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Josef Goebbels, the man who almost single-handedly developed the field of propaganda into an art form, would, for a day, be the leader of World War II Germany. Goebbels was born in the German Rhineland to strict Catholic parents. He was short, standing at 5'5", of small stature and thin build, and had a sharp, prominent nose and an oily, sallow complexion. He was rejected by the German army in World War I on the basis of being a cripple, specifically, he had a club foot for which he wore a brace, contracted after a bout of osteomyelitis. After Germany was defeated, Goebbels joined the National Socialist Workers Party, more infamously known as the Nazi party, which opposed the democratic Weimar Republic that had been set up to govern Germany. Because of his impressive oratorical skills and uncanny ability to slant arguments to his view, Goebbels was considered an ideal leader in the Nazi party. It was there that he met Hitler in 1925. Though they both shared a hatred of Jews, Goebbels, a dedicated socialist, initially tried to expel the relatively capitalistic Hitler, who he saw as simply an opportunist. He would change his tune, however, when Hitler rose in rank to become leader. Hitler rewarded Goebbels with a post as Nazi district leader of Berlin, where he would wage year-round political campaigns that eventually drained the organization of virtually all of its funds. He met and married divorcée Magda Quandt around this time. Though their membership grew, the Nazis didn't manage to attract a sizable enough number of voters - especially in Berlin - to attain any kind of legitimate political power, due to both the rebounding German economy and a distrust of the gang of street thugs within the Nazi party called the Sturm Abteilung (SA). However, after the US stock market crashed in 1929, the European economies took a tremendous hit, and the resulting worldwide economic depression hit Germany especially hard. The dire economic straits of many Germans were tailor-made for a demagogue like Hitler, and, slowly, he began to take power; first as Chancellor in 1933, then as Führer in 1934. Goebbels was named minister of entertainment and propaganda, a position that gave him have sole discretion as to what books, magazines, films, radios, newspapers, etc., could print, say, or show. Knowing the media power where the influencing of people was concerned, he searched for a director to place as the head of UFA, Germany's leading film studio. In a famous meeting, he offered the position to respected German director Fritz Lang, who tried to excuse himself by saying that he had Jewish grandparents, to which Goebbels curtly replied, "We will decide who is Jewish!" Lang promptly fled the country and Goebbels settled on a rising female director, Leni Riefenstahl, as the "official" Nazi filmmaker. She directed two documentaries on the party's Nuremburg rallies of 1932 and 1933. The first was disowned by Riefenstahl because of the little time she had to prepare and the fact that it was never shown publicly because the film featured Ernst Röhm, leader of the SA, who along with many SA leaders, was murdered by the Nazi high command when they moved against the SA, just after the film was completed. Their second attempt, on which Goebbels assisted Riefenstahl extensively, is perhaps the most famous propaganda film ever made: Triumph of the Will (1935). It took almost a year to prepare from the miles upon miles of footage shot. It was a success worldwide, but was not particularly popular in Germany at the time. Goebbels then commissioned Riefenstahl to shoot the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which the Nazi leadership assumed would be dominated by German athletes. The Germans did win the total medal counts, but African-American sprinter Jesse Owens shattered the myth of Aryan dominance by winning gold medals in four different events - more than any other competitor - and was idolized by the German crowds.

After World War II broke out, Goebbels was responsible for creating a massive propaganda body of work by the German government, much of which still remains recorded. He was known to use almost anything for propaganda purposes, such as posters from French and German movies with Jewish stars as examples of the "typical Jew." Even when Germany was crumbling in 1945 and the Allies demanded unconditional surrender, Goebbels used that as a motivational tool to demonstrate that every German needed to fight or face destruction.

As Allied forces began to advance toward Germany, a paranoid and rapidly deteriorating Hitler had many of his assistants executed or imprisoned, but Goebbels was given the title of "Defender of Berlin." Hitler committed suicide by gunshot on April 30, leaving Goebbels as the next in command to take over the faltering government, which, by then, controlled only a small part of Berlin. As both Soviet forces on one side and American and British forces on the other closed in on the capital, Goebbels was well aware of the fate he would meet if he were captured alive. On May 1, 1945, he reluctantly endorsed the plan his wife had conjured, which she had communicated to Albert Speer, and permitted her to drug their six children with morphine and proceed to poison them to death through the administration of a cyanide capsule. Later that day, after requesting a moment of privacy with his wife from the onlooking SS soldiers, he shot her in head, as they had also planned, and then took his own life within seconds. Soviet troops, who Goebbels had always boasted would never get to Berlin, found him and his wife partially burnt and unburied outside the Fuhrerbunker. He was survived only by a stepson from Magda's first marriage.

Joachim "Joko" Winterscheidt is a German television host, producer, and actor, best known for his partnership with Klaas Heufer-Umlauf in shows like "Circus HalliGalli" and "Joko & Klaas gegen ProSieben." He began his media career at MTV Germany in 2005 and has since become a prominent figure in German entertainment. In addition to television, Winterscheidt has ventured into acting, with roles in films such as "Look Who's Back" (2015). He is also an entrepreneur, co-founding the fashion label German Garment and the wine brand "III Freunde." Winterscheidt is married to Lisa Sauer, and they have a daughter.

Ulrike von der Groeben was born on 25 March 1957 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She has been married to Alexander von der Groeben since 12 October 1991. They have two children.

Tanju Bilir was born on 9 August 1991 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is an actor, known for Tatort (1970), Martin liest den Koran (2024) and In Berlin wächst kein Orangenbaum (2020).

Petra Schürmann was born on 15 September 1933 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She was an actress and writer, known for Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972), Angels of Terror (1971) and Verkehrsgericht (1983). She was married to Gerhard Freund. She died on 13 January 2010 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.

Monika Treut was born on April 6, 1954 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is an award-winning director and writer of documentaries and features. Treut is known for Of Girls and Horses (2014) , Kriegerin des Lichts (2001), Gendernauts: A Journey Through Shifting Identities (1999) She has been teaching film at various universities in the U.S. and served on jurys at international film festivals like Toronto (TIFF); Amsterdam (IDFA) and many others. At Berlin film festival 2017 she's been awarded the Special Teddy for her lifetime achievement.

Nadine Arents was born on 3 February 1982 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. She is an actress, known for Rote Rosen (2006), Lotta in Love (2006) and The Visitor (2013).

Tiana Pongs was born on November 12, 1979, in Mönchengladbach.

She began a successful international career as a model in 2001. After graduating from high school, she worked in Milan, Paris and New York. Due to the astonishing amount of more than 1,000 ad productions in the span of her career, Tiana Pongs was Germany's leading commercial face. She later pursued acting and relocated to Los Angeles.

Monty Arnold was born on 26 June 1967 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for Eine Nacht in Wilhelmsburg (2005), Maybe... Maybe Not (1994) and Der goldene Nazivampir von Absam 2 - Das Geheimnis von Schloß Kottlitz (2008).

Sandra Navidi was born on 1 September 1972 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is an actress, known for Bad Banks (2018), Der Club (1985) and Wall Street Warriors (2006).

Susanne Regina Meures was born in 1977 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Susanne Regina is a director and writer, known for Raving Iran (2016), Saudi Runaway (2020) and Girl Gang (2022).

Volker Büdts was born on 11 July 1972 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. He is an actor, known for Siegfried (2005), Die Kumpel (2001) and Tatort (1970). He is married to Daniela Wutte. They have two children.

Sabine Wegner was born in 1955 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. She is an actress, known for Stammheim - The Baader-Meinhof Gang on Trial (1986), In Search of Paradise (1992) and Men... (1985). She is married to Walter Kreye. They have two children.

Walter Moers was born on 24 May 1957 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He is a writer and actor, known for Käpt'n Blaubärs Seemannsgarn (1990), Kleines Arschloch (1997) and Leos Freunde (1996).

Richard Lauffen was born on 2 June 1907 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He was an actor, known for The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959), Timm Thaler (1979) and The Indian Tomb (1959). He was married to Elisabeth Wiedemann. He died on 27 August 1990 in Marquartstein, Bavaria, West Germany.

Sükrü Pehlivan was born on 18 December 1972 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Volker Pispers was born on 18 January 1958 in Rheydt [now Mönchengladbach], Germany. He is a writer and actor, known for Beziehungen - kein schöner Land, Scheibenwischer (1980) and Neues aus der Anstalt (2007).

Heinz-Harald Frentzen was born on 18 May 1967 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany [now Germany]. He has been married to Tanja Frentzen since October 1999. They have three children.

Jan Birka was born on 8 November 1978 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. Jan is a writer and assistant director, known for Who Am I (2014), The Wave (2008) and Snowden (2016).

Nina Juraga was born on 17 December 1975 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She is an actress, known for Verbotene Liebe (1995), The Air Rescue Team (1997) and Zwischen den Sternen (2002).

Shakuntala Banerjee was born in 1973 in Rheydt, Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is a writer, known for Makro (2011), Wer weiß denn sowas? (2015) and Morgenmagazin (1992).

Michael Penners was born on 12 December 1974 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.

Gero Nievelstein was born on 29 April 1969 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He is an actor and producer, known for Noahs Flut (2015), Tödliche Wahl (1995) and Alarm für Cobra 11 - Die Autobahnpolizei (1996).

Marc-André Ter Stegen was born on 30 April 1992 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is an actor, known for LaLiga (1929), UEFA Champions League (1992) and Beko: Eat Like a Pro (2019). He has been married to Daniela Jehle since 17 May 2017.

Paul Bürks was born on 14 April 1916 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He was an actor, known for Wir bitten zum Tanz (1941), The Serpent's Egg (1977) and Freddy und der Millionär (1961). He died on 23 April 1995 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.