| Günter Meisner | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 18, 1926 Bremen, Germany |
| Died | December 5, 1994 (aged 68) Berlin, Germany |
| Occupation | Actor |
Günter Meisner (April 18, 1926 - December 5, 1994) was a German actor. He is best remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler.
Born in Bremen, he briefly worked at a steel foundry before training as a radio operator with the Wehrmacht paratroopers (Fallschirmspringer). In 1948, Meisner took acting lessons with Gustaf Gründgens in Düsseldorf, where he also got his first job at the local Schauspielhaus. Meisner often played Nazi officers and other sinister characters. He portrayed Hitler in the French-German action comedy L'as des as, and in the American television miniseries The Winds of War. He also appeared as a Stasi officer in the 1982 film Night Crossing. Other films Meisner took part in were Is Paris Burning?, The Quiller Memorandum, Funeral in Berlin, and The Boys from Brazil. He was Mr. Slugworth/Mr. Wilkinson in the 1971 film version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Around 1960/61 Meisner founded the International Association for Arts and Sciences, and from 1967 to 1969 he participated in relief efforts in Biafra, Nigeria. In Africa, Meisner also produced films criticizing racial discrimination.
Meisner was married. On December 5, 1994, he died of heart failure during the filming of an episode of the television series Tatort, and was buried at Berlin's Heerstraße cemetery. Meisner was 68 years old.
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