Heinz Schubert (12 November 1925 – 12 February 1999) was a German

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, drama teacher and

photographer A photographer (the Greek language, Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs. Duties and types of photographe ...

, best known for playing the role of Alfred Tetzlaff in the German television sitcom ''

Ein Herz und eine Seele ''Ein Herz und eine Seele'' (literally "One Heart and One Soul" i.e. "hand in glove") is a German television sitcom based on the British sitcom '' Till Death Us Do Part'' by Johnny Speight. The show premiered on 15 January 1973 and lasted for abo ...

''.

Life

Schubert was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, the son of a master tailor. He went to drama school after his release from captivity as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

. In 1951,

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

asked for him directly to join his ''

Berliner Ensemble The Berliner Ensemble () is a German theatre company established by actress Helene Weigel and her husband, playwright Bertolt Brecht, in January 1949 in East Berlin. In the time after Brecht's exile, the company first worked at Wolfgang Langhoff ...

'', where Schubert remained until the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...

was erected in 1961. From then on, Schubert worked in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

in theatre (in Munich, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Berlin) and taught drama; he was first a

docent The title of docent is conferred by some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks at or below the full professor rank, similar to a British readership, a French " ''maître de conf ...

and in 1985 was awarded a professorship at the

Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg The Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg is one of the larger universities of music in Germany. It was founded 1950 as ''Staatliche Hochschule für Musik'' (Public college of music) on the base of the former private acting school of Annem ...

. In 1958 Schubert also started to work in film, first for

DEFA DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence. Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PRO ...

productions, playing the role of the ''Schweizerkas'' that he had been known for in the ''Berliner Ensemble'' in the film version of the Brecht drama. He also acted in fairy stories and the much-loved DEFA ''

Das Stacheltier DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence. Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PRO ...

'' series. From 1961, in the West, he also acted in television productions. In 1973 Schubert was given the part for which he is best remembered, and which he later did his best to escape from: the role of ''Ekel Alfred'' ("Nasty Alfred") in the satirical ARD television series ''

'', written by

Der Spiegel ''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

'', 22 February 1999 . The series was based on the British series ''

Till Death Us Do Part ''Till Death Us Do Part'' is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975. The show was first broadcast in 1965 as a ''Comedy Playhouse'' pilot, then as seven series between 1966 and 1975. In 1981, ITV continued the sitcom ...

'' by

Johnny Speight Johnny Speight (2 June 1920 – 5 July 1998) was an English television scriptwriter of many classic British sitcoms. He emerged in the mid-1950s. He wrote for radio comics Frankie Howerd, Vic Oliver, Arthur Askey, and Cyril Fletcher. For tele ...

; the themes it brought up and the language it used put it in the headlines and drew a huge audience. Schubert played the German equivalent to

Alf Garnett Alfred Edward "Alf" Garnett is a fictional character from the British sitcom '' Till Death Us Do Part'' and its follow-on and spin-off series '' Till Death...'' and ''In Sickness and in Health''. He also appeared in the chat show ''The Thoughts ...

Archie Bunker Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathematici ...

, a tyrannical

bigot Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, rel ...

, and appeared the part, with a hairstyle and mannerisms comparable to those used by German dictator

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

. Schubert was capable of a wide range of roles, however, and proved this in his much-praised portrayal of ''

Hadschi Halef Omar Hadschi Halef Omar Ben Hadschi Abul Abbas Ibn Hadschi Dawud al Gossarah, literally ''hajji'' Halef Omar, son of ''hajji'' father-of-Abbas, son of ''hajji'' David al Gossarah, is one of Karl May's literary characters. ''Hajji'' means "one who has p ...

'' in the 26-part

ZDF ZDF (, short for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen; ; "Second German Television") is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. It is run as an independent nonprofit institution, which was founded by all fe ...

television series ''

Kara Ben Nemsi Kara Ben Nemsi is a fictional main character from the works of Karl May, best-selling 19th century German author. An alter ego of May, the stories about Nemsi are written as first-person narratives. He travels across North Africa, Sudan, and the ...

Effendi'' (1973/1975), based on the books of

Karl May Karl Friedrich May ( , ; 25 February 1842 – 30 March 1912) was a German author. He is best known for his 19th century novels of fictitious travels and adventures, set in the American Old West with Winnetou and Old Shatterhand as main pro ...

, or his starring role in films such as ' and '' Hitler – Ein Film aus Deutschland'', in which he played both Hitler and

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

. Schubert also acted alongside

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

in the British spy film ''

Funeral in Berlin ''Funeral in Berlin'' is a 1964 spy novel by Len Deighton set between Saturday 5 October and Sunday 10 November 1963. It was the third of Deighton's novels about an unnamed British agent. It was preceded by ''The IPCRESS File'' (1962) and '' H ...

''. As well as his film roles, Schubert acted in an increasing number of

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

, playing the private detective ''Fetzer'' in ''

Detektivbüro Roth ''Detektivbüro Roth'' is a German television series. Bruno Roth (Manfred Krug) maintains in an old villa in Berlin Lichtenfeld, the Detektivbüro Roth - together with Olga (Eva Maria Bauer), the wife of his deceased brother, her son Uli (Peter ...

'' and ''Dr. Fink'' in the

film '. In 1996 he once more played the main role in a

Wolfgang Menge Wolfgang Menge (10 April 1924 – 17 October 2012) was a German television writer and journalist. Life Menge worked as television writer and journalist in Germany. He was married and had three sons.Johnny Speight Johnny Speight (2 June 1920 – 5 July 1998) was an English television scriptwriter of many classic British sitcoms. He emerged in the mid-1950s. He wrote for radio comics Frankie Howerd, Vic Oliver, Arthur Askey, and Cyril Fletcher. For tele ...

, as Viktor Bölkhoff in ''Mit einem Bein im Grab''. (''

One Foot in the Grave ''One Foot in the Grave'' is a British television sitcom written by David Renwick. There were six series (each consisting of six half-hour shows) and seven Christmas specials over a period of ten years from early 1990 to late 2000. The first fi ...

''.) As well as his acting career, Schubert also loved photography. He is especially well known for his many photographs of shop windows and mannequins; this work was on show at the

documenta ''documenta'' is an exhibition of contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. The ''documenta'' was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Horticultura ...

6 in

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...

in 1977. In 1979 he published a book of these photographs, ''Theater im Schaufenster'' ("Theatre in the Shop Window"). Heinz Schubert received several awards, including the

Goldene Kamera The Goldene Kamera ("Golden Camera") is an annual German film and television award, awarded by the Funke Mediengruppe. The award show is usually held in early February in Hamburg, but has also taken place in Berlin in the past. The gold-plate ...

(1993) and the

Adolf Grimme Award The Grimme-Preis ("Grimme Award"; prior to 2011: Adolf-Grimme-Preis) is one of the most prestigious German television awards. It is named after the first general director of Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk, Adolf Grimme.pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on 12 February 1999 in

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, where he had acted for many years.

Partial filmography

* ''

Katzgraben ''Katzgraben'' is an East German film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, pe ...

'' (1957) - Günther, ein junger Bergmann * ''

My Wife Makes Music ''My Wife Makes Music'' (german: Meine Frau macht Musik) is an East German musical film directed by Hans Heinrich. It was released in 1958, and sold 6,052,050 tickets. It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam. The film's set's were desig ...

'' (1958) - Spießer * ''Das Stacheltier – Der junge Engländer'' (1958) * ''

Geschichte vom armen Hassan ''Geschichte vom armen Hassan'' is an East German film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates i ...

'' (1958) - Wasserhändler * '' Sie nannten ihn Amigo'' (1959) - Dicker Gestapo-Mann * '' Das Feuerzeug'' (1959) - Der Geizige * ''Mother Courage and Her Children'' (1961) - Schweizerkas * ''Italienisches Capriccio'' (1961) * '' On the Sunny Side'' (1962) - Felix Schnepf * '' My Daughter and I'' (1963) - Detektiv * ' (1964, TV Movie) - Schnabel * ''

Emil and the Detectives ''Emil and the Detectives'' () is a 1929 novel set mainly in Berlin, by the German writer Erich Kästner and illustrated by Walter Trier. It was Kästner's first major success and the only one of his pre-1945 works to escape Nazi censorship. The ...

'' (1964) - Grundeis * ''

'' (1966) - Aaron Levine * ''

Tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...

'' (1967) - Auctioneer * ' (1971, TV Mini-Series) - Police Inspector Bird * ''

Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed by ...

'' (1971–1995, TV Series) - Kommissar a.D. Leo Felber / Hans Gebhardt / Dr. Gottschling * ''

'' (1973–1976, TV Series) - Alfred Tetzlaff * ''

Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi ''Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi'' is a German television series broadcast from 1973 through 1975 in 26 parts and two seasons. It featured an adventurer probably inspired by British explorers Richard Francis Burton (1821–1890) and T. E. Lawrence. The scr ...

'' (1973–1975, TV Series) - Hadschi Halef Omar * '' A Lost Life'' (1976) * ' (1976) - Ferdinand Rieche * '' Hitler: A Film from Germany'' (1977) - Zirkusdirektor / Heinrich Himmler / Himmler-Puppenspieler / Adolf Hitler * '' Zwei himmlische Töchter'' (1978, TV Mini-Series) - Fluglotse * ' (1979, TV Movie) - Leo Timpe * ''Obszön – Der Fall Peter Herzel'' (1981) - Dr. Dieter Flake * ''

High Society Limited ''High Society Limited'' (german: Feine Gesellschaft - beschränkte Haftung) is a 1982 West German comedy film directed by Ottokar Runze and starring Elisabeth Bergner, Lilli Palmer and Hardy Krüger.Bock & Bergfelder p.357 Cast * Elisabeth Bergn ...

'' (1982) - Kolbe * ''Marmor, Stein und Eisen bricht'' (1982) * ''Konrad oder das Kind aus der Konservenbüchse'' (1982) - Apotheker Egon * ' (1984) * ''

'' (1986–1987, TV Series) - Egon Fetzer * ''Europa, abends'' (1989) - Frisör * ''Stein und Bein'' (1991, TV Movie) - Erwin Stein * ' (1993, TV Mini-Series) - Dr. Erich Fink * ' (1993) - Minister Kurt Bach * ''Chacun pour toi'' (1993) - Botha * ''Zwei alte Hasen'' (1994–1995, TV Series) - Wille Wuttke * ''Mit einem Bein im Grab'' (1996–1998, TV Series) - Viktor Bölkoff * ''Hundert Jahre Brecht'' (1998) * ''Silberdisteln'' (1998, TV Movie) - Alfons Schambeck * '' The Volcano'' (1999) - Jewish man (final film role)

References

* ''Theater im Schaufenster'', Heinz Schubert, 1979,

External links

*
Biography, in German
*
''Ein Herz und eine Seele''
– Georg Seeßlen about Heinz Schubert

Sources

''This article was partly translated from the German language version of October 16, 2006'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Schubert, Heinz 1925 births 1999 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in Germany Male actors from Berlin German male comedians German male film actors Photographers from Berlin German male television actors German military personnel of World War II 20th-century German male actors 20th-century comedians German prisoners of war in World War II