German actors who deceased at age 51
Here are 9 famous actors from Germany died at 51:
Alexander Granach
Alexander Granach (April 18, 1893 Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast-March 14, 1945 New York City) otherwise known as Jessaja Granach, Jessaja Szajko Gronish, Hermann Gronach or Jessaja Szajko Gronach was a German actor. He had one child, Gad Granach.
He died as a result of pulmonary embolism.
Granach was born in what was then known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire and began his acting career in Germany in the 1920s. He quickly became popular in the German film industry, starring in several successful movies including "Menschen am Sonntag" and "Der Blaue Engel". However, as an openly Jewish actor, he had to flee Germany when the Nazis came to power in 1933.
Granach eventually settled in the United States, where he continued to act in movies and on stage. Some of his notable film appearances include "Ninotchka" and "The Diary of Anne Frank". He also wrote an autobiography, "Da geht ein Mensch: Leb wohl, Europa" ("There Goes a Man: Farewell, Europe"), which recounts his experiences fleeing Nazi Germany and building a new life in America.
Despite having a successful career outside of Germany, Granach struggled with the trauma of his experiences during World War II. He suffered from depression and alcoholism and ultimately died of a pulmonary embolism in New York City in 1945 at the age of 51.
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Manfred Salzgeber
Manfred Salzgeber (January 10, 1943-August 12, 1994 Berlin) was a German actor.
He was also a film director and curator for the Berlin International Film Festival. Salzgeber appeared in over 70 films and television shows throughout his career, including notable appearances in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's "Fox and His Friends" and "Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven." He was known for his portrayal of eccentric and quirky characters on screen. In addition to his acting work, Salzgeber was a major figure in the Berlin film scene and helped to establish the gay and lesbian film festival "Teddy Award" during the Berlinale. He passed away in 1994 at the age of 51 due to complications from AIDS.
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Dirk Bach
Dirk Bach (April 23, 1961 Cologne-October 1, 2012 Lichterfelde) also known as Dickie was a German actor, comedian and television producer.
Bach started his career in theater, performing in numerous stage productions throughout Germany. He gained national recognition for his comedic roles on popular German television shows, such as "RTL Samstag Nacht" and "Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!" (the German version of "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!"). In addition to acting and comedy, Bach also worked behind the scenes as a television producer, creating and developing programs for German networks. Throughout his career, he won numerous awards and accolades, including the German Comedy Award and the Romy Award. Bach was openly gay and a strong advocate for LGBT rights. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 51.
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Helmuth Schneider
Helmuth Schneider (December 18, 1920 Munich-March 17, 1972 Rio de Janeiro) also known as Alexander Carlos, Alexandre Carlos or Helmut Schneider was a German actor.
He began his acting career in Munich during the peak of the German film industry in the 1940s. Despite having a successful career in Germany, he made the decision to leave the country in 1957 and move to Brazil. There, he continued his acting career, but now under the name Alexandre Carlos or Alexander Carlos. He appeared in over 30 Brazilian films and TV shows. He was known for his ability to speak five languages and often played international roles in Brazilian productions. Schneider was also a talented voice actor and dubbed the voice of notable actors such as Marlon Brando and Rock Hudson in German releases of their films. He passed away in Rio de Janeiro in 1972 due to complications from a liver disease.
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Max Ehrlich
Max Ehrlich (December 7, 1892 Berlin-October 1, 1944 Poland) was a German screenwriter, actor and film director.
Max Ehrlich was a prolific writer who wrote over 25 screenplays during his career. He worked with many famous directors of the time, including Fritz Lang and Ernst Lubitsch. In addition to his screenwriting work, Ehrlich also acted in several films and directed a few as well.
Ehrlich's career came to an abrupt end with the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. As a Jewish artist, he was targeted by the regime and fled to Vienna, then to France, and eventually to the United States. In the US, he continued to work in the film industry, but faced challenges due to his limited English skills.
In 1943, Ehrlich was asked to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee as part of an investigation into alleged communist activity in Hollywood. He refused to cooperate and was subsequently blacklisted from working in the film industry. Ehrlich's health deteriorated rapidly after this, and he died in 1944 while imprisoned in a concentration camp in Poland.
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Clemens Hasse
Clemens Hasse (April 13, 1908 Königsberg-July 28, 1959 New York City) was a German actor and voice actor.
He died as a result of myocardial infarction.
Born into a family of actors, Clemens Hasse started acting on stage at a young age. He made his film debut in the 1930s in German cinema and quickly became a well-known character actor. He appeared in many films of the time, including "Münchhausen" (1943) and "Die Feuerzangenbowle" (1944).
During World War II, Hasse was drafted into the army but was captured by the Soviet Union in 1945 and imprisoned in a POW camp until 1949. Upon his release, he returned to acting and landed roles in several East German films before fleeing to West Germany in 1953.
In the years that followed, Hasse became a prolific voice actor, lending his voice to many German dubbed versions of American films, including the German voice of John Wayne in several of his movies. He immigrated to the United States in 1956 and continued his voice-over work, but struggled to find steady acting work due to his limited English skills.
Hasse's untimely death at the age of 51 cut short what could have been a promising career in Hollywood. Despite this, he is still remembered as one of Germany's most talented and versatile actors.
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Leonhard Haskel
Leonhard Haskel (April 7, 1872 Seelow-December 30, 1923 Berlin) a.k.a. Leonard Heskel was a German actor, teacher and screenwriter.
He began his career on stage, performing in various theaters across Germany. Haskel then transitioned to working in films and became one of the most successful screenwriters of the time. He co-wrote scripts for popular films such as "The Oyster Princess" and "The Doll". In addition to his work in the film industry, Haskel also taught acting at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Berlin. He was known for his contributions to German Expressionism in film and his commitment to mentoring young artists. Unfortunately, his life was cut short due to illness at the age of 51. However, his impact on German cinema continues to be felt to this day.
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Viktor Schwanneke
Viktor Schwanneke (February 8, 1880 Kissenbrück-June 7, 1931 Berlin) also known as Viktor Schwannecke, Viktor Schwanneke-Willberg or Viktor von Schwannecke was a German actor. He had one child, Ellen Schwanneke.
Throughout his career, Viktor Schwanneke appeared in over 100 films and stage productions. He started his career as a theater actor in Berlin and gradually transitioned into film during the silent era. Schwanneke became well-known for his supporting roles and often played stern, authoritative figures. Some of his notable film credits include "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," "The Golem," and "The Spiders." Schwanneke was also a prolific voice actor and provided the German dubbing for many Hollywood films. His career was cut short when he passed away at the age of 51 from a heart attack. Despite his relatively brief career, Schwanneke left a lasting impact on German cinema and is remembered as a talented and versatile actor.
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Harry Frank
Harry Frank (October 15, 1896 Berlin-December 12, 1947 Berlin) was a German actor.
He appeared in more than 50 films during his career, including Fritz Lang's "M" (1931) and "Die Nibelungen" (1924). Frank primarily played supporting roles and character parts, displaying a versatility that made him a familiar face to German film audiences of the time. He also had an active career as a stage actor, performing in both comedy and drama productions. Frank's career was impacted by the rise of the Nazi party and the implementation of anti-Semitic laws. He was only able to work sporadically in the 1930s and 1940s, and his last film appearance was in 1943. He died in 1947 in Berlin, just two years after the end of World War II.
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