Volker Lechtenbrink
Born18 August 1944
Cranz, East Prussia, Prussia, Nazi Germany (now Zelenogradsk, Russia)
Died22 November 2021(2021-11-22) (aged 77)
Hamburg, Germany
Occupations
Organizations
AwardsGustaf Gründgens Prize

Volker Lechtenbrink (18 August 1944 – 22 November 2021) was a German actor on stage, in film and television, a singer-songwriter, dubbing artist, stage director and theatre manager. He played in the anti-war movie The Bridge in 1959 at age 14. He appeared in popular television series including Der Kommissar, Der Alte and Tatort. Lechtenbrink was stage director at the Ernst Deutsch Theater in Hamburg, and intendant of the Bad Hersfelder Festspiele.

Early life

Lechtenbrink was born in Cranz, East Prussia, Prussia, Germany (now Zelenogradsk, Russia),[1] but grew up in Hamburg and Bremen where his family lived after World War II. He started his career at the age of 14 acting in the Oscar-nominated anti-war movie The Bridge (1959) by director Bernhard Wicki.[2][3]

After leaving the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums a year after completing his mittlere Reife, he was educated at the drama school of the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg.[4][5] He worked as an actor, later also stage director at the Ernst Deutsch Theater in Hamburg. Between 2004 and 2006, he was the theatre's intendant. From 1995 and 1997, he was also intendant of the Bad Hersfelder Festspiele.[4]

Career

Lechtenbrink acted in several German television productions during the last decades, including Der Kommissar, Derrick, Der Alte, Tatort, Ein Fall für zwei and some Rosamunde Pilcher films.[6] In 2006, he played one of the central roles in the short-lived television series M.E.T.R.O. – Ein Team auf Leben und Tod.[7]

He was the German dubbing voice of Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Avery Brooks and Dennis Quaid.[3][8] Besides his work as an actor he also started a very successful career as a singer and songwriter during the 1970s and 1980s, with songs like "Der Macher" and "Ich mag",[4] some his own, others German versions of country rock ballads.[2] He wrote the lyrics to the song "Rücksicht", performed by the duo Hoffmann & Hoffmann at the Eurovision Song Contest 1983, achieving 5th place in a field of 20.[9]

Personal life

Grave of Volker Lechtenbrink, Friedhof Ohlsdorf (cemetery), Hamburg

Lechtenbrink was married five times, including the actresses Anja Topf [de] and Jeanette Arndt [de], and had three children.[10] He lived in Berlin and Hamburg.[11] He died on 22 November 2021, aged 77.[3]

Awards

In 2010, Lechtenbrink was awarded the Rolf-Mares-Preis [de] for a role in Frost/Nixon at the Hamburger Kammerspiele.[12][13] In 2014, he was awarded the Biermann Ratjen Medal of the City of Hamburg.[13] The city of Hamburg honoured his life achievements in 2021 by granting him the Gustaf Gründgens Prize.[13] He passed the prize money of €15,000 to three charity organisations.[14] He won the Hersfeld-Preis (Großer Hersfeld-Preis) in 1997.[15]

Albums

Source:[16]

Filmography

Films[17] and television and television series[6] with Lechtenbrink include:

References

  1. ^ "Schauspieler und Sänger Volker Lechtenbrink ist tot". tagesschau.de (in German). 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Reents, Edo (23 November 2021). "Nachruf Volker Lechtenbrink: Der Macher". FAZ (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink ist tot". NDR (in German). 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Die Promi-Geburtstage vom 18. August 2014: Volker Lechtenbrink". Focus Online. Focus. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  5. ^ "Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink gestorben". Focus (in German). 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Volker Lechtenbrink". fernsehserien.de (in German). 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Klassiker der Woche: / "Die Brücke" / Deutscher Anti-Kriegsfilm (1959)". movie-shark.de (in German). 2 May 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  8. ^ Felten, Uwe (23 November 2021). "Nach schwerer Erkrankung: Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink mit 77 Jahren gestorben". RP ONLINE (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  9. ^ a b Feddersen, Jan (23 November 2021). "Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink tot: Er schlüpfte in alle Rollen". Die Tageszeitung: Taz. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Mit 77 Jahren: Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink gestorben". Die Welt (in German). 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Volker Lechtenbrink mit 77 Jahren gestorben". rbb24 (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  12. ^ Rolf-Mares-Preis
  13. ^ a b c "Volker Lechtenbrink ist verstorben". hamburg.de (in German). 10 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Volker Lechtenbrink mit Gustaf-Gründgens-Preis geehrt". Merkur (in German). 17 September 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Historie: Preisträger Großer Hersfeld-Preis". www.bad-hersfelder-festspiele.de. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  16. ^ Ehrlacher, Frank (23 November 2021). "Volker Lechtenbrink – Discographie – Alle CDs, alle Songs". discographien.de (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Volker Lechtenbrink / Darsteller". filmportal.de (in German). 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Der Kommissar Folge 14: Das Ungeheuer". fernsehserien.de (in German). 11 August 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "Biografie". Volker Lechtenbrink (in German). 12 November 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  20. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Derrick: Schonzeit für Mörder (S1E145)". filmcharts.ch (in German). Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Hamburger Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink ist tot". Hamburger Allgemeine Rundschau (in German). 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  22. ^ "Ein Fall für zwei Folge 106: Rache" (in German). fernsehserien.de. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.

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