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

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. ...

, drama teacher and

photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and types of photograp ...

, 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 2 ...

''.

Life

Schubert was born in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, 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 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 war for a ...

. In 1951,

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

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 Langh ...

'', where Schubert remained until the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

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

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

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

docent The term "docent" is derived from the Latin word , which is the third-person plural present active indicative of ('to teach, to lecture'). Becoming a docent is often referred to as habilitation or doctor of science and is an academic qualifi ...

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 College or university school of music, universities of music in Germany. It was founded in 1950 as ''Staatliche Hochschule für Musik'' (Public college of music) on the base of t ...

. 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 PR ...

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'' 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

Wolfgang Menge Wolfgang Menge (10 April 1924 – 17 October 2012) was a German Screenwriter, television writer and journalist. Personal life He was married and had three sons."Nachruf: Heinz Schubert: 1925 bis 1999"
''

Der Spiegel (, , stylized in all caps) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of about 724,000 copies in 2022, it is one of the largest such publications in Europe. 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 sitc ...

'' by

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

; 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 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 of Ch ...

Archie Bunker Archibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional character from the 1970s American television sitcom ''All in the Family'' and its spin-off '' Archie Bunker's Place'', played by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker, a main character of the series, is a World War II ...

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

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

. Schubert was capable of a wide range of roles, however, and proved this in his much-praised portrayal of '' Hadschi Halef Omar'' in the 26-part

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 ( ...

television series '' Kara Ben Nemsi 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 novels of travels and adventures, set in the American Old West, the Orient, the Middle East, Latin America, China and Germany. He als ...

, 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 a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...

. Schubert also acted alongside

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

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 '' ...

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

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

, 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 Screenwriter, television writer and journalist. Personal life He was married and had three sons.British sitcom A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television. British sitcoms have predominantly been recorded on studio sets, while some include an element of location filming. Live audiences and multi-camera ...

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

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

''.) 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 (often stylized documenta) is an Art exhibition, exhibition of contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. Documenta was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgarte ...

6 in

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...

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 was usually held in early February in Hamburg, but also took place in Berlin on occasion. It has been paused ...

(1993) and the

Adolf Grimme Award The Grimme-Preis (Grimme Award), formerly known as the 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. The Grimme Institute ...

(1994). He died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

on 12 February 1999 in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

, where he had acted for many years.

Partial filmography

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

My Wife Makes Music ''My Wife Makes Music'' () 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 sets were designed by the art director Oskar P ...

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

Geschichte vom armen Hassan ''Geschichte vom armen Hassan'' is an East German film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere ...

'' (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 ''My Daughter and I'' (German: ''Meine Tochter und ich'') is a 1963 West German comedy film directed by Thomas Engel (director), Thomas Engel and starring Heinz Rühmann, Gustav Knuth and Gertraud Jesserer.Körner p.227 It was shot at the Bavaria ...

'' (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, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...

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

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

'' (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 ''Zwei himmlische Töchter'' (English: ''Two Heavenly Daughters'') is a West German television series. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * ''4 Blocks ...

'' (1978, TV Mini-Series) - Fluglotse * ' (1979, TV Movie) - Leo Timpe * ''Obszön – Der Fall Peter Herzel'' (1981) - Dr. Dieter Flake * '' High Society Limited'' (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 German comedians German prisoners of war in World War II Comedians from Berlin