German actress Heidemarie Wenzel (1945) became known in DEFA films of the early 1970s, such as Zeit der Störche/Time of the storks (1971) and Nemuritorii (1974). After her move to West-Germany, she became a star in both West and East Germany in the TV series Unsere Hagenbecks/Our Hagenbecks (1991-1994).
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3302, 1968, 1971. Retail price: M 0,20. Photo: Schwarz.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin / VEB Bild und Heimat Reichenbach, no. 5/F/73, 1973. Retail price: 0,20 M. Photo: Uhlenhut.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 87/75, 1975. Retail price: 0,20 M. Photo: Uhlenhut.
Heidemarie Wenzel was born in 1945 in Berlin, Germany. During her youth, she played in the children's theatre and in the movement choir of the Deutschen Staatsoper (German State Opera).
From 1963 to 1966 she studied at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch (Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts) in Berlin. After graduation she got her first engagements in Rostock and Greifswald.
Very soon she began to work as a freelance actress in film and on television. Her first major role was as Fanny in the film adaptation of Johannes R. Becher's novel Abschied/Farewell (Egon Günther, 1968), starring Rolf Ludwig and Jan Spitzer. The film was heavily criticised by officials in the GDR because of the unusual narrative style.
Wenzel had her breakthrough in the role of the self-confident teacher Susanne in Zeit der Störche/Time of the storks (Siegfried Kühn, 1971), opposite Winfried Glatzeder.
In Die Taube auf dem Dach/The Dove on the Roof (Iris Gusner, 1973), she was able to show her acting talent properly for the first time, but the film was banned even before its premiere.
The pretty, tall, slender and blonde actress was both open-minded and intelligent as well as introverted. She was often cast for contemporary roles as in Die Legende von Paul und Paula/The Legend of Paul und Paula (Heiner Carow, 1973), starring Angelica Domröse and Winfried Glatzeder. This was the most successful film of the DEFA in its history.
Big East-German card by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3281, 1968. Photo: DEFA / Dietrich. Jan Spitzer and Heidemarie Wenzel in Abschied/Farewell (Egon Günther, 1968).
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3282, 1968. Photo: DEFA / Dietrich. Jan Spitzer and Heidemarie Wenzel in Abschied/Farewell (Egon Günther, 1968).
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3283, 1968. Photo: DEFA / Dietrich. Jan Spitzer and Heidemarie Wenzel in Abschied/Farewell (Egon Günther, 1968).
Until the mid-1970s, Heidemarie Wenzel played several more major roles, but then she got less and less good offers, as she was considered politically unreliable by the state.
In 1986 she made an exit request and was not occupied in the following years. Therefore, she had to work as an office assistant at the church.
In 1988 she was expatriated to the Federal Republic (West-Germany). From 1991, she became a star in both West and East Germany in the TV series Unsere Hagenbecks/Our Hagenbecks (1991-1994) about a family who runs a zoo in Hamburg. When her character died in an accident, it came to public protests.
In the 1990s Wenzel also appeared more often in the theatre. Her later series include the popular hospital soap In aller Freundschaft/In all Friendliness (1998) with Rolf Becker. The series follows the staff of the fictional Sachsenklinik hospital in the city of Leipzig.
Wenzel lives in Berlin-Tempelhof. She has a son and a daughter. In her first marriage Wenzel was married to the director Kurt Veth, which is why she was also credited at times as Heidemarie Wenzel-Veth. Since 1977, she is married to the director and author Helmut Nitzschke.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3267, 1968. Retail price: MDN 0,20. Photo: Balinski.
Big East-German card by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 207/69, 1969. Retail price: 0,40 MDN. Photo: Uhlenhut.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 14/71, 1970. Retail price: 0,20 MDN. Photo: Uhlenhut.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 167/70, 1970. Retail price: 0,20 MDN. Photo: Uhlenhut.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 165/71, 1971. Retail price: M 0,20. Photo: Uhlenhut.
Sources: Wikipedia (German) and IMDb.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3302, 1968, 1971. Retail price: M 0,20. Photo: Schwarz.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin / VEB Bild und Heimat Reichenbach, no. 5/F/73, 1973. Retail price: 0,20 M. Photo: Uhlenhut.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 87/75, 1975. Retail price: 0,20 M. Photo: Uhlenhut.
Open-minded and intelligent as well as introverted
Heidemarie Wenzel was born in 1945 in Berlin, Germany. During her youth, she played in the children's theatre and in the movement choir of the Deutschen Staatsoper (German State Opera).
From 1963 to 1966 she studied at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch (Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts) in Berlin. After graduation she got her first engagements in Rostock and Greifswald.
Very soon she began to work as a freelance actress in film and on television. Her first major role was as Fanny in the film adaptation of Johannes R. Becher's novel Abschied/Farewell (Egon Günther, 1968), starring Rolf Ludwig and Jan Spitzer. The film was heavily criticised by officials in the GDR because of the unusual narrative style.
Wenzel had her breakthrough in the role of the self-confident teacher Susanne in Zeit der Störche/Time of the storks (Siegfried Kühn, 1971), opposite Winfried Glatzeder.
In Die Taube auf dem Dach/The Dove on the Roof (Iris Gusner, 1973), she was able to show her acting talent properly for the first time, but the film was banned even before its premiere.
The pretty, tall, slender and blonde actress was both open-minded and intelligent as well as introverted. She was often cast for contemporary roles as in Die Legende von Paul und Paula/The Legend of Paul und Paula (Heiner Carow, 1973), starring Angelica Domröse and Winfried Glatzeder. This was the most successful film of the DEFA in its history.
Big East-German card by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3281, 1968. Photo: DEFA / Dietrich. Jan Spitzer and Heidemarie Wenzel in Abschied/Farewell (Egon Günther, 1968).
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3282, 1968. Photo: DEFA / Dietrich. Jan Spitzer and Heidemarie Wenzel in Abschied/Farewell (Egon Günther, 1968).
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3283, 1968. Photo: DEFA / Dietrich. Jan Spitzer and Heidemarie Wenzel in Abschied/Farewell (Egon Günther, 1968).
Considered politically unreliable
Until the mid-1970s, Heidemarie Wenzel played several more major roles, but then she got less and less good offers, as she was considered politically unreliable by the state.
In 1986 she made an exit request and was not occupied in the following years. Therefore, she had to work as an office assistant at the church.
In 1988 she was expatriated to the Federal Republic (West-Germany). From 1991, she became a star in both West and East Germany in the TV series Unsere Hagenbecks/Our Hagenbecks (1991-1994) about a family who runs a zoo in Hamburg. When her character died in an accident, it came to public protests.
In the 1990s Wenzel also appeared more often in the theatre. Her later series include the popular hospital soap In aller Freundschaft/In all Friendliness (1998) with Rolf Becker. The series follows the staff of the fictional Sachsenklinik hospital in the city of Leipzig.
Wenzel lives in Berlin-Tempelhof. She has a son and a daughter. In her first marriage Wenzel was married to the director Kurt Veth, which is why she was also credited at times as Heidemarie Wenzel-Veth. Since 1977, she is married to the director and author Helmut Nitzschke.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 3267, 1968. Retail price: MDN 0,20. Photo: Balinski.
Big East-German card by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 207/69, 1969. Retail price: 0,40 MDN. Photo: Uhlenhut.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 14/71, 1970. Retail price: 0,20 MDN. Photo: Uhlenhut.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 167/70, 1970. Retail price: 0,20 MDN. Photo: Uhlenhut.
East-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 165/71, 1971. Retail price: M 0,20. Photo: Uhlenhut.
Sources: Wikipedia (German) and IMDb.
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