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Heinz Erhardt

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Heinz Erhardt
Born(1909-02-20)20 February 1909
Riga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire
Died5 June 1979(1979-06-05) (aged 70)
Wellingsbüttel, Hamburg, West Germany
Resting placeOhlsdorf Cemetery, Hamburg[1]
NationalityGerman
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • musician
  • entertainer
  • actor
  • poet
Years active–1971
Spouse
Gilda Zanetti
​
(m. 1935)​
Children4
Websitewww.heinzerhardt.de (in German)

Heinz Erhardt (German: [haɪnts ˈeːɐ̯haʁt]; 20 February 1909 – 5 June 1979) was a German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor, and poet.

Life

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Heinz Erhardt was born in Riga, the son of Baltic German Kapellmeister Gustav Erhardt. He lived most of his childhood at his grandparents in Riga, where his grandfather, Paul Nelder, owned a music supply store at the current location of the Freedom Square.[2] His grandfather also taught him how to play the piano.

After World War I, his father emigrated to Germany. Erhardt lived with his stepmother in Wennigsen near Hanover, where he attended school, until in 1924 he returned to Riga. From 1926 he studied at the Leipzig conservatory; however, Erhardt's wish to become a professional pianist was not supported by his grandparents who wanted him to work as a merchant. In 1935, Erhardt married Gilda Zanetti, daughter of the Italian consul in Saint Petersburg.[2][3] They had four children: Grit, Verena, Gero, and Marita. Gero Erhardt [de] became a film director and cinematographer, and his grandson, Marek Erhardt, became an actor.

Working at his grandfather's business, Erhardt entered the stage as a cabaret artist in several Riga coffeehouses, and in 1937 even appeared on the German RRG radio.[4] The next year, Erhardt moved to Berlin, where he performed on a Kabarett stage on Kurfürstendamm.[4] In 1939, he made his first TV appearance with his swing song Mein Mädchen in the film Bunte Fernseh-Fibel.[5] The spectacle wearer and non-swimmer Erhardt was drafted into the German Kriegsmarine navy during World War II, but only on the third call-up; he served as a pianist in the Marine orchestra and only handled weapons during his basic training.[4]

In 1948, he started work as a radio presenter at the public NWDR radio station.[6] By then he had moved to Wellingsbüttel, a quarter of Hamburg. He quickly became extremely popular and famous for his irresistible puns and countless nonsense poems. He also acted in films and on stage. In his films he usually played characters similar to his stage persona as an entertainer and comedian – impersonating polite, uptight characters with a tendency to slips of the tongue and uncontrolled outbursts, exposing the bigotry and insincerity of West Germany's post-war society. By the 1960s, he had become a household name. Still today, many family gatherings which include the older generation tend to end in spontaneous recitations of Erhardt's most famous pieces such as Die Made.[7]

Erhardt suffered a stroke in 1971, which left him unable to speak or write.[6] He was limited to reading and understanding the speech of others; these limitations ended his long career as an actor.

As a belated 70th birthday gift, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany four days before his death in 1979.[8][9]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "Hamburg's green Oases: Top 11 places in a green environment". hamburg-travel.com. Hamburg Tourismus GmbH. n.d. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b Welscher, Alexander (28 December 2021). "German traces in Latvia: Legendary comedian Heinz Erhardt". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  3. ^ Dewitz, Anne (14 February 2009). "Unser Nachbar Heinz Erhardt". Hamburger Abendblatt. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Heinz Erhard". Baltikumreisen (in German). Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  5. ^ Schuh, Michael (2009). "'Blödelnd Durch Den Ernst Der Zeit' von Heinz Erhardt". laut.de (in German). Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Werner, Carina (4 March 2021). "Heinz Erhardt – Der Schauspieler mit dem Schalk im Nacken". NDR.de (in German). Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Die Made". Deutsche Lyrik (in German). 16 October 2003. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  8. ^ "05. Juni 2004 - Vor 25 Jahren: Heinz Erhardt stirbt in Hamburg" [5 June 2004 – 25 years ago: Heinz Erhardt dies in Hamburg]. WDR (in German). 5 June 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  9. ^ Monien, Stefanie (2 March 2024). "Der große Heinz Erhardt: Zum Schluss konnte er nur noch fünf Worte sagen – letzter Brief geht ans Herz" [The great Heinz Erhardt: He could only say five words at the end – his last letter is heart-touching]. Express (in German). Retrieved 25 August 2024.

Sources

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