Erwin Geschonneck

Erwin Geschonneck
Erwin Geschonneck
	Erwin Geschonneck, 1968
Born	Erwin Geschonneck; 27 December 1906; Bartenstein, German Empire
Died	12 March 2008 (aged 101); Berlin, Germany
Spouse	Heike Geschonneck
Children	Matti Geschonneck, Alexander Geschonneck

Erwin Geschonneck (27 December 1906 – 12 March 2008) was a German actor. His biggest success occurred in the German Democratic Republic, where he was considered one of the most famous actors of the time.

Early life

Geschonneck was born in Bartenstein, East Prussia (now Bartoszyce, Poland), the son of a poor shoemaker.^{[citation needed]} The family moved to Berlin in 1909 so his father could work as a nightwatchman. In 1919, the younger Geschonneck joined the Communist Party of Germany. After the Nazi takeover in 1933, he emigrated to the Soviet Union via Poland, but was expelled in 1938 and moved to Prague. After the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia, he was arrested on 31 March 1939.^[1] During World War II, he was imprisoned in several Nazi concentration camps. In 1945, Geschonneck was one of the few prisoners who survived the RAF sinking of the Cap Arcona.^[2]

Career

Immediately following the war, Geschonneck acted in theaters in Hamburg, Germany, and made his film debut in 1947 in In jenen Tagen. He subsequently moved to East Germany, worked with Bertolt Brecht, and became a successful actor. He was a member of the jury at the 6th^[3] and 7th Moscow International Film Festivals.^[4]

Geschonneck was featured in the German film Jacob the Liar by Frank Beyer, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1977 Academy Awards – the only nomination for the GDR. In December 2006, he turned 100.

His last film, made in 1995 for the German television network ARD, was Matulla und Busch [de], where he played alongside veteran actor Fred Delmare. Geschonneck's son Matti Geschonneck directed.

Death

Geschonneck died in Berlin on 12 March 2008, aged 101.^[5]

Filmography

Kuhle Wampe (1932) – Arbeitersportler (uncredited)
In Those Days (1947) – Schmitt / 6. Geschichte
Finale (1948) – Wilke
The Last Night (1949) – Oskar, Fahrer
Love '47 (1949) – Kriminalbeamter
The Beaver Coat (1949) – Motes
Harbour Melody (1950) – Emil
Das Kalte Herz (1950) – Holländer-Michel
Das Beil von Wandsbek (1951) – Albert Teetjen
Schatten über den Inseln (1952) – Dr. Sten Horn
Die Unbesiegbaren (1953) – Wilhelm Liebknecht
Alarm im Zirkus (1954) – Klott
Das Stacheltier: Das Haushaltswunder (1955) – Abteilungsleiter Vogel
Das Stacheltier: Es geht um die Wurst (1955) – Leo Weiß, Friseur
Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder (1955, unfinished film) – Feldprediger
Les Aventures de Till L'Espiègle (1956) – Bras d'Acier
Der Hauptmann von Köln (1956) – Hans Karjanke
Schlösser und Katen (1957) – Bröker
Katzgraben (1957) – Großmann, ein Großbauer
Der Lotterieschwede (1958) – Johan Jönsson
Geschichte vom armen Hassan (1958) – Machmud
SAS 181 antwortet nicht (1959)
Musterknaben (1960) – Arthur Wedel
Leute mit Flügeln (1960) – Bartuscheck
Five Cartridges (1960) – Kommissar Wittig
Ach, du fröhliche (1962) – Walter Lörke
Wind von vorn (1962) – Schorsch
Naked Among Wolves (1963) – Walter Kraemer
Carbide and Sorrel (1963) – Kalle
Tiefe Furchen (1965) – Roter Schuster
Berlin um die Ecke (1965) – Paul Krautmann
Geschichten jener Nacht (1967) – Willi Lenz (segment "Der grosse und der kleine Willi")
Die Fahne von Kriwoj Rog (1967) – Otto Brosowski Sr.
Ein Lord am Alexanderplatz (1967) – Ewald Honig
Wir kaufen eine Feuerwehr (1970) – Herr Clasen
Sonnensucher (1972) – Jupp König
Tüzolto Utca 25 (1973) – Szentiványi
Der Untergang der Emma (1974) – Fährmann Kluge
Jacob the Liar (1974) – Kowalski
Looping (1975) – Bienes Vater
Bankett für Achilles (1975) – Meister Achilles
Das Licht auf dem Galgen (1976) – Bering
Tambari (1977) – Luden Dassow
Anton, der Zauberer (1978) – Vater Grubske
Das Ding im Schloß (1979) – Prof. Bunzberger
Circus maximus (1980) – Szakállas
Levins Mühle (1980) – Johann
Asta, mein Engelchen (1981) – Otto Gratzick / Hermann Gschwinder
Der Mann von der Cap Arcona (1982) – Erwin Gregorek
Wie die Alten sungen... (1986) – Walter Lörke
Mensch, mein Papa...! (1988) – Erich Zarling

Television

Die Gewehre der Frau Carrar (1953) – Pedro
Gewissen in Aufruhr (TV miniseries, 1961) – Oberst Joachim Ebershagen
Der Andere neben dir (1963) – Prof. Marschner
Asphalt-Story (1964) – Robby Assmann
Die Ermittlung – Oratorium in 11 Gesängen (1966) – Zeuge 9
Rendezvous mit Unbekannt (TV miniseries, 1969)
Jeder stirbt für sich allein (TV miniseries, 1970) – Otto Quangel
Das Geheimnis der Anden (TV miniseries, 1972) – Don Pineto / Prof. Binder
Im Schlaraffenland (1975) – James Luis Türkheimer
Ein altes Modell (1976) – Bruno Nakonz
Ein Wigwam für die Störche (1976) – Opa Fritz
Die Insel der Silberreiher (1976) – Oberst von Bülow
Des kleinen Lokführers große Fahrt (1978) – Großvater
Plantagenstraße 19 (1979) – Richard Matuschke
Verlobung in Hullerbusch (1979) – Ernst / Walter Wagemühl
Herbstzeit (1979) – Paul Wositschka
Meschkas Enkel (1981) – Meschka
Benno macht Geschichten (1982) – Oskar Schrader
Das Graupenschloß (1982) – Waldemar
Matulla und Busch [de] (1995) – Matulla (final film role)

References

^ Der Tagesspiegel, 13 March 2008: Der Urkräftige (obituary, in German)
^ Berliner Zeitung, 13 March 2008: Der Querkopf (obituary, in German)^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "6th Moscow International Film Festival (1969)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
^ "7th Moscow International Film Festival (1971)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2014-04-03. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
^ Associated Press (March 13, 2008). "Erwin Geschonneck". The Orlando Sentinel. Newsbank. pp. C4. Retrieved 2008-12-10.

External links

[1] Der Tagesspiegel, 13 March 2008: Der Urkräftige (obituary, in German)

[2] Berliner Zeitung, 13 March 2008: Der Querkopf (obituary, in German)^{[permanent dead link]}

[Moscow1969-3] "6th Moscow International Film Festival (1969)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-12-17.

[Moscow1971-4] "7th Moscow International Film Festival (1971)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2014-04-03. Retrieved 2012-12-22.

[5] Associated Press (March 13, 2008). "Erwin Geschonneck". The Orlando Sentinel. Newsbank. pp. C4. Retrieved 2008-12-10.

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