The production company ran out of money due to the inflation in the Weimar Republic in the 1920s. The movie, which was originally intended to be released in two parts, was cut down into a one-part feature.
After the second world war, the film was thought to be lost until one print surfaced at Gosfilmofond in Moscow. In the 1970s, Filmmuseum München could get a print in an exchange with the Russian Film Archives.
Götz shot his film on original locations in Stuttgart, Germany. Some of the locations he used were destroyed during World War II.
The Filmmuseum in Munich has reconstructed the original cut according to information provided by the script and a censorship card, dating 15 August 1929. However, 400m of film was missing. They have dyed the film in procedure usually used at the time (virage) and have had Joachim Bärenz write a new score.
Only one print existed at the Filmmuseum München until in 2004 a reconstruction was done which was broadcast by ARTE in 2005 with a score by the Musikhochschule Stuttgart. The restoration was part of the celebrations for the 200th death anniversary of Friedrich Schiller.