Klausjürgen Wussow (30 April 1929 – 19 June 2007) was a German stage, film and television

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Early life

Wussow was born in Cammin, Province of Pomerania,

Weimar Germany The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

(modern

Kamień Pomorski Kamień Pomorski (; ; or ''Kammin'') is a spa town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of north-western Poland, on the Baltic coast. It is the seat of an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Kamień County which lies approximately 63&n ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

). His father was a teacher and cantor who died 1939 in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Wussow had three brothers, an older and two younger (twins). Wussow served in the

German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

in the last days of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. His original career choice was to become a doctor. He couldn't become a doctor as he wasn't allowed in the former

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

. So, his new career choice was to become an actor.

Career

Wussow started with the theatre. From 1964 until 1986, he was a member of the famous theatre

Burgtheater The Burgtheater (; literally: "Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater", originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. Next to his stage work, he appeared in more than 120 film and television productions between 1958 and 2005. Wussow was best known for his leading role as Professor Brinkmann in the

ZDF ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...

medical series '' The Black Forest Clinic'', which was one of the most successful German television series of all time. He later played another leading role as a doctor in the series '' Klinik unter Palmen'', which ran between 1996 and 2003. In the years 2004 and 2005, the ''Black Forest Clinic'' had a new edition with two television films. In these films, he played the role of Professor Brinkmann last time, these are his last movies. He was also a writer and painter and a voice actor and announcer in radio plays and audio books. He dubbed

Judge Claude Frollo Judge Claude Frollo is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Disney's 34th animated film, ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1996). He was based on Archdeacon Claude Frollo from Victor Hugo's 1831 novel. Personality Frollo is port ...

in the German-language version of '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1996).

Personal life

Wussow was married four times. From 1951 until 1960, he was married to German actress Jolande Frantz. They had one daughter. From 1960 until 1991, he was married to Austrian actress Ida Krottendorf. Together they had two children, a daughter and a son (both are actors too). From 1992 until 2003, he was married to the German journalist Yvonne Viehhöver. They had one son. From 2004 until 2007, he was married to Sabine Scholz, the former wife of the German boxer Bubi Scholz, marriage ended with his death. He had an Austrian honorary citizenship and an Austrian Honorary Professor. In his last years, he was suffering from dementia after some strokes. He died in

Rüdersdorf Rüdersdorf is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany, near Berlin. It is served by the Schöneiche bei Berlin tramway which runs from Rüdersdorf through Schöneiche to Berlin-Friedr ...

near Berlin. His grave is located in Berlin on the "Waldfriedhof Heerstrasse" cemetery.

Selected filmography

*1958: ''Blitzmädels an die Front'' - Oberleutnant Wagner *1959: ''A Doctor of Conviction'' (''Arzt aus Leidenschaft'') - Dr. Wolfgang Friedberg *1960: '' Agatha, Stop That Murdering!'' - Jan Fabrizius *1960: '' The Crimson Circle'' - Derrick Yale *1960: ' (''Soldatensender Calais'') - Jochen Malden, Kapitänleutnant *1960: '' A Woman for Life'' - Oberleutnant Baron Ernst Ewald von Bergen *1960: '' Final Destination: Red Lantern'' *1960: '' Agatha, Stop That Murdering!'' - Dr.Peter Brent *1961: '' The Green Archer'' - Inspektor James Lamotte Featherstone / Mr. Lamotte *1961: ' (TV film) - Thomas Hudetz *1961: ' (''Das letzte Kapitel'') - Magnus *1961: ' - Pierre Jonval, Student *1962: '' The Hot Port of Hong Kong'' - Peter Holberg *1964: '' Dead Woman from Beverly Hills'' - C.G. *1965: ' (TV film) - SS-Hauptsturmführer Lang *1966: '' High Season for Spies'' - Johansson / Bonnard *1967: ''

Electra One ''Electra One'' (, , , also known as ''With Death on Your Back'') is a 1967 Spanish-Italian-French Eurospy film directed by Alfonso Balcázar and starring George Martin.Marco Giusti. ''007 all'italiana''. Isbn Edizioni, 2010. . It was originall ...

'' - Klaus *1970–1971: '' Der Kurier der Kaiserin'' (''Courier of the Empress'', TV Series) - Leutnant Karl von Rotteck *1974: '' Sergeant Berry'' (TV Series) - Sergeant Albert Berry *1975: '' Monika and the Sixteen Year Olds'' - Monsignore Victor Berend *1975: ''Am Wege'' (TV Movie) - Huus *1979: '' Goetz von Berlichingen of the Iron Hand'' - Adalbert von Weislingen *1979-1997: ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its Guy-wire, guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower ...

'' (TV Series) - Gregor Lenau / Jakob Bienert / Hugo Zeller / Dr. Blunk / Martin Gericke / Bernhard Demmler *1981: '' Der Bockerer'' - Obersturmbannführer von Lamm *1983: '' Vom Webstuhl zur Weltmacht'' (TV Series) *1986: ''Nägel mit Köpfen'' - Falscher Graf *1985–1989: '' The Black Forest Clinic'' (TV Series) - Prof. Klaus Brinkmann *1986: ' - Charles Duhamel / Peter Kent *1992: ''Die Sonne über dem Dschungel'' *1994: ''Venti dal Sud'' - Rudi *1996–2003: '' Klinik unter Palmen'' (TV Series) - Dr. Frank Hofmann *1997: '' The Fearless Four'' - Der Erzähler (voice) *2004: ''Die Schwarzwaldklinik – Die nächste Generation'' (''The Black Forest Clinic – The Next Generation'') (TV Movie) - Prof. em. Klaus Brinkmann *2005: ''Die Schwarzwaldklinik – Neue Zeiten'' (''The Black Forest Clinic – New Times'') (TV Movie) - Prof. em. Klaus Brinkmann (final film role)

External links

* (also includes more personal informations)
Short Biography

German Fansite about Black Forest Clinic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wussow, Klausjurgen 1929 births 2007 deaths 20th-century German male actors 21st-century German male actors Actors from the Province of Pomerania Deaths from dementia in Germany German Army personnel of World War II German male film actors German male radio actors German male stage actors German male television actors German male voice actors Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany People from Kamień Pomorski Male actors from West Pomeranian Voivodeship