Hannes Messemer

• Name — Hannes Messemer • Birth Name — Hans Edwin Messemer • Born — 17 May 1924 • Birthplace — Dillingen an der Donau, Bavaria, Germany • Died — 2 November 1991 • Place of death — Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany • Known for — The Great Escape • Occupation — Actor • Spouse — * Susanne Korda (1980–1981) (divorced) • Rosl Schäfer (1952–1977) (divorced) (1 child) • Years Active — 1956–1991

Messemer served on the Eastern Front of World War II and was eventually captured by Soviet soldiers and was held as a POW in Russia. He managed to escape and made it back to Germany on foot, walking hundreds of miles to the German border. He was wounded by Russian fire but was not recaptured by the Soviets. He surrendered to British forces and then spent two years in a POW facility in London known as the London Cage.

After the war, Messemer tried his hand at several jobs, before falling into acting in 1946. With only his natural talent and no training, he successfully secured roles with several major theatre companies in Tübingen, Hamburg, Munich and Berlin in the following ten years. His big break in films came with a role in Rose Bernd in 1956. He was then cast in the major role of Colonel Rossdorf in the production of The Devil Strikes at Night the following year - a role which saw him awarded a Best Actor accolade. A series of successful roles followed, including The Doctor of Stalingrad, Der Transport (Destination Death), Die Brücke des Schicksals and the comedy Babette Goes to War with Brigitte Bardot. He achieved critical international acclaim for his role as Colonel Muller in the Roberto Rossellini production of General della Rovere (1959), with the film winning the Golden Lion at Venice that year. Messemer is probably best known for his role as Oberst von Luger, the Kommandant in The Great Escape (1963). He continued to star in TV and theatre productions, becoming a familiar face to German television audiences for over 20 years. Some of his roles included major TV productions such as Union der festen Hand and Die Dämonen (miniseries), as well as two years as Commissioner Deeds in the TV drama series Sergeant Berry. He also lent his distinctive voice to radio and recorded works, including the writings of Mao, and a reading of the four books of the Gospels.

He was married four times, and had two daughters.

A lifelong heavy smoker and drinker, Messemer suffered throat cancer during the 1980s, and surgery left his voice at only a whisper. Forced to retire from acting, he appeared on German television for the last time in 1989, in a production with Agnes Fink. He died of a heart attack in Aachen on 2 November, 1991 age 67.

• Year — TV Show — Role — Notes • 1960 — Shadow of Heroes (1960 film) — János Kádár — based on Shadow of Heroes • 1962 — Liebe im September — Graham Colby • 1963 — Die Legende vom heiligen Trinker — Andreas Kartak — based on The Legend of the Holy Drinker • 1964 — Der trojanische Krieg findet nicht statt — Odysseus — based on The Trojan War Will Not Take Place • 1964 — Die Verschwörung des Fiesco zu Genua — Fiesco — based on Fiesco • 1968 — König Richard II — King Richard II — based on Richard II • 1969 — Die Verschwörung — Julius Caesar — written by Walter Jens • 1974-1975 — Sergeant Berry — Commissioner Deeds — 23 episodes • 1975 — Der tödliche Schlag — Odysseus — written by Walter Jens • 1976 — Fünf Prüfungen des Oberbürgermeisters — Konrad Adenauer — written by Peter von Zahn • 1976 — Mademoiselle de Scuderi — Cardillac — based on Mademoiselle de Scuderi • 1976 — Carnival Confession — Panezza — based on Die Fastnachtsbeichte • 1977 — Generale – Anatomie der Marneschlacht — Joseph Gallieni — written by Sebastian Haffner • 1977 — Die Befragung des Machiavelli — Machiavelli • 1977 — Uncle Silas — Onkel Silas — based on Uncle Silas • 1977 — Die Dämonen (miniseries) — Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky — based on Demons • 1978-1983 — Derrick — 3 episodes • 1979 — Union der festen Hand — von Zander — based on a novel by Erik Reger • 1980 — The Cause of the Crime — Mager, Teacher — based on a novella and a play by Leonhard Frank • 1981 — Collin (film) — Havelka — based on a novel by Stefan Heym • 1982 — Fleeting Acquaintances — Paul — based on a novel by Dieter Wellershoff (writer) • 1982 — Frau Jenny Treibel — Leutnant a.D. Vogelsang — based on Frau Jenny Treibel • 1983 — The Oppermanns (film) — Gutwetter — based on The Oppermanns • 1983-1984 — Diese Drombuschs — Herr Diehl, Oberstudienrat i.P. — 4 episodes • 1989 — Langusten — Ernst — (final film role)

Hannes Messemer is recorded as having received German Film Award and Grimme-Preis.