The German government has decided to allow the makers of a movie starring Tom Cruise, as Germany's most famous anti-Hitler plotter, to film at the site where the hero was executed.

Shooting of Valkyrie, which has attracted controversy because Cruise is a prominent Scientologist, began in July.

Germany has granted Tom Cruise permission to film part of his movie Valkyrie, about an army officer's failed attempt to kill Hitler, at the site of the German hero's execution.
(Stuart Ramson/Associated Press)

At the time, the government did not give permission to film at the so-called Bendlerblock — part of the Defence Ministry and now a memorial to the anti-Nazi resistance — citing concerns over "the dignity of the place."

Defence Ministry spokesman Thomas Raabe said Friday that the filmmakers had satisfied officials in recent talks that they were "aware of the particular significance" of the former military headquarters.

United Artists Entertainment LLC said in a statement that it was "extremely grateful to the German government for allowing us to film at the Bendlerblock."

It pledged to "take special care to respect its dignity and keep our activities there within the guidelines laid down by the government."

"Filming at the Bendlerblock has always been important to us symbolically, creatively and for the sake of historical authenticity," the statement added.

"As a result, we have been in constant communication with the government in an effort to dispel any concerns or misperceptions about the nature of Valkyrie."

The movie, directed by Bryan Singer and scheduled for release next year, stars Cruise as Col. Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg — the aristocratic army officer who was executed after a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944.
  
Raabe said it appeared the movie would underline the fact that "barbarism did not win, but rather a democratic Germany finally arose."

Stauffenberg and the other plotters of the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt were caught and executed after Hitler survived the explosion at his headquarters in what was then East Prussia.

Initial refusal

The government's initial refusal to permit filming at the place where Stauffenberg worked and died led to speculation over whether Cruise's religious beliefs had triggered the decision. Officials denied that.

Cruise is one of Scientology's best-known members. The German government considers Scientology a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people, and some critics have said one of its adherents should not be playing one of the Nazi era's few heroes.

But Raabe said experience with previous filming at the site in 2003 had been a factor in officials' initial reluctance to grant permission to the project. He did not elaborate.

Officials have noted that they granted filming permission at all other sites — among them the area around the Finance Ministry, which was once the Nazis' aviation ministry.