publisher, however, did not want to wait and asked for an exposé to be sent soon. In addition, Brigitte Reimann and Siegfried Pitschmann urgently needed money to furnish their first own flat in Hoyerswerda – and the publisher refused to make any further advance payment without anything in return. So Brigitte Reimann sat down at her desk with her usual iron discipline and at the end of February 1960, instead of a synopsis, she sent Walter Lewerenz the first thirty pages of her book for girls, which had now become a book for young people. She wrote:
„Today I’m sending you the first thirty pages of a book for young people (I don’t have a title yet). I can’t give you a synopsis, perhaps just this much: it’s the story of three high school students who are confronted with the harsh reality of a major construction site. I’m trying here (and this is an experiment as daring as it is interesting) to write a book together with my socialist brigade – pipe fitters and welders – at the combine.“[3]
Lewerenz replied and you could already feel his closeness to the subject matter of the book:
„I understand that you were annoyed by our announcement that we could not advance you the fee. […] I am pleased that, despite your annoyance, you sent us the 30 pages of the new manuscript. The exposition is really good and promises an interesting, lively, youthful work. The three main characters are already present. I’ve already grown quite fond of Nicholas and Curt, I’m curious to see what situations you’ll put him in so that he’ll finally turn round and understand. Yes, and Recha, certainly a difficult but charming character. Will she meet her father? You realise that I am already thinking about the progress of the plot, about the development of the characters, and you can see from this how interested I have been in reading. I also believe that, at least judging by the 30 pages, you have the right relationship to your characters and the material. Restrained, objective, with the right feeling for the essential, for the new. It will now be important for you to lead the fable, to bring the conflicts to a head in such a way that you master the education of the three young people and at the same time give a picture of socialist life in the making. It is interesting that you plan to work on the book together with your socialist brigade. I would like to take part in such a discussion.“[4]
„[…] obviously the completion of ‚Abiturienten‘ is more difficult and time-consuming than you and we assumed six months ago when we signed the contract. The deadline for manuscript delivery has arrived and only 150 pages have been submitted. You know the interest with which we are following the development of the novel and that we want to publish it as soon as possible. But you also know what a delay means for the publishing work […].“[7]
Brigitte Reimann was given two more months, after which the manuscript had to be finally finished. She was so anxious about the deadline that she could hardly write any more, and how she was supposed to complete the missing 100 pages in a month was beyond her. She had „miscalculated the size of the book“, Brigitte Reimann wrote in her reply letter to Meta Borst from the publisher Neues Leben.[8]
What was almost worse was that the title of the book already had to be decided at this point and the previous working title „Die Abiturienten“ was not accepted by the publishing house management. Walter Lewerenz then tried to help Brigitte Reimann. Together with his colleagues at the publishing house, he came up with possible book titles, but they couldn’t think of anything really useful either. Titles such as „Unromantische Abenteuer“, „Die andere Romantik“, „Erziehung der Gefühle 1960“ or even „Napoleon und die Abiturienten“ were discarded.[9] Time was becoming increasingly short. „So it will be necessary for you to come up with something better; and quickly“, Lewerenz wrote to his author on 4 November 1960.[10]
It came as it had to. Brigitte Reimann fell ill from all the stress. She was in bed with a severe flu and Siegfried Pitschmann took over the correspondence with Walter Lewerenz on her behalf. After consultation with Brigitte Reimann, he suggested the new title „Die Halbreifen“.[11] Lewerenz was not convinced by this title. He racked his brains day and night. And literally at the very last second, he came up with the title that would later be used to name and entire literary genre in the GDR. On 24 November 1960, he wrote to Brigitte Reimann:
„As for your suggested title, ‚Die Halbreifen‘, it is too reminiscent of ‚Die Halbstarken‘ or ‚Die Halbseidenen‘ or the ‚Halbgewalkten‘. I would rather not put our three heroes under such a negative sign. Meanwhile, before going to sleep, I was thinking about another title. What do you think of ‚Arrival in Everyday Life‘ [‚Ankunft im Alltag‘]?“[12]
At least that solved one problem. But the joy was short-lived. Despite working hard together, Brigitte Reimann and Walter Lewerenz were unable to meet the manuscript deadline of 7 January 1961. And then Lewerenz fell ill. Brigitte Reimann was left to her own devices. But in February she finally made it. Relieved, she sent the finished manuscript to the publisher, Walter Lewerenz, who hat recovered in the meantime, and in June 1961 Brigitte Reimann’s „Ankunft im Alltag“ was published. The book was a great success: on 10 June 1962, Brigitte Reimann received the Literature Prize of the Free German Trade Union Federation (FDGB) for it and on 2 July 1962 a prize in the youth literature competition.
February 1963. Brigitte Reimann had now been in Petzow – with interruptions – for four and a half months and her stay could no longer be extended. The final work on the script therefore had to be completed in Hoyerswerda. Siegfried Pitschmann was taking a cure in Warmbad at the time and so the Reimann-Englberger-Mehnert trio were able to occupy the flat at Liselotte-Hermann-Straße 20 in Hoyerswerda at the beginning of March and hoped to be able to put the finishing touches to the rough script after a two-day marathon session. On 2 March 1963, Brigitte Reimann wrote in her diary:
„Michel and Günter [Mehnert] came in the morning and we fell into each other’s arms and hugged and kissed and were happy, and then the two noisy days began. […] we were tipsy the whole time and worked like mad […] we didn’t get too much done, but we had a marvellous time. […] We visited the locations for our plot, and Erwin [Hanke] showed us the new nave. […] We worked until eleven in the evening, and when we had finished the opening credits, we lay around like dying winter flies, and Michel fell asleep – but it was nice, […] and now the rough script is finished; I still have to write it today and tomorrow. I was very sad when they left […] and I fell into bed and couldn’t sleep because I was so tired.“[21]
The finished screenplay was written on 12 March 1963 and runs to an impressive 205 pages. But while Brigitte Reimann had been working on the screenplay with her DEFA colleagues Mehnert and Englberger, literary life in the GDR had moved further and further away from the euphoria of the early years. The lively reality that Brigitte Reimann had still felt at the beginning of 1960 when she began „Ankunft im Alltag“ had given way to increasing paralysis in a hamster wheel of hard work and gruelling everyday worries. The Bitterfeld path had not brought the hoped-for success either and the zenith of „arrival literature“ had already been passed by the beginning of 1963.
Reimann, Mehnert and Englberger therefore already suspected what was to come and had drawn up a contingency plan. If DEFA rejected the material again, they wanted to offer the script to German television[22]. They could hardly imagine that this last hope would be dashed. For Brigitte Reimann in particular, the thought of having invested a whole year in a commissioned work that nobody wanted anymore was too painful. The sober rest of the devastating „arrival in the drawer“ can be told quite quickly. On 6 April 1963, Brigitte Reimann noted in her diary: „[…] I have heard that my film will die […]“[23] and on 23 April:
„I got out of dear Defa. We had a directors’ meeting on Tuesday, and again they demanded changes that I had no desire to make, probably not even any creative ability. I said no and suggested that an experienced scenarist should be put in charge of the script. Astonishment, shock, finally hesitant agreement. I left the room a free man.“[24]
The Stasi was immediately informed of Reimann’s outrageous „no“. In the IM report, the same facts sound like this:
„On this occasion, R. told me that she had thrown in her job at DEFA and was no longer involved. She was supposed to change this and that, but she didn’t feel like doing it anymore because the changes were so idiotic and she told them to find someone else to finish writing it, she only wanted to do the consultant. She’s not thinking of adding another six months to it, of course she’s losing a lot of money and she’s getting stupid if she’s just sitting on this work all the time and not getting anything else done.“[25]
By leaving the film, Brigitte Reimann was finally rid of her unloved work on the screenplay. DEFA supposedly still wanted to make the film. But almost two more months had passed, nothing had happened and Brigitte Reimann was finally fed up. She wanted to activate the emergency plan. She wrote to the DEFA head dramaturge Klaus Wischnewsky:
„[…] now I have to contact you again about ‚Ankunft im Alltag‘. I should know by 1 May who will take over the direction, but this question is still unresolved. You also know that I don’t agree with the changes that have been suggested. Why should the script lie around in an archive for months? I recently had a conversation with Mr. Kolus: the TV station is prepared to take over the script immediately and film it. I would like to ask you to present my request to the management and make a decision to the effect that ‚Ankunft im Alltag‘ will be made available to German television.“[26]
Wischnewsky also had his deputy reply:
„As we currently see no possibility of putting the material into production, the manuscript has already been made available to ‚Deutscher Fernsehfunk‘, subject to your agreement. Should ‚Deutscher Fernsehfunk‘ decide in favour of immediate production, we would be prepared to hand over our rights to ‚Deutscher Fernsehfunk‘. I would like to emphasise once again that this decision was made in the interest of a rapid production. We share your opinion that a delay in production would be detrimental.“[27]
On 26 June 1963, the script arrived at Deutsche Fernsehfunk – and in real socialist everyday life: There it disappeared silently and finally into the drawers.[28]
 |
Memorial plaque in front of the former home of the Reimann family at Neuendorfer Straße 2 in Burg (2013) Photo: Kristina Stella [10] |
The first film
It is largely unknown that Brigitte Reimann, together with Siegfried Pitschmann, had already made a first attempt to film this material on behalf of DEFA in 1958 – four years before the book edition of „Ankunft im Alltag“ was published:
„Dear Dr Schwalbe, thank you for your letter of 12.5.58. Following your suggestion, we have written an outline from which you can see our intention, although we are limiting ourselves to hints. We await your reply.“[13]
At this point, only Siegfried Pitschmann had any experience with the planned film location: the Schwarze Pumpe lignite combine in Lusatia. Brigitte Reimann had never been there. The film sketch „Zwischenstation Abenteuer“ was made in co-production in 1958. It can be described as an early version of the „Arrival in Everyday Life“ material, even if the protagonists have different names here than in Brigitte Reimann’s later story „Arrival in Everyday Life“ [„Ankunft im Alltag“]. The story is exactly the same. The original manuscript of the film sketch was found; it was attached to the letter from Brigitte Reimann and Siegfried Pitschmann to DEFA dated 20 May 1958. An extract:
„The film shows an excerpt from the construction of the ‚Schwarze Pumpe‘ combine, illustrated by the story of three high school graduates, two boys and a girl, who do a year of practical work there. […] The journey to the ‚Schwarze Pumpe‘ becomes a journey into a new adventure for the three heroes, a daring voyage of discovery into a life that is not without romance despite sober planning, sophisticated technology, inadequacies and difficulties; they encounter the most diverse people and their fates […] The three are connected by a love story; Martin loses the game when the incorruptible reality of the new environment exposes his demanding hollowness: he fails, while Ruth and Nickel […] assert themselves.[14]
„Dear Dr Schwalbe, thank you for your letter of 12.5.58. Following your suggestion, we have written an outline from which you can see our intention, although we are limiting ourselves to hints. We await your reply.“[13]
At this point, only Siegfried Pitschmann had any experience with the planned film location: the Schwarze Pumpe lignite combine in Lusatia. Brigitte Reimann had never been there. The film sketch „Zwischenstation Abenteuer“ was made in co-production in 1958. It can be described as an early version of the „Arrival in Everyday Life“ material, even if the protagonists have different names here than in Brigitte Reimann’s later story „Arrival in Everyday Life“ [„Ankunft im Alltag“]. The story is exactly the same. The original manuscript of the film sketch was found; it was attached to the letter from Brigitte Reimann and Siegfried Pitschmann to DEFA dated 20 May 1958. An extract:
„The film shows an excerpt from the construction of the ‚Schwarze Pumpe‘ combine, illustrated by the story of three high school graduates, two boys and a girl, who do a year of practical work there. […] The journey to the ‚Schwarze Pumpe‘ becomes a journey into a new adventure for the three heroes, a daring voyage of discovery into a life that is not without romance despite sober planning, sophisticated technology, inadequacies and difficulties; they encounter the most diverse people and their fates […] The three are connected by a love story; Martin loses the game when the incorruptible reality of the new environment exposes his demanding hollowness: he fails, while Ruth and Nickel […] assert themselves.[14]
The second film
After the broadcast of the television play „Die Frau am Pranger“, based on Brigitte Reimann’s story of the same name, caused a sensation on 21 January 1962, the DEFA Studio for Feature Films asked Brigitte Reimann to make „Ankunft im Alltag“ into a film. Michael Englberger was to direct the film and Brigitte Reimann was to write the screenplay. Brigitte Reimann agreed to DEFA. At the time, she had no idea that the film project would not be nearly as successful as the book.
On 20 July 1962, one day before her 29th birthday (Brigitte Reimann had just finished the manuscript of her new story „The Siblings“), Brigitte Reimann began work on the treatment for „Arrival in Everyday Life“ in accordance with her contract. A treatment describes a planned film, it contains the complete story, sometimes even dialogue texts, but not yet fully formulated scenes or complete dialogues and therefore required a completely different approach than Brigitte Reimann was usually used to with her literary texts. On 25 July, she wrote to Siegfried Pitschmann: „I don’t enjoy the treatment either, it’s boring work and I spend hours tinkering with my household so that I don’t have to go to my desk.“[15] But she was as disciplined and hard-working as ever and soon had the treatment finished. On 24 August 1962, Brigitte Reimann noted in her diary: „The treatment is finished, M[ehnert] was here, we got drunk to celebrate the day.“[16] The document that was the reason for the exuberant celebration is now in the archive of the Film Museum in Potsdam. It is dated 24 August 1962 and comprises 73 pages with 25 scenes. Günter Mehnert had written on the cover in green biros: „Dramaturgy: Mehnert“[17].
The treatment was not accepted at the DEFA consultation on 1 September. Günter Mehnert left it to his colleague Dieter Scharfenberg to pass on the unpleasant news to Brigitte Reimann:
„[…] on behalf of Günter Mehnert, I am asked to send you a brief interim report on the situation with the material ‚Ankunft im Alltag‘ […] As you know, the material was up for discussion on 1 September 1962 in the overall production programme of our working group for 1963 and was discussed at length. The artistic staff […] came to the conclusion that the present treatment should not yet be accepted, but […] with regard to the basic relationships and problems of the three main characters […]“[18]
Brigitte Reimann summarised it prosaically in her diary as follows: „Trouble with DEFA again, the treatment is to be overturned, some artistic advisory board is interfering with my work. I’m fed up.“[19] Nevertheless. On 5 October 1962, Brigitte Reimann travelled to the writers’ home in Petzow as planned in order to revise the treatment together with Michael Englberger and Günter Mehnert and turn it into a screenplay version. In her letters to Siegfried Pitschmann, Brigitte Reimann reported on the progress of the work, which was to continue until Christmas, in even more detail than in the diary.
On 20 July 1962, one day before her 29th birthday (Brigitte Reimann had just finished the manuscript of her new story „The Siblings“), Brigitte Reimann began work on the treatment for „Arrival in Everyday Life“ in accordance with her contract. A treatment describes a planned film, it contains the complete story, sometimes even dialogue texts, but not yet fully formulated scenes or complete dialogues and therefore required a completely different approach than Brigitte Reimann was usually used to with her literary texts. On 25 July, she wrote to Siegfried Pitschmann: „I don’t enjoy the treatment either, it’s boring work and I spend hours tinkering with my household so that I don’t have to go to my desk.“[15] But she was as disciplined and hard-working as ever and soon had the treatment finished. On 24 August 1962, Brigitte Reimann noted in her diary: „The treatment is finished, M[ehnert] was here, we got drunk to celebrate the day.“[16] The document that was the reason for the exuberant celebration is now in the archive of the Film Museum in Potsdam. It is dated 24 August 1962 and comprises 73 pages with 25 scenes. Günter Mehnert had written on the cover in green biros: „Dramaturgy: Mehnert“[17].
The treatment was not accepted at the DEFA consultation on 1 September. Günter Mehnert left it to his colleague Dieter Scharfenberg to pass on the unpleasant news to Brigitte Reimann:
„[…] on behalf of Günter Mehnert, I am asked to send you a brief interim report on the situation with the material ‚Ankunft im Alltag‘ […] As you know, the material was up for discussion on 1 September 1962 in the overall production programme of our working group for 1963 and was discussed at length. The artistic staff […] came to the conclusion that the present treatment should not yet be accepted, but […] with regard to the basic relationships and problems of the three main characters […]“[18]
Brigitte Reimann summarised it prosaically in her diary as follows: „Trouble with DEFA again, the treatment is to be overturned, some artistic advisory board is interfering with my work. I’m fed up.“[19] Nevertheless. On 5 October 1962, Brigitte Reimann travelled to the writers’ home in Petzow as planned in order to revise the treatment together with Michael Englberger and Günter Mehnert and turn it into a screenplay version. In her letters to Siegfried Pitschmann, Brigitte Reimann reported on the progress of the work, which was to continue until Christmas, in even more detail than in the diary.
The film on the magic mountain
In January 1963, Brigitte Reimann had already spent more than half a year working on the screenplay. Long months in which she would have much rather started a new book. She wanted to write stories and preferably the novel that had been in her head for a long time („Franziska Linkerhand“). Working on film became more and more odious to her, the initial euphoria of being able to present her literary material once again in the medium of film had been thoroughly spoilt by DEFA. On 14 January, we find another typical Reimann summary in her diary: „With Michel, I sit over the screenplay every day – a shitty, pedantic job.“[20]February 1963. Brigitte Reimann had now been in Petzow – with interruptions – for four and a half months and her stay could no longer be extended. The final work on the script therefore had to be completed in Hoyerswerda. Siegfried Pitschmann was taking a cure in Warmbad at the time and so the Reimann-Englberger-Mehnert trio were able to occupy the flat at Liselotte-Hermann-Straße 20 in Hoyerswerda at the beginning of March and hoped to be able to put the finishing touches to the rough script after a two-day marathon session. On 2 March 1963, Brigitte Reimann wrote in her diary:
„Michel and Günter [Mehnert] came in the morning and we fell into each other’s arms and hugged and kissed and were happy, and then the two noisy days began. […] we were tipsy the whole time and worked like mad […] we didn’t get too much done, but we had a marvellous time. […] We visited the locations for our plot, and Erwin [Hanke] showed us the new nave. […] We worked until eleven in the evening, and when we had finished the opening credits, we lay around like dying winter flies, and Michel fell asleep – but it was nice, […] and now the rough script is finished; I still have to write it today and tomorrow. I was very sad when they left […] and I fell into bed and couldn’t sleep because I was so tired.“[21]
The film in the drawer
Reimann, Mehnert and Englberger therefore already suspected what was to come and had drawn up a contingency plan. If DEFA rejected the material again, they wanted to offer the script to German television[22]. They could hardly imagine that this last hope would be dashed. For Brigitte Reimann in particular, the thought of having invested a whole year in a commissioned work that nobody wanted anymore was too painful. The sober rest of the devastating „arrival in the drawer“ can be told quite quickly. On 6 April 1963, Brigitte Reimann noted in her diary: „[…] I have heard that my film will die […]“[23] and on 23 April:
„I got out of dear Defa. We had a directors’ meeting on Tuesday, and again they demanded changes that I had no desire to make, probably not even any creative ability. I said no and suggested that an experienced scenarist should be put in charge of the script. Astonishment, shock, finally hesitant agreement. I left the room a free man.“[24]
The Stasi was immediately informed of Reimann’s outrageous „no“. In the IM report, the same facts sound like this:
„On this occasion, R. told me that she had thrown in her job at DEFA and was no longer involved. She was supposed to change this and that, but she didn’t feel like doing it anymore because the changes were so idiotic and she told them to find someone else to finish writing it, she only wanted to do the consultant. She’s not thinking of adding another six months to it, of course she’s losing a lot of money and she’s getting stupid if she’s just sitting on this work all the time and not getting anything else done.“[25]
By leaving the film, Brigitte Reimann was finally rid of her unloved work on the screenplay. DEFA supposedly still wanted to make the film. But almost two more months had passed, nothing had happened and Brigitte Reimann was finally fed up. She wanted to activate the emergency plan. She wrote to the DEFA head dramaturge Klaus Wischnewsky:
„[…] now I have to contact you again about ‚Ankunft im Alltag‘. I should know by 1 May who will take over the direction, but this question is still unresolved. You also know that I don’t agree with the changes that have been suggested. Why should the script lie around in an archive for months? I recently had a conversation with Mr. Kolus: the TV station is prepared to take over the script immediately and film it. I would like to ask you to present my request to the management and make a decision to the effect that ‚Ankunft im Alltag‘ will be made available to German television.“[26]
Wischnewsky also had his deputy reply:
„As we currently see no possibility of putting the material into production, the manuscript has already been made available to ‚Deutscher Fernsehfunk‘, subject to your agreement. Should ‚Deutscher Fernsehfunk‘ decide in favour of immediate production, we would be prepared to hand over our rights to ‚Deutscher Fernsehfunk‘. I would like to emphasise once again that this decision was made in the interest of a rapid production. We share your opinion that a delay in production would be detrimental.“[27]
On 26 June 1963, the script arrived at Deutsche Fernsehfunk – and in real socialist everyday life: There it disappeared silently and finally into the drawers.[28]
Notes
The essay is a revised and expanded version of my lecture „The true story of ‚Arrival in Everyday Life‘“ [„Ankunft im Alltag“] and the never-realised feature film; held in Burg in 2013 (In: Ich sterbe, wenn ich nicht schreibe / edited for the literary associations Friedrich-Bödecker-Kreis in Sachsen-Anhalt e.V. and Pelikan e.V. by Dorothea Iser. – Erfurt : Dorise, 2013. -–pages 463-476). Publication, even in extracts, or any other use of the material is only permitted with my express written authorisation.
[2] Brigitte Reimann an Walter Lewerenz, 18.01.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-145.
[3] Brigitte Reimann an Walter Lewerenz, 25.02.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-167.
[4] Walter Lewerenz an Brigitte Reimann, 08.03.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-176.
[5] Brigitte Reimann an Walter Lewerenz, 13.03.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-177.
[6] Bruno Peterson an Brigitte Reimann, 31.03.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-186.
[7] Meta Borst an Brigitte Reimann, 22.10.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-300.
[8] Brigitte Reimann an Meta Borst, 05.11.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-307.
[9] Walter Lewerenz an Brigitte Reimann, 04.11.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-305.
[10] Ebd.
[11] Siegfried Pitschmann an Walter Lewerenz, 10.11.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-316.
[12] Walter Lewerenz an Brigitte Reimann, 24.11.1960. – Archiv BRA 864-328.
[13] Brigitte Reimann und Siegfried Pitschmann an Dr. Schwalbe (DEFA), 20.5.1958. – Archiv BRA, 862-9-1.
[14] Zwischenstation Abenteuer [Arbeitstitel] : Filmskizze. – [Undatiert, 20.05.1958]. – Archiv BRA, 862-9-2/3.
[15] Brigitte Reimann an Siegfried Pitschmann, 25.07.1962. – In: „Wär schön gewesen!“ (2013), Seite 109.
[16] Brigitte Reimann, 24.08.1962. – In: Ich bedaure nichts (1997), Seite 248.
[17] Filmmuseum Potsdam, Sammlungen. – Iv.-Nr. 18/1999/N 010. ADB/419.
[18] Dieter Scharfenberg (DEFA) an Brigitte Reimann, 07.09.1962. – Archiv BRA 865-245.
[19] Brigitte Reimann, 14.09.1962. – In: Ich bedaure nichts (1997), Seite 249.
[20] Ebd., Seite 277.
[21] Ebd., Seite 301-303.
[22] Günter Mehnert an Brigitte Reimann und Siegfried Pitschmann, 15.03.1963. – Archiv BRA 866-292.
[23] Brigitte Reimann, 06.04.1963. – In: Ich bedaure nichts (1997), Seite 311.
[24] Ebd., Seite 314.
[25] Auszug aus IM-Bericht, Cottbus, 24.04.1963. – Archiv BStU, MfS, BV Neubrandenburg AOPK 259/73 Bd. II, Seite 2.
[26] Brigitte Reimann an Klaus Wischnewsky, [17.06.1963]. – Archiv BRA 866-324.
[27] Päch (DEFA) an Brigitte Reimann, 26.06.1963. – Archiv BRA 866-335.
[28] Im Archiv des Filmmuseums Potsdam (Archiv Film Potsdam) bzw. im Filmarchiv des Bundesarchivs (Archiv BA) konnten die Originalmanuskripte des ersten Treatments vom 24. August 1962, des zweiten Treatments vom 13. November 1962 und des Rohdrehbuchs vom 12. März 1963 ermittelt werden. Da Drehbücher und ihre Vorstufen üblicherweise an mehrere Beteiligte verteilt wurden, gibt es mehrere „Originale“.
Ankunft im Alltag : Treatment I/1 / von Brigitte Reimann. Dramaturgie: Mehnert. – maschinenschriftlich. – 24.08.1962. – 73 Blatt, 73 Seiten. – Archiv Film Potsdam, Inventarisierungsnummer 18/1999/N 010 (Original). Archiv BA, Inventarisierungsnummer DR 117/10753 (Original).
Ankunft im Alltag : Treatment II / Autor: Brigitte Reimann. Dramaturg: Günter Mehnert. – maschinenschriftlich. – 13.11.1962. – 68 Blatt, 68 Seiten. – Archiv BA, Inventarisierungsnummer DR 117/10754 (Original).
Ankunft im Alltag : Rohdrehbuch / von Brigitte Reimann. – maschinenschriftliches Original. – 12.03.1963. – 206 Blatt, 206 Seiten. – Archiv BA, Inventarisierungsnummer DR 117/331 (Original).
