Fritz Diez

• Name — Fritz Diez • Birth Name — Friedrich Diez • Born — 27 February 1901 • Birthplace — Meiningen, Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, German Empire • Died — 19 October 1979 • Place of death — Weimar, East Germany • Occupation — Actor, producer, director • Years Active — 1920–1979 • Spouse — Martha Beschort

• Illustration — The Meiningen Theater. Diez's mother was a servant, and raised her three children alone. To support his family, the child began working at the age of nine. While in the 7th grade, he appeared in his class' production of William Tell. In 1920, after joining the Meiningen Ducal Theater in the role of a supernumerary actor, Diez left his work as an electrician's apprentice and began taking acting classes in the Meiningen School of Dramatic Arts. He devoted himself to professional acting ever since, appearing on the stages of theaters in Flensburg, Hanau, Baden-Baden, Würzburg and Cheb. While performing in the Eisenach Theater, he met his future wife, actress Martha Beschort. The two married in 1923. During 1932, while he and Martha were working in the Stadttheater Bremerhaven, they both joined the KPD. Diez, who originally was a member of the Guild of the German Stage, joined the Profintern-oriented Revolutionary Trade Union Opposition and was elected chairman of the theater's branch.

On the morning of 28 February 1933, a day after the Reichstag fire, Diez's home was raided by the Gestapo. On 6 March, immediately after the elections, the actor was dismissed from his work for being a communist. During 1935, Diez – fearing an interrogation by the Gestapo - had to emigrate from Germany. He and his wife traveled to Switzerland, where he worked in the St. Gallen Theater. Diez became involved in the communist and anti-fascist circles of German exiles that were formed in the country. The St. Gallen Theater's manager, Theo Modes, was a supporter of the Third Reich, and Diez was "completely isolated" in his place of work. In 1943 he joined the Swiss branch of the recently founded National Committee for a Free Germany. By the end of the war, Diez headed the St. Gallen fraction of the Democratic Union of Germans in Switzerland, an offshoot of the Committee. He also edited this movement's newspaper.

• Illustration — Fritz Diez (second from the left) in 1966. Diez returned to the Soviet-administered Meiningen in 1946. He worked in the municipal theater, first as an actor and later as a director and an artistic director. In 1947, he was appointed its manager. During 1952, he made his debut on screen in the DEFA film Shadow Over The Islands. He appeared in some twenty films until the end of his career, as well as in several television productions. In 1954, Diez left Meiningen, remaining an honorable member of the theater, and instead took the position of the Halle National Theater's manager. In 1958, he joined the Dresden Theater as an actor and a director. During the 1960s, he performed and directed plays in the Volksbühne and in the Deutsches Theater. Diez was also a member of the German Shakespeare Society. The figure of Hitler, which he first portrayed in the Meiningen Theater during 1947, was described by Diez as an "ungrateful role which always seemed to pursue me." He played the character on screen and in television in ten different productions – among them Ernst Thälmann - Führer seiner Klasse (1955), I, Justice, Frozen Flashes (both 1967), Liberation (1970–1971), Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973), Take Aim (1974) and Soldiers of Freedom (1977). Dilara Ozerova - the wife of Yuri Ozerov, who directed Liberation - claimed that Diez was reluctant to accept the invitation to depict Hitler in her husband's film series, fearing typecasting, but had to accept it as a "Party mission". Author Charles P. Mitchell wrote that the actor was "Eastern Europe's equivalent to Bobby Watson in terms of the frequency of his Hitler appearances." In 1971, Diez received the Patriotic Order of Merit in silver. On 9 October 1979, shortly before his death, he was awarded the title of an Honorary Citizen of Meiningen.

Film • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1952 — Shadow Over The Islands — Arne Horn • 1953 — Swings Or Roundabouts — Hellwand • 1955 — Ernst Thälmann — Adolf Hitler • 1956 — Thomas Müntzer — Field Captain Hoffmann • 1957 — Betrogen bis zum jüngsten Tag — Adolf Hitler — Voice • 1959 — Special Mission — Captain Lieutenant Wegner • 1959 — Goods for Catalonia — Captain Gerner • 1959 — SAS 181 Does Not Reply — The intendant • 1959 — The Goodies — Weber • 1959 — The Punch Bowl — State Secretary Frisch • 1960 — Always on Duty — Father Kraft • 1960 — Doctor Ahrendt's Decision — Scholz • 1960 — Five Cartridges — Major Bolaños • 1963 — Carbide and Sorrel — Worker • 1966 — The Escape In The Silent — Stetter • 1967 — Frozen Flashes — Adolf Hitler • 1967 — I, Justice • 1970 — Liberation I: The Fire Bulge • 1970 — Liberation II: Breakthrough • 1971 — Liberation III: Direction of the Main Blow • 1971 — Liberation IV: The Battle of Berlin • 1971 — Liberation V: The Last Assault • 1972 — Hurray! We Are Going on a Vacation! — Grandfather • 1976 — Take Aim — Adolf Hitler, Otto Hahn • 1980 — Glück im Hinterhaus — Vater Erp • 1995 — The Great Commander Georgy Zhukov — Adolf Hitler — Compilation of footage from older pictures Television • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1963 — A Man and his Shadow — Uncredited role • 1963 — Carl von Ossietzky — Hellmut von Gerlach • 1963 — Blue Light — Major Löbel — Episode 18: Hot Money • 1965 — Moments of Joy — Otto Meinicke • 1966 — Secret Unit Boomerang — Uncredited role • 1966 — No Victory Without Struggle — Hermann Abs • 1967 — Blue Light — Dr. Döppke — Episode 28:Night Patrol • 1969 — Three From the K — The committee chief — Episode 13: A Strange Case • 1970 — Tscheljuskin — Valerian Kuybyshev • 1973 — Seventeen Moments of Spring — Adolf Hitler — Episodes no. 1, 3 and 5 • 1973 — The Wondrous Treasure — Judge • 1974 — New From Florentiner No. 73 — Krawuttcke • 1977 — Soldiers of Freedom — Adolf Hitler — Four episodes • 1978 — Dangerous Inquiry — Uncredited role — Season 1, Episode 2: Death in the Alpsee • 1980 — Joy in the Rear Exit — Karl's father — Filmed before Diez's death • 1993 — The Tragedy of the 20th Century — Adolf Hitler — Compilation of footage from older pictures Voice actor • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1957 — Duped Till Doomsday — Adolf Hitler • 1961 — The Story of the Christmas Man — Narrator • 1961 — Two Goats — Narrator • 1961 — Aunt Minna, her Dog and Science — Narrator

Fritz Diez is recorded as Germany, German Democratic Republic and Weimar Republic.