German actor Erwin Geschonneck dies at 101

March 13, 2008

Erwin Geschonneck, German actor died Wednesday. He was 101. His biggest success occurred in the German Democratic Republic, where he was considered one of the most famous actors of the time.

He was born on December 27, 1906 in Bartenstein, Germany. In 1938, he was arrested in Prague and was imprisoned in several concentration camps. In 1945, Geschonneck was evacuated from the concentration camp Neuengamme on the boat Cap Arcona, which was subsequently attacked by the RAF and sunk. He was one of the few prisoners who survived.

Immediately following the war, Geschonneck acted in theaters in Hamburg, Germany, and made his film debut in 1947 in In jenen Tagen.

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