Volker Lechtenbrink
{{Short description|German actor and singer (1944–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Volker Lechtenbrink
| image = Volker Lechtenbrink by Stuart Mentiply.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 18 August 1944
| birth_place = Cranz, East Prussia, Prussia, Nazi Germany (now Zelenogradsk, Russia)
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|11|22|1944|8|18|df=y}}
| death_place = Hamburg, Germany
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|singer-songwriter|dubbing artist|stage director|theatre manager}}
| organizations = {{plainlist|
}}
| awards = Gustaf Gründgens Prize
| website =
}}
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),{{cite web | title=Schauspieler und Sänger Volker Lechtenbrink ist tot | website=tagesschau.de | date=23 November 2021 | url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/lechtenbrink-103.html | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}} 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.{{cite news | last=Reents | first=Edo | title=Nachruf Volker Lechtenbrink: Der Macher | newspaper=FAZ | date=23 November 2021 | url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/nachruf-auf-den-schauspieler-und-saenger-volker-lechtenbrink-17648390.html | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}}{{cite news |title=Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink ist tot |url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Schauspieler-Volker-Lechtenbrink-ist-tot,lechtenbrink188.html |access-date=23 November 2021 |work=NDR |date=23 November 2021 |language=de}}
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.{{cite web | url =http://www.focus.de/panorama/boulevard/leute-die-promi-geburtstage-vom-18-august-2014-volker-lechtenbrink_id_4066108.html | title =Die Promi-Geburtstage vom 18. August 2014: Volker Lechtenbrink | date =12 August 2014 | website =Focus Online | publisher =Focus | access-date =21 February 2016 }}{{cite web | title=Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink gestorben | website=Focus | date=23 November 2021 | url=https://www.focus.de/kultur/kino_tv/im-alter-von-77-jahren-schauspieler-volker-lechtenbrink-gestorben_id_24452748.html | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}} 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.
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.{{cite web | title= Volker Lechtenbrink | website=fernsehserien.de | date= 2021 | url=https://www.fernsehserien.de/volker-lechtenbrink/filmografie | language=de | access-date=24 November 2021}} 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.{{cite web | title=Klassiker der Woche: / "Die Brücke" / Deutscher Anti-Kriegsfilm (1959) | website=movie-shark.de | date=2 May 2021 | url=https://www.movie-shark.de/dvd-bluray/klassiker-der-woche-die-bruecke-deutscher-anti-kriegsfilm-1959/ | language=de | access-date=24 November 2021}}
He was the German dubbing voice of Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Avery Brooks and Dennis Quaid.{{cite web | last=Felten | first=Uwe | title=Nach schwerer Erkrankung: Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink mit 77 Jahren gestorben | website=RP ONLINE | date=23 November 2021 | url=https://rp-online.de/panorama/leute/volker-lechtenbrink-ist-tot-schauspieler-mit-77-jahren-gestorben_aid-64218585 | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}} 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", some his own, others German versions of country rock ballads. 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.{{cite news | last=Feddersen | first=Jan | title=Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink tot: Er schlüpfte in alle Rollen | newspaper=Die Tageszeitung: Taz | date=23 November 2021 | url=https://taz.de/!5813733/ | access-date=23 November 2021}}
Personal life
File:Grabstätte Volker Lechtenbrink.jpg
Lechtenbrink was married five times, including the actresses {{ill|Anja Topf|de}} and {{ill|Jeanette Arndt|de}}, and had three children. He lived in Berlin and Hamburg.{{cite web | title=Volker Lechtenbrink mit 77 Jahren gestorben | website=rbb24 | url=https://www.rbb24.de/kultur/beitrag/2021/11/lechtenbrink-schauspieler-saenger-regisseur-tot-verstorben-todesfall-berlin.html | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}} He died on 22 November 2021, aged 77.
Awards
In 2010, Lechtenbrink was awarded the {{ill|Rolf-Mares-Preis|de|Theaterpreis Hamburg – Rolf Mares}} for a role in Frost/Nixon at the Hamburger Kammerspiele.[http://www.rolf-mares-preis.de/preis.html Rolf-Mares-Preis]{{cite web|date=10 November 2021|title=Volker Lechtenbrink ist verstorben|url=https://www.hamburg.de/pressearchiv-fhh/15620998/volker-lechtenbrink-verstorben/|access-date=24 November 2021|website=hamburg.de|language=de}} In 2014, he was awarded the Biermann Ratjen Medal of the City of Hamburg. The city of Hamburg honoured his life achievements in 2021 by granting him the Gustaf Gründgens Prize. He passed the prize money of €15,000 to three charity organisations.{{cite news|date=17 September 2021|title=Volker Lechtenbrink mit Gustaf-Gründgens-Preis geehrt|language=de|newspaper=Merkur|url=https://www.merkur.de/kultur/volker-lechtenbrink-mit-gustaf-gruendgens-preis-geehrt-zr-90935001.html|access-date=23 November 2021}} He won the Hersfeld-Preis (Großer Hersfeld-Preis) in 1997.{{Cite web |title=Historie: Preisträger Großer Hersfeld-Preis |url=https://www.bad-hersfelder-festspiele.de/historie.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014174943/https://www.bad-hersfelder-festspiele.de/historie.html |archive-date=2012-10-14 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=www.bad-hersfelder-festspiele.de}}
Albums
- 1976 Der Macher{{cite news | title=Mit 77 Jahren: Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink gestorben | website=Die Welt | date=23 November 2021 | url=https://www.welt.de/kultur/article235224822/Mit-77-Jahren-Schauspieler-Volker-Lechtenbrink-gestorben.html | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}}
- 1977 Volker Lechtenbrink Nr. 2
- 1977 Alltagsgeschichten
- 1978 Meine Tür steht immer offen
- 1978 Der Spieler
- 1980 Leben so wie ich es mag
- 1981 Schon möglich
- 1982 Wer spielt mit mir
- 1982 Ich mag
- 1983 Lebe heute
- 1984 Zurückgelehnt
- 1987 Ich kann gewinnen
- 1989 Herzschlag
Filmography
Films{{cite web | title= Volker Lechtenbrink / Darsteller | website=filmportal.de | date= 2021 | url=https://www.filmportal.de/person/volker-lechtenbrink_ec49361f669b4a699dd7d554a5ce5869 | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}} and television and television series with Lechtenbrink include:
- Die Brücke (1959)
- Corinne und der Seebär (1966, TV film)
- Bratkartoffeln inbegriffen (1967, TV film)
- Der Kommissar: Das Ungeheuer (1969, TV series episode){{cite web | title=Der Kommissar Folge 14: Das Ungeheuer | website=fernsehserien.de | date=11 August 2021 | url=https://www.fernsehserien.de/der-kommissar/folgen/14-das-ungeheuer-65409 | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}}
- Der Kommissar: Lagankes Verwandte (1971, TV series episode)
- Sonderdezernat K1: Kassensturz um Mitternacht (1973, TV series episode){{cite web | title=Biografie | website=Volker Lechtenbrink | date=12 November 2008 | url=http://www.deutsches-filmhaus.de/bio_er/l-m_spieler/lechtenbrink_volker_bio.htm | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}}
- Sonderdezernat K1: Flucht (1975, TV series episode)
- Sonderdezernat K1: MP-9mm frei Haus (1977, TV series episode)
- {{ill|Die Dämonen (miniseries)|de|3=Die Dämonen (1977)|lt=Die Dämonen}} (1977, TV miniseries)
- Iron Gustav (1979, TV miniseries)
- Sonderdezernat K1: Die Rache eines V-Mannes (1981, TV series episode)
- {{ill|The Summer of the Samurai|de|Der Sommer des Samurai}} (1986)
- Derrick: Schonzeit für Mörder (1986, TV series episode){{cite web | last=Hung | first=Steffen | title=Derrick: Schonzeit für Mörder (S1E145) | website=filmcharts.ch | url=https://filmcharts.ch/series.asp?todo=showepisode&serie_id=401&season=1&episode=145 | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}}
- Ein Fall für zwei: Irgendwann (1987, TV series episode){{cite web | title=Hamburger Schauspieler Volker Lechtenbrink ist tot | website=Hamburger Allgemeine Rundschau | date=23 November 2021 | url=https://www.hamburger-allgemeine.de/hamburger-schauspieler-volker-lechtenbrink-ist-tot/ | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}}
- Derrick: Ein Weg in die Freiheit (1987, TV series episode)
- Der Fahnder: Nordend (1988, TV series episode)
- Die Männer vom K3: Spiel über zwei Banden (1988, TV series episode)
- Derrick: Wie kriegen wir Bodetzki? (1989, TV series episode)
- Ein Fall für zwei: Gewissensbisse (1989, TV series episode)
- Der Hausgeist (1991–1993, TV series, 19 episodes)
- By Way of the Stars (1992, TV miniseries)
- Ein Fall für zwei: Rache (1993, TV series episode){{cite web | title=Ein Fall für zwei Folge 106: Rache | publisher=fernsehserien.de | date=11 August 2021 | url=https://www.fernsehserien.de/ein-fall-fuer-zwei/folgen/106-rache-119934 | language=de | access-date=23 November 2021}}
- {{ill|When Santa Fell to Earth (film)|de|3=Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel (2011)|lt=When Santa Fell to Earth}} (2011)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat}}
- {{IMDb name|0496108|name=Volker Lechtenbrink}}
- {{YouTube|utU7YI7yJrI|Miss–Verstehen Sie mich richtig (interview Gregor Gysi & Volker Lechtenbrink, 26 March 2021)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lechtenbrink, Volker}}
Category:People from Zelenogradsk
Category:Actors from East Prussia
Category:Musicians from East Prussia
Category:German male television actors
Category:German male film actors
Category:German male voice actors
Category:German male stage actors
Category:German male singer-songwriters
Category:German theatre directors
Category:German voice directors
Category:German theatre managers and producers
Category:People educated at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums
Category:20th-century German male actors
Category:21st-century German male actors
Category:20th-century German male singers
Category:21st-century German male singers
Category:20th-century German songwriters
Category:21st-century German songwriters