Heinz Rühmann
German film actor in over 100 films from 1926 to 1993.
Heinz Rühmann, born Heinrich Wilhelm Rühmann in Essen on 7 March 1902, was a German film actor whose career spanned over 100 movies from 1926 to 1993. He remains one of the most celebrated and beloved German actors of the 20th century, often called a film legend. Rühmann was famous for portraying the comic everyman in lighthearted films like *Three from the Filling Station* and *The Punch Bowl*. In his later years, he earned respect as a character actor in dramas such as *The Captain from Köpenick* and *It Happened in Broad Daylight*. His English-language films include the 1962 production *The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm* and the 1965 production *Ship of Fools*.
Rühmann’s father, Hermann, ran a restaurant in Essen but moved the family to Berlin in 1915, where he likely took his own life shortly afterward; the exact circumstances were never clarified. Heinz began acting in the early 1920s, performing in theaters across Germany. His breakthrough came with the 1930 film *The Three from the Filling Station*, which made him a star. He stayed popular as a comedic actor and occasional singer through the 1930s and early 1940s. During the Nazi period, he remained in Germany and continued working, much like his friend and colleague Hans Albers.
Between 1933 and 1945, Rühmann acted in 37 films and directed four. After January 1933, he avoided public statements about politics, keeping a neutral stance. He never spoke for or against the Nazis in the press, though he had democratic sympathies. In 1938, he divorced his Jewish wife, Maria Herbot, who then left for Stockholm and married a Swedish actor. Some accused Rühmann of divorcing her to protect his career, but the marriage was already troubled, and other sources suggest he aimed to shield her. After the war, Herbot defended him against charges of opportunism. His second wife, Hertha Feiler, had a Jewish grandfather, which caused Rühmann trouble with Nazi cultural authorities. Throughout the Nazi era, he maintained a reputation as an apolitical star.
During the war, the state co-opted Rühmann for propaganda films. He starred in the comedy *Quax the Crash Pilot* to distract the public from the conflict. In 1941, under Reichsfilmkammer president Carl Froelich, he played a gas-meter reader suspected of espionage in *Der Gasmann*.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Heinrich Wilhelm Rühmann
- Birth Date
- 1902-03-07
- Birth Place
- Essen, German Empire
- Death Date
- 1994-10-03
- Death Place
- Berg, Germany
- Occupation
- Actor, Director
- Years Active
- 1926–1993
- Spouse
- Maria Herbot (1924–1938) (divorced) / Hertha Feiler (1939–1970) (her death) (1 son) / Hertha Droemer (m. 1974)
- Children
- 1
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Rühmann was born in Essen as the son of a restaurateur. His father Hermann Rühmann moved to Berlin in 1915, where he probably committed suicide a little later; the exact circumstances of death could never be clarified. Heinz began his acting career during the early 1920s and appeared in numerous theatres in Germany. His role in the 1930 movie Die Drei von der Tankstelle (The Three from the Filling Station) led him to film stardom. He remained highly popular as a comedic actor and sometime singer throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. He remained in Germany and continued to work during the Nazi period, as did his friend and colleague, Hans Albers.
During the 1933–45 period, Rühmann acted in 37 films and directed four. After January 1933, he did not speak openly about German politics, but instead kept himself as neutral as possible.
Reader's Guide
Heinz Rühmann's significance lies in his enduring popularity across decades of German cinema, from the Weimar Republic through the Nazi era and into postwar West Germany. He is best known for his comedic roles as the ordinary citizen, but later earned respect as a character actor in films such as Der Hauptmann von Köpenick. His career during the Third Reich remains a subject of historical discussion: while he never publicly supported the Nazis and was a supporter of democracy, he continued to work, was named a state actor, and was placed on Goebbels' Gottbegnadeten list. His divorce from his Jewish wife Maria Herbot in 1938 has been interpreted both as career opportunism and as an attempt to protect her; she later defended him. After the war, Rühmann rebuilt his career and became West Germany's leading character actor. His only English-speaking film was the 1965 Ship of Fools. Posthumously, he was awarded the Goldene Kamera as the 'Greatest German Actor of the Century' in 1995, and in 2006 a ZDF poll voted him the favorite German actor. His legacy is that of a versatile performer whose work spanned nearly seven decades and who remains a cultural icon in Germany.
Did You Know?
- Rühmann appeared in over 100 films between 1926 and 1993.
- His only English-speaking movie was the 1965 Ship of Fools.
- He was a favorite actor of both Anne Frank and Adolf Hitler.
- In 1944, he screened Die Feuerzangenbowle for Hermann Göring at the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze.
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