Heinz Rühmann

Ranked #1 in a survey by network ZDF searching Germany's all-time favorite actor (24 November 2006).

Being good friends with pilot Ernst Udet, he learned flying and had a pilot's license until his 80th birthday.

Though he was usually associated with extrovert comedy roles, he was an extremely serious, even shy person in private life. This became even more accentuated following the death of his beloved wife Hertha Feiler in 1970. Rühmann became increasingly introverted and was not seen laughing or being in any way lighthearted unless on stage or in front of the camera.

Received several notable awards: Germany's Cross of Merit (1966), Germany's Great Cross of Merit with star and shoulder ribbon (1972), Munich's Cultural Honorary Prize (1977), Bavaria's Maximilianorden for Science and Art (1982), Munich's Golden Honorary Coin (1990) and the Golden Berolina (1991).

Ensemble member at the famous Vienna Burgtheater from 1960 to 1962.

He was an actor and producer, known for Ein Mann geht durch die Wand (1959), The Captain from Köpenick (1956) and The Good Soldier Schweik (1960). He was married to Hertha Droemer, Hertha Feiler and Maria Herbot.

The administration of Neukölln, a Berlin district, gave out a silver coin with his head on it remembering The Captain from Köpenick (1956) (1977).

Honory Member of the International Lodge of Artists (1955)

When producer Gyula Trebitsch helped the failed Heinz Rühmann to get a comeback, this was the begin of his second career. With "Keine Angst vor grossen Tieren" (1953) he found the kind of role which was accepted and rewarded by the public.

He played at theaters before he founded together with Alf Teichs the film company Comedia in 1947. From 1948 he was working in front of the camera again and had a succès d'estime with "Berliner Ballade" (48). But the other movies didn't attract the interest of the audience and the film company went bankrupt. This failure had a great effect on Heinz Rühmann's life whose fees were seized to 50 % till 1959.

Was forced to witness the rape of his wife Hertha Feiler by Russian soldiers in his Berlin villa (May 1945).

Even the great Heinz Rühman wasn't spared from the political confusions in Germany. In 1938, he had to get a divorce from his Jewish wife Maria. She got married with the Swedish actor Rolf von Nauckhoff, which helped her receive the departure permission to Sweden. There she was financially supported by Heinz Rühmann during the war.

His first weekly salary as an actor was 80 Marks per month. By 1927/28, he had established his presence on the Berlin stage and was earning 80 Marks a day.

Only few are aware today that Heinz Rühmann began his film career in the silent movie era. But the two movies "Das deutsche Mutterherz" (1926) and "Das Mädchen mit den fünf Nullen" (1927) didn't mean the breakthrough but merely a short excursion to a new medium.

Made his theatrical debut in Breslau in 1920, appearing in the plays "Rose Bernd" by Hauptmann and "Pandora's Box" by Wedekind.

His career began in 1919 when Heinz Rühmann decided to take acting lessons. Already six months after this important step he got his first theater engagement at the Lobe and Thalia theater. It followed stages in Hannover, Bremen, Munich and Berlin.

He was born as one of three children (he had two sisters) to Hermann and Margarethe Rühmann. After his parents had divorced in 1916, his father committed suicide.

Heinz Rühmann was born on March 7, 1902 in Essen, Germany as Heinrich Wilhelm Rühmann.

First wife Maria Herbot aka Maria Bernheim (1897-1957) later married actor Rolf von Nauckhoff.

Rühmann was taught flying by a Bavarian World War I fighter ace, the highly decorated Eduard Ritter von Schleich (1888-1947). He later formed a close friendship with the legendary pilot Ernst Udet (1896-1941).