As a goofy commissioner alongside Evelyn Hamann, Heinz Baumann lived out his comedic talent – it became his signature role. Now the actor has died at the age of 95.
The actor Heinz Baumann, who became popular with series such as “Adelheid and her Mörder” and “Soko 5113”, died a few weeks after his 95th birthday. He was one of the most famous TV faces of the last decades. Baumann fell asleep peacefully in Munich on Saturday, the artist agency Hahlweg announced on behalf of the family. He leaves a daughter and a son. Baumann is best known as a crime actor.
From 1987 he investigated in the ZDF series “Soko 5113” first as chief inspector, later as private detective Jürgen Sudmann. In 1993 he also took up the trail of crooks and villains on ARD. In “Adelheid and her Mörder” Baumann played the somewhat goofy chief inspector Ewald Strobel alongside Evelyn Hamann, who was only able to solve his cases with the help of his resourceful secretary Adelheid. Both series became huge successes. Baumann appeared regularly in productions well into the 2000s.
Baumann had a daughter with the comedian Beatrice Richter in 1978, Judith Richter, who also became an actress and is known for numerous TV productions. Baumann turned 95 on February 12.
First engagement in the newly founded GDR
Baumann was born in 1928 in a small village near Oldenburg. His father was a ship’s carpenter, his mother earned her living as a housekeeper. He himself dreamed of flying – he wanted to be a test pilot. But after the Second World War these hopes were dashed. Instead, Baumann embarked on another adventure: he became an actor.
He applied self-confidently and at the age of 20 actually held his first engagement in his hands. He moved to Quedlinburg and initially played in the newly founded GDR before moving to West Germany three years later. Baumann then acted in theaters in Hamburg, Cologne and Stuttgart, among others, before Dieter Giesing brought him to the Munich Kammerspiele in 1966.
TV debut 1960
The film soon became aware of the handsome young man. In 1960, Baumann celebrated a highly acclaimed debut alongside Liselotte Pulver in the feature film “Das Spukschloss im Spessart”. Other roles followed, especially on television.
In 1979, for example, he appeared in the eleven-part “Die Buddenbrooks” as Hugo Weinschenk. In 1993 Heinrich Breloer hired him as SPD politician Herbert Wehner (“Wehner – The Untold Story”).
Baumann was later able to show off his comedic side, particularly in “Adelheid und ihr Mörder”. For this he was awarded the Bavarian Television Prize in 2002. (dpa)