Wolfgang Stumph
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Stumph is an award-winning German
actor and cabaret
artist.
in the German Democratic Republic
. After school he trained to become a heavy plate boiler maker and later studied engineering
and psychology
in Dresden, graduating from university as "Engineer-Pedagogue". After his studies, he completed a public actor's training and started his professional career as a political cabaret artist in Dresden's "Herkuleskeule" club.
with the 1991 comedic film Go Trabi Go
. In the film he plays a teacher from former East Germany who wants to take his family to Italy for their first holiday, driving there in the family's Trabant
(a car affectionately called "Trabi"). Go Trabi Go was a major hit in the time shortly after the reunification of Germany and drew crowds in both parts of Germany; critics said the film was a way for East Germans to "laugh not precisely at themselves, but at the absurdities of the system under which they lived until last year".
After the film, which was followed by a sequel in 1992, Stumph began his first step to a later extensive cooperation with the ZDF
, the second German public TV channel. From 1993 to 1996 he starred on the ZDF produced sitcom Salto Postale
as Wolle Stankoweit, a postal worker
in the fictional town Niederbörnicke in Brandenburg
. Salto Postale was one of the few successful German sitcoms of that time and both the sitcom and Stumph won multiple awards. From 1998 to 2001 he starred in the same role in a sequel sitcom called Salto Kommunale.
Since 1995, Stumph stars in a more serious role as detective Stubbe in the ZDF police investigation series Stubbe - Von Fall zu Fall. His daughter Stephanie Stumph
has a recurring role as Stubbe's daughter. Von Fall zu Fall is one of the most successful shows in Germany and consistently receives high ratings. He also starred in multiple other films, both of comedic and serious nature.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
actor and cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
artist.
Early life
Stumph was born in Silesia in 1946 and grew up without a father in DresdenDresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
in the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
. After school he trained to become a heavy plate boiler maker and later studied engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
in Dresden, graduating from university as "Engineer-Pedagogue". After his studies, he completed a public actor's training and started his professional career as a political cabaret artist in Dresden's "Herkuleskeule" club.
Success
Stumph achieved his breakthrough as an actor shortly after the German reunificationGerman reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
with the 1991 comedic film Go Trabi Go
Go Trabi Go
Go Trabi Go is a 1991 German comedy film. It was the first major box office hit about events concerning the newly reunified Germany. Unlike other films in this period which focused on the problems following the reunification, Go Trabi Go sees the main characters, former citizens of East Germany,...
. In the film he plays a teacher from former East Germany who wants to take his family to Italy for their first holiday, driving there in the family's Trabant
Trabant
The Trabant is a car that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc...
(a car affectionately called "Trabi"). Go Trabi Go was a major hit in the time shortly after the reunification of Germany and drew crowds in both parts of Germany; critics said the film was a way for East Germans to "laugh not precisely at themselves, but at the absurdities of the system under which they lived until last year".
After the film, which was followed by a sequel in 1992, Stumph began his first step to a later extensive cooperation with the ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
, the second German public TV channel. From 1993 to 1996 he starred on the ZDF produced sitcom Salto Postale
Salto Postale
Salto Postale is a German television series....
as Wolle Stankoweit, a postal worker
Postal worker
A postal worker is one who works for a post office, such as a mail carrier. In the U.S., postal workers are represented by the and the American Postal Workers Union, part of the AFL-CIO. In Canada, they are represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and in the United Kingdom by the...
in the fictional town Niederbörnicke in Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. Salto Postale was one of the few successful German sitcoms of that time and both the sitcom and Stumph won multiple awards. From 1998 to 2001 he starred in the same role in a sequel sitcom called Salto Kommunale.
Since 1995, Stumph stars in a more serious role as detective Stubbe in the ZDF police investigation series Stubbe - Von Fall zu Fall. His daughter Stephanie Stumph
Stephanie Stumph
Stephanie Stumph is a German actress. She is the daughter of actor Wolfgang Stumph.-Personal life:Stumph was born as the daughter of Wolfgang and Christine Stumph on 7 July 1984. Since her childhood, she was active in multiple choirs and danced ballet. She also completed several professional...
has a recurring role as Stubbe's daughter. Von Fall zu Fall is one of the most successful shows in Germany and consistently receives high ratings. He also starred in multiple other films, both of comedic and serious nature.
Cabaret
In 1991, Stumph founded the comdey troupe "Anthrak auf Stumphsinn" with Gunter Antrak und Detlev Rothe with which he toured the country with different shows, each consisting of comedy about the former East Germany.Films
- Go Trabi GoGo Trabi GoGo Trabi Go is a 1991 German comedy film. It was the first major box office hit about events concerning the newly reunified Germany. Unlike other films in this period which focused on the problems following the reunification, Go Trabi Go sees the main characters, former citizens of East Germany,...
(1991) - Go Trabi Go 2 – Das war der wilde Osten (1992)
- Ein Fall für TKKG: Drachenauge (1992)
- Theaterdonner (TV) (1995)
- Bis zum Horizont und weiter (To the Horizon and Beyond) (1998)
- Ein Stück vom Glück (TV) (2001)
- Ein Sack voll Geld (TV) (2002)
- Heimatfilm! (2002)
- Oskar der Klomann (TV) (2003)
- Der Job seines Lebens (TV) (2003)
- Derrick – Die Pflicht ruft (voice) (2004)
- Der Job seines Lebens 2 (TV) (2004)
- Das Schwalbennest (TV) (2004)
- Das Blaue Wunder (TV) (2004)
- DresdenDresden (film)Dresden is a East German film. It was released in 1946....
(2006) - Eine Liebe in Königsberg (TV) (2006)
- Beim nächsten Kind wird alles anders (TV) (2006)
- Heimweh nach Drüben (TV) (2007)
- KeinohrhasenKeinohrhasenKeinohrhasen ,lit: No Ear Rabbits, is a 2007 German romantic comedy film, written, produced and directed by Til Schweiger...
(2007) - Im Meer der Lügen (TV) (2008)
- Stürmische Zeiten (TV) (2008)
- 30 Tage Angst (TV) (2008)
- Salami Aleikum (2009)
- Romeo und Jutta (TV) (2009)
Television
- Salto PostaleSalto PostaleSalto Postale is a German television series....
(24 episodes) (1993–1996) - Stubbe – Von Fall zu FallStubbe – Von Fall zu FallStubbe – Von Fall zu Fall is a German crime detective television series starring Wolfgang Stumph as detective Stubbe...
(1995-) - Die Geliebte (1998)
- Salto KommunaleSalto KommunaleSalto Kommunale is a German television series....
(26 episodes) (1998–2001) - Salto Speziale (3 episodes)
Awards
- TelestarTelestarThe Telestar was a former German television award, created by Das Erste and ZDF. It was succeeded in 1999 by the Deutscher Fernsehpreis....
for Salto PostaleSalto PostaleSalto Postale is a German television series....
(1995) - Goldene Henne Superillu (1996)
- Premio Bacco (1999)
- Goldene Henne Superillu (1999)
- Goldene Henne Superillu (2003)
- Krimi des Jahres for Stubbe: Tod des Models (2004)
- Bayerischer FernsehpreisBayerischer FernsehpreisBayerischer Fernsehpreis is an award presented by the government of Bavaria, Germany since 1989.- 2010 :* Nina Gummich, Nachwuchsförderpreis * Klaus Doldinger, Bavarian Prime Minister's Prize- 2009 :...
for Stubbe – Von Fall zu FallStubbe – Von Fall zu FallStubbe – Von Fall zu Fall is a German crime detective television series starring Wolfgang Stumph as detective Stubbe...
(2004) - Münchhausen-Preis of the city of BodenwerderBodenwerderBodenwerder is a municipality in Holzminden district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies on the river Weser, upstream from Hamelin, at a point where the river has carved a gap in the hills...
(2004) - Till-Eulenspiegel-Satirepreis of the city of Bremen (2005)
- Signs of Fame Germany (2006)
- Goldene Henne Superillu (2009)