West German musicians died at 75
Here are 4 famous musicians from West Germany died at 75:
Trude Hesterberg
Trude Hesterberg (May 2, 1892 Berlin-August 31, 1967 Munich) was a West German actor and singer.
She began her career in the 1920s as a cabaret artist and became known for her satirical songs and performances. During the Nazi regime, Hesterberg was banned from performing due to her outspoken opposition to the government. She went into hiding and continued to sing secretly for resistance groups.
After World War II, Hesterberg returned to the public eye and continued her successful career as an actress in films and television. She was highly regarded for her dramatic and comedic performances, appearing in over 50 films and numerous theater productions. Hesterberg was also a mentor to many young actors and performers and helped shape the German entertainment industry.
In addition to her work in film and theater, Hesterberg was a passionate supporter of women's rights and was involved in various political and social causes. She continued to perform and tour well into her 70s, and her contributions to German culture and society have been widely recognized and celebrated.
Hesterberg was born Gertrud Johanna Elisabeth Hesterberg in Berlin, Germany. Her father was a landscape architect and her mother was a music teacher. Hesterberg showed a talent for singing and performing at a young age and received formal training at the Berlin Music Academy. She trained as an opera singer, but her real passion was for the cabaret.
Hesterberg started performing in Berlin cabarets in the 1920s and quickly gained a reputation for her satirical songs and sharp wit. She became a regular performer at the famous Kabarett der Komiker in Berlin and was known for her provocative and often politically charged performances.
During the Nazi regime, Hesterberg's career was cut short. She was banned from performing in public and went into hiding, but continued to sing secretly for resistance groups. After the war, Hesterberg returned to the stage and screen and became one of West Germany's most beloved actresses.
Hesterberg was also a mentor to many young actors and performers and was known for her generosity and warmth. She helped shape the German entertainment industry and was a strong advocate for women's rights.
Hesterberg continued to perform and tour throughout Europe until her death in Munich in 1967. Her legacy as a performer and cultural figure in Germany has been widely celebrated and remembered.
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Gert Fröbe
Gert Fröbe (February 25, 1913 Zwickau-September 5, 1988 Munich) a.k.a. Gert Frobe, Karl Gert Frobe, Karl Gerhart Fröbe, Gert Froebe, Karl-Gerhart Froeber, Karl Gerhart "Gert" Probe, Karl Gerhart "Gert" Frobe, Fröbe Gert, Karl Gerhard Fröbe, Karl-Gerhart Fröber, Gerd Furube, Fröber Karl Gerhart, Karl Gerhart "Gert" Froebe or Karl-Gerhart Fröbe was a West German actor, violinist, voice actor, singer and screenwriter. He had three children, Utz Fröbe, Beate Fröbe and Andreas Seyferth.
Gert Fröbe is best known for his role as the villainous Auric Goldfinger in the 1964 James Bond film "Goldfinger". However, he had a prolific career in German and international films starting in the 1940s, with over 100 film credits to his name. Some of his notable roles included Baron Bomburst in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (1968) and Mr. Kühne in "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" (1965).
Before becoming an actor, Fröbe was a successful violinist and played in various orchestras. He also performed as a singer and recorded several albums, including a collection of German folk songs. Later in his career, he began working as a voice actor, providing German dubs for international films such as "The African Queen" (1951) and "Ben-Hur" (1959).
Fröbe was a controversial figure due to his membership in the Nazi party during World War II, which he joined in 1929. However, he later claimed to have been a pacifist and only joined the party to further his acting career. Despite this controversy, Fröbe remains a beloved figure in German cinema and is considered one of its greatest actors.
Fröbe's acting career began in the 1940s when he appeared in several German films such as "Der Fall Deruga" (1944) and "Münchhausen" (1943). He gained international attention after his role as the ruthless, but lovable villain in "Goldfinger". The success of the film made him a household name and opened up new opportunities for him in Hollywood. However, he continued to act in German films, including the popular comedy "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines".
Fröbe was also a talented screenwriter and wrote several films, including "Willi wird das Kind schon schaukeln" (1958) and "Der Mustergatte" (1958). He was also an accomplished stage actor, performing in productions of "The Threepenny Opera" and "Arsenic and Old Lace".
Despite his controversial past, Fröbe was a respected and beloved figure in the German film industry. He was a recipient of the Order of Merit of Berlin and the Federal Cross of Merit. In 1988, he suffered a heart attack and passed away in Munich at the age of 75.
He died as a result of myocardial infarction.
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O. E. Hasse
O. E. Hasse (July 11, 1903 Obrzycko-September 12, 1978 Berlin) also known as Otto Hasse, Otto Ed. Hasse, Otto Ernst Hasse, O.E. Hasse or O. E. Hasse was a West German actor, theatre director and voice actor.
He started his career as a stage actor and later transitioned to films, becoming a popular character actor in West German cinema. Hasse appeared in over 70 films, including notable performances in "The Confessions of Felix Krull", "The Devil Strikes at Night" and "The Mistake". He was also known for his voice acting work, providing the German dub voice for iconic actors such as Charlie Chaplin and Laurence Olivier. In addition to acting, Hasse was a respected theatre director and co-founded the Maxim Gorki Theatre in East Berlin. He was awarded numerous prestigious awards throughout his career, including the National Prize of East Germany and the Order of Merit of Berlin.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, O.E. Hasse appeared on stage in several avant-garde productions, most notably with the Berlin Chamber Theatre. However, it was not until the late 1940s that he made a name for himself in film acting. He quickly became known for his ability to portray complex and ambiguous characters, often playing villains or antiheroes.
Hasse was also an accomplished writer, having written several plays and screenplays during his career. In 1963, he published a memoir titled "Erinnerungen eines Schauspielers" (Memoirs of an Actor), which chronicled his experiences in the German theatre and film world.
Throughout his life, Hasse remained politically active and was an outspoken advocate for workers' rights and left-wing causes. He was briefly associated with the Communist Party of Germany but left the party after it was banned in West Germany.
Hasse passed away in 1978 at the age of 75 in Berlin, where he had spent much of his life working in the theatre and film industries. He is remembered as one of the most versatile and talented actors of his generation, as well as for his contributions to German cultural life.
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Erich Kästner
Erich Kästner (February 23, 1899 Dresden-July 29, 1974 Munich) also known as Kästner, Erich, Berhold Bürger, Melchior Kurz, Berthold Bürger, Eric Kästner, Erich Kaestner, Eberhard Foerster, Emil Erich Kästner or Erich Kastner was a West German writer, screenwriter, author, poet, satirist and actor. He had one child, Thomas Kästner.
Erich Kästner is best known for his children's books, such as "Emil and the Detectives," which has been translated into over 60 languages and adapted into several films. However, he also wrote for adults and covered a range of topics, including politics, everyday life, and love. Kästner's work was banned by the Nazi government for being too critical, but he continued to publish under pseudonyms during this time. After World War II, he became involved in the rebuilding of German culture and was a member of the PEN Club and German Academy of Arts. Kästner was known for his wit, humor, and keen observations of the human condition.
In addition to his writing and literary activities, Erich Kästner also worked as a journalist and film critic. He studied German literature, history, and philosophy at the University of Leipzig, but did not complete his degree. Kästner's personal life was complicated and tumultuous, marked by several unsuccessful relationships and a struggle with alcoholism. He was briefly married to his first wife Friedel Schreyer, a fellow actress and writer, but they divorced after only a few years. Kästner's pacifist beliefs led him to refuse military service during World War II, and he narrowly avoided being drafted into the German army. In later years, he became interested in animal rights and environmentalism, and was an active supporter of these causes. Erich Kästner's legacy as a writer and cultural figure continues to be celebrated in Germany and beyond, and his works remain popular with readers of all ages.
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