Rosalie Helga Lina Zech (7 July 1940 – 31 August 2011),Scott Roxboroug
"'Veronica Voss' Actress Rosel Zech Dies of Cancer"
''The Hollywood Reporter'', 1 September 2011 known as Rosel Zech, was a German theater and film actress, especially with the "Autorenkino" (

New German Cinema New German Cinema (german: Neuer Deutscher Film) is a period in German cinema which lasted from 1962 to 1982, in which a new generation of directors emerged who, working with low budgets, and influenced by the French New Wave and Italian Neo ...

) movement, which began in the 1970s.

Career

Theater

Rose Zech was born in Berlin; her father was a citizen from Poland. Because of her birth out of wedlock, her mother, a dressmaker, married soon after the birth of her daughter an inland waterway boatman who gave her his last name,

Ronald Bergan Ronald Bergan (né Ginsberg, 2 November 1937 – 23 July 2020) was a South African-born British writer and historian. He was contributor to ''The Guardian'' (from 1989) and lecturer on film and other subjects as well as the author (or co-author) ...

Obituary:Rose Zech
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'', 4 September 2011 She was raised in

Hoya, Germany Hoya () is a town in the District of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left and right bank of the Weser, approx. 20 km north of Nienburg, and 15 km southwest of Verden. Hoya is also the seat of the ''Samtgeme ...

. Her performing led her, at the age of 20, to Lower Bavaria, where in 1962 her first theatrical engagement was in the South Bavarian City Theater (now the Lower Bavarian State Theatre) in Landshut. This was followed by other roles at various other theaters, such as in 1964 at the Städtebundtheater in

Biel Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; , ) is a town and a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Biel/Bienne lies on the language boundary between the French-speaking and German-spea ...

and at the summer theater in

Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austri ...

. Two years later she played at the

Schauspielhaus Wuppertal was a , a theatre for plays, in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The 745-seat municipal theatre is on next to the river Wupper in Elberfeld. Designed by , it was opened in 1966, run from 2001 by '' (''Wuppertal Stages'', municipal ...

. From 1970 to 1972, she appeared on stage at the

Staatstheater Stuttgart The Staatstheater Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Theatre) is a theatre with three locations, Oper Stuttgart (Opera Stuttgart), Stuttgarter Ballett (Stuttgart Ballet), and Schauspiel Stuttgart (Stuttgart Drama Theatre), in Stuttgart, Germany. The ...

then at the

Schauspielhaus Bochum The Schauspielhaus Bochum is one of the notable drama theatres in Germany. It is located on Königsallee in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. Eric de Vroedt Eric de Vroedt (Rotterdam, 1972) is a Dutch theater director, writer and actor. Care ...

. During the season 1978–1979 Rosel Zech was active in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

at the

Deutsches Schauspielhaus The Deutsches Schauspielhaus is a theatre in the St. Georg quarter of the city of Hamburg, Germany. It was established in 1901 by the renowned stage actress Franziska Ellmenreich. Theatre managers Notable actors Marco Albrecht, Ingrid ...

and then returned to her native city of Berlin, where she acted on the Volksbühne. In 1981 she was hired by the Bayerischen Staatsschauspiel in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

. Four years later she was seen again at the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg. 2009 she worked with in the Luisenburg Festival in the play ''Mother Courage'' as Anna Fierlinger.

Film and television

She made her 1970 television debut in ''The Pot''. In 1973 she appeared in a small role in '' The Tenderness of Wolves'' with

Kurt Raab Kurt Raab (20 July 1941 – 28 June 1988) was a West German stage and film actor, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Raab is best remembered for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, with whom he collaborated on ...

and

Margit Carstensen Margit Carstensen (born 29 February 1940) is a German theatre and film actress, best known outside Germany for roles in the works of film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Theater career Carstensen, the daughter of a physician, was born and rai ...

. On the set she met

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rainer Werner Fassbinder (; 31 May 1945 – 10 June 1982), sometimes credited as R. W. Fassbinder, was a German filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement. Fassbinder's mai ...

, who produced the film. She and Fassbinder began an extended collaboration. The same year, Peter Zadek cast the actress in his film version of ''Kleiner Mann – was nun?'' ("Little man - what now?" with Heinrich Giskes and

Hannelore Hoger Hannelore Hoger (; born 20 August 1942) is a German actress and director. From 1958–1961 she studied acting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. She has appeared in numerous German films, television programs, and stage productions ...

. Other films and TV movies followed, among which were a film version of

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career a ...

's ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises ...

'', and

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...

's ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

''. In the children's film ' from 1977, she played Mrs. Wolferman, the mother of one of the "crocodiles". She appeared in Peter Fleischmann's 1979

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

film '' The Hamburg Syndrome''. In 1981, she was cast by

in the film ''

Lola Lola may refer to: Places * Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama * Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States * Lola Prefecture, Guinea * Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture * Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands People * Lol ...

'' (1981) in a supporting role as the wife of

Mario Adorf Mario Adorf (; born 8 September 1930) is a German actor, considered to be one of the great veteran character actors of European cinema. Since 1954, he has played both leading and supporting roles in over 200 film and television productions, am ...

. Fassbinder immediately chose her for his next project, '' Veronika Voss'', and cast her in the lead. This second Fassbinder film was inspired by the life of the UFA actress Sybille Schmitz, and Rosel Zech's convincing portrayal of the morphine-addicted actress turned Zech into a star overnight. The film was awarded in 1982 in the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

with a

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

. In the following years, Zech focused mainly on work in television and appeared in numerous television series and television films, as well as in regular theater productions in Berlin, where she lived during her last years. From 2002 until her death, she had a regular role as the mother superior in the German TV series ''

Um Himmels Willen ''Um Himmels Willen'' (English: ''For Heaven's Sake'') is a German television sitcom created by Jana Brandt and Sven Döbler, which originally aired on Das Erste since 8 January 2002. The 13th season was aired from 4 March 2014 to 3 June 2014 a ...

''.

Death

She died of bone cancer in Berlin on 31 August 2011, aged 71. Following a cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2011, Zech had not been able to resume her regular role as a nun in the German TV series ''Um Himmels Willen'' (''For Heaven's Sake'').

Awards

*1968: Förderpreis des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen *1976: Schauspielerin des Jahres der Zeitschrift

Theater heute ''Theater heute'' (German: ''Theatre Today'') is a German language monthly magazine with a special focus on theatre. The magazine is based in Berlin, Germany, and has been in circulation since 1960. History and profile ''Theater heute'' was foun ...

for ''Hedda Gabler'' *1982: Goldener Bär der

Berlinale The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

for ''Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss'' *1983:

Deutscher Darstellerpreis Deutscher is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Alma Deutscher, British musician and composer *Drafi Deutscher, German singer and composer *Guy Deutscher (linguist) *Guy Deutscher (physicist) *Isaac Deutscher, British jou ...

for ''Mascha'' *1990: Kainz-Medaille der Stadt Wien for ''Eines langen Tages Reise in die Nacht'' *1991: 1. Preis des

World Film Festival In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

in Montreal for ''Salmonberries'' *1992:

Bayerischer Filmpreis The Bavarian Film Awards (german: Bayerischer Filmpreis) have been awarded annually since 1979 by the state government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the German Film Awards, these are the ...

(Beste Darstellerin) for ''Salmonberries'' *1999: Bayerischer Verdienstorden *2001: Merkur-Theaterpreis der Zeitung

Münchner Merkur The ''Münchner Merkur'' (, literally "Munich Mercurius", i.e. the Roman god of messengers) is a German Bavarian daily subscription newspaper, which is published from Monday to Saturday. It is located in Munich and belongs to the Müncher Merkur ...

for ''Afterplay''

Filmography

*1970: ''Der Pott'' (TV movie, directed by

Peter Zadek Peter Zadek (; 19 May 1926 – 30 July 2009) was a German director of theatre, opera and film, a translator and a screenwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater. Biography Peter Zadek was born on 19 May ...

), as Susi *1973: '' The Tenderness of Wolves'' (directed by

Ulli Lommel Ulli Lommel (21 December 1944 – 2 December 2017) was a German Film actor, actor and Film director, director, noted for his many collaborations with Rainer Werner Fassbinder and his association with the New German Cinema movement. Lommel spent ...

), as Dame an der Tür *1973: ''Little Man, What Now?'' (TV movie, directed by

), as Marlene Dietrich / Marie Kleinholtz / Bettlerkind / Frau Nothnagel / Claire Waldoff *1974: ''Mädchen in Uniform'' (TV movie), as Frau von Bernburg *1974: ''The Seagull'' (TV movie, directed by

), as Nina Michailowna Saretschnaja *1974: ''

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

'' (directed by

), as Wanda *1977: ''Die Geisel'' (TV movie, directed by

), as Mrs. Gilchrist *1977: ' (TV movie, directed by Wolfgang Becker), as Frau Wolfermann *1978: ''Hedda Gabler'' (TV movie, directed by

), as Hedda Gabler *1978: ''Verführungen'' (TV movie, directed by

Michael Verhoeven Michael Verhoeven (born 13 July 1938) is a German film director. Life and work Verhoeven is the son of the German film director Paul Verhoeven (not to be confused with the Dutch film director Paul Verhoeven). He married actress Senta Berger in ...

), as Christine *1979: '' The Hamburg Syndrome'' (directed by Peter Fleischmann), as Dr. Hamm *1980: ' (directed by

Tankred Dorst Tankred Dorst (19 December 1925 – 1 June 2017) was a German playwright and storyteller. Dorst lived and worked in Munich. His farces, parables, one-act-plays and adaptations were inspired by the theatre of the absurd and the works of Ionesco ...

), as Adele *1980: ''The Misanthrope'' (TV movie, directed by

), as Célimène *1981: ' (TV movie, directed by

Peter Keglevic Peter Keglevic (born 1950) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 30 films since 1976. His film '' Bella Donna'' was screened at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. Selected filmography * ''Tatort: Beweisaufnahme'' (1981, TV ...

), as Herlinde *1981: ''Der Nächste bitte'' (TV Movie) *1981: ''

'' (directed by

), as Frau Schuckert *1981: ''Heute spielen wir den Boss / Wo geht's denn hier zum Film?'' (directed by Peer Raben), as Frau Kaiser *1981: ''

Die Knapp-Familie ''Die Knapp-Familie'' is a German television series. See also * List of German television series External links * 1981 German television series debuts 1983 German television series endings Television shows set in North Rhine-Westphalia ...

'' (TV miniseries) as Elfriede Knapp *1982: '' Veronika Voss'' (directed by

), as Veronika Voss *1983: ''Mascha'' (TV movie) *1982: ' (TV miniseries, directed by Egon Monk), as Lieselotte Oppermann *1983: ''Klawitter'' (TV movie, directed by Günter Gräwert), as Elli Hoff *1984: ''Julia'' (TV movie, directed by Wolfgang Glück), as Julia Lambert *1985: ''

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 ...

'' (Episode: "Der Mord danach"), as Jutta Reismüller *1985: ''Der Angriff der Gegenwart auf die übrige Zeit'' (directed by

Alexander Kluge Alexander Kluge (born 14 February 1932) is a German author, philosopher, academic and film director. Early life, education and early career Kluge was born in Halberstadt, Province of Saxony (now Saxony-Anhalt), Germany. After growing up durin ...

), as Ärztin *1986: ' (TV movie, directed by

Peter Beauvais Peter Beauvais (September 9, 1916, Weißenstadt, Germany – December 17, 1986, Baden-Baden, Germany) was a German television film director and scriptwriter. As a director for three decades, he helped pioneer and significantly influenced the devel ...

), as Sabine Halm *1986: ''

The Old Fox ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'' (Episode: "Blutgoldspur") as Helma Köhler *1986: ''Betrogene Liebe'' (TV movie) as Agnes *1986: ''Vermischte Nachrichten'' (directed by

), as Erfolgstyp *1987: ''Nebel im Fjord'' (TV movie), as Claudia Busch *1987: ''Herz mit Löffel'' *1987: ''Die Bombe'' (TV movie), as Helga Meyerdiercks *1987: ''

'' (Episode: "Verwischte Spuren"), as Gabriele Lohmann *1987: ''

'' (Episode: "Mord ist Mord"), as Ingrid Pohl *1988: '' Die Bertinis'' (TV miniseries, directed by Egon Monk), as Erika Schwarz *1988: ''Hemingway'' (TV miniseries, directed by

Bernhard Sinkel Bernhard Sinkel (born 19 January 1940) is a German film director and screenwriter. He directed seven films between 1975 and 1993. He co-shared the Special Recognition award at the 28th Berlin International Film Festival for the film '' Germany i ...

), as Lilli Marleen *1989: ' (TV miniseries), as Felicitas Frey *1989: ''

'' (Episode: "Ausgestiegen") as Jutta Sander *1990: ' as Frau Berger *1991: '' Salmonberries'' (directed by

Percy Adlon Paul Rudolf Parsifal "Percy" Adlon (; born 1 June 1935) is a German director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his film '' Bagdad Cafe''. He is associated with the New German Cinema movement (ca. 1965–1985), and has been noted ...

), as Roswitha *1993: ' (directed by

Sönke Wortmann Sönke Wortmann (; 25 August 1959 in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German film director and producer. Biography Wortmann's father was a miner. After Wortmann's A-Levels he wanted to become a professional football player and started playin ...

), as Mrs. Neuhaus *1993: ''

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 guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, an ...

'' (Episode: "Nach acht langen Jahren") as Charlotte Heine *1993: ''Der rote Vogel'' (TV Mini-Series) as Ellen Vondrowski *1994: ''

Polizeiruf 110 ''Polizeiruf 110'' ("Police call 110") is a long-running German-language detective television series likened to Poirot. The name links to the emergency telephone number of the ''Volkspolizei''. The first episode was broadcast 27 June 1971 in the ...

'' (Episode: "Gespenster") as Mutter Reiser *1994: ''Das Baby der schwangeren Toten'' (TV Movie) as Betti Ley *1995: ''

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

'' *1995: ''Schade um Papa'' (TV Series) as Lena Bandmann *1995: ''Dicke Freunde'' (TV Movie) as Marianne Strauß *1995: ''Neben der Zeit'' (TV Movie) as Sophies Mutter *1996: '': Die indische Ärztin'' (TV Series) as Dr. Karla Fasching-Spiehweg *1996: ''Die Geliebte'' (TV Series) *1997: ''Lea Katz – Die Kriminalpsychologin'' (Episode: "Das wilde Kind") as Gisela Straub *1997: ''Terror im Namen der Liebe'' (TV Movie) as Elke *1997: ''Die letzte Rettung'' (TV Movie) as Gudrun *1998: ''Der Schlüssel'' (Short) as Reinigungschefin *1998: ''

'' (Episode: "Der zweite Mann") as Juwelierin *1998: ''

'' (Episode: "Todesbote") as Silvia Blankenberg *1999: '' Aimée & Jaguar'' as Blonde Frau *1999: '' Siska'' (Episode: "Blackout") as Dr. Beate Paulus *1999: ''

'' (Episode: "Im Angesicht des Todes") as Judith Bennesch *1999: ''Morgen gehört der Himmel dir'' (TV Movie, directed by Ute Wieland) as Frau Niering *1999: ''

Ein Fall für zwei ''Ein Fall für zwei'' (''"A case for two"'') is a German television series, which premiered on 11 September 1981 on ZDF. The series, set in Frankfurt am Main, features two main characters who solve crimes: a defense attorney and a private inve ...

'' (Episode: "Abgebrüht") as Klara Schierer *2000: ''Oh, du Fröhliche'' (TV Movie), as Irmela Kapp *2001: ''Ein unmöglicher Mann'' (TV Mini-Series) as Frau Schmitt-Oedenthal *2001: ''Große Liebe wider Willen'' (TV Movie) as Claudia *2001: ''Das Schneeparadies'' (TV Movie) as Margot *2002: ''Im Visier der Zielfahnder'' (Episode: "Die Frau ohne Namen") as Britta Prahm *2002: ' (directed by

Dani Levy Dani Levy (born 17 November 1957) is a Swiss filmmaker, theatrical director, screenwriter and actor. Biography Levy was born to a Jewish family in Switzerland in 1957.

), as Melanies Mutter *2002: ''Zwei Affären und eine Hochzeit'' (TV Movie) as Rosa Richter *2002–2011: ''

'' (TV Series, 130 episodes) as Oberin Elisabeth Reuter (final appearance) *2003: '' Anatomie 2'' as Dr. Bamberg *2003: ''

'' (Episode: "Veras Waffen") as Marion von Pahl *2003: ''Der Auftrag - Mordfall in der Heimat'' (TV Movie) as Karin Eisner *2003: ''Plötzlich wieder 16'' (TV Movie) as Professorin *2003: '' Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall'' (Episode: "Yesterday") as Dorothee Mewes *2004: ''

'' (Episode: "Mörderspiele") as Monika Hanke-Helmhövel *2004: '' Kammerflimmern'' as Oma Crash *2004: ''

'' (Episode: "Tod im Morgengrauen") as Gisela von Lindow *2005: ''

Rosamunde Pilcher Rosamunde Pilcher, OBE (''née'' Scott; 22 September 1924 – 6 February 2019) was a British writer of romance novels, mainstream fiction, and short stories, from 1949 until her retirement in 2000. Her novels sold over 60 million copies worldw ...

'' (Episode: "Segel der Liebe") as Winona Carter *2005: '' K3 – Kripo Hamburg'' (Episode: "Fieber") as Pauline Petersen *2005: ''In Liebe eine Eins'' (TV Movie) as Ursula Sandrock *2006: ' (TV Series) as Mutter Martha *2006: ''Mr. Nanny – Ein Mann für Mama'' (TV Movie) as Marlene Meister *2006: '' Agathe kann's nicht lassen'' (Episode: "Die Tote im Bootshaus"") as Katharina Meindl *2008: ''

Das Traumschiff ' ("The Dream Ship") is a German television drama series by ZDF. The series, about a cruise ship that travels to places around the world, debuted in 1981 and became one of the most-watched television shows in Germany. A total of 83 episodes hav ...

'' (Episode: "Kilimandscharo - Malediven - Indien") as Kathrin Kriegel *2008: '' Einsatz in Hamburg'' (Episode: "Ein sauberer Mord") as Doris Blank *2008–2009: ''Der Schwarzwaldhof'' (TV Series) as Dora Hofer *2009: '' Die Rebellin'' (TV Movie, directed by Ute Wieland) as Alma Sattler *2011: ''Schicksalsjahre'' (TV Series) as Martha Engler

References

External links

Official Website of Rosel Zech

Demo tape of Rosel Zech at schauspielervideos.de
* *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zech, Rosel 1942 births 2011 deaths German film actresses German stage actresses German television actresses 20th-century German actresses Actresses from Berlin Deaths from cancer in Germany Deaths from bone cancer