Alfred Struwe

Alfred Struwe (April 22, 1927 – February 13, 1998) was a German actor, best known for his television role as Dr. Alexander Wittkugel in Zahn um Zahn.

Struwe was born in Marienburg, West Prussia (today Malbork in Poland), the son of a postman, and grew up there with five siblings. His first acting experience was in Hitler Youth summer camps. and subsequently was engaged in Brandenburg, Zittau, Cottbus, Karl-Marx-Stadt and Dresden.

Struwe made his first appearance before the cameras in 1954, in the DEFA co-production Leuchtfeuer. Then beginning in the 1960s, his face was often seen on both movie and television screens. Several times he played the part of the would-be assassin of Hitler, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. In 1985 he played what would become his signature role, the eccentric dentist Dr. Alexander Wittkugel in the television series Zahn um Zahn ("A Tooth for a Tooth"). This was so successful that in response to viewer demand the 7 projected episodes were extended and in the end 21 stories of "Dr. Wittkugel's Practices" were produced.

Struwe's daughter Catharina Struwe is likewise an actress, with, for example, a longstanding engagement at the Neue Bühne in Senftenberg.

With the dissolution of the Iron Curtain, the popular actor's life became quieter. Struwe made occasional further appearances on stage and on television, but otherwise enjoyed his retirement. He died in Potsdam in 1998 after a lengthy illness caused by pneumonia and was buried in the Southwest Cemetery in Stahnsdorf.

Selected filmography

1954: Leuchtfeuer - Junger Fischer 1963: Geheimarchiv an der Elbe - Adjutant von Upitz 1963: Vanina Vanini (TV Movie) - Fürst Savelli 1966: Ohne Kampf kein Sieg (TV Mini-Series) - Claus von Stauffenberg 1968: Die Toten bleiben jung - von Klemm 1969: Krupp und Krause (TV Series) - Alfried Krupp 1969: Verdacht auf einen Toten - Scheitler 1971: KLK Calling PTZ - The Red Orchestra - Bellini 1971: Liberation III: Direction of the Main Blow - Stauffenberg 1971: Istanbul-Masche (TV Movie) - Alfred Gärtner 1972: Die Bilder des Zeugen Schattmann (TV Mini-Series) - Fritz Marcus 1973: Die Hosen des Ritters Bredow - Hauptmann Otterstädt 1973-1979: Das unsichtbare Visier (TV Series) - General Gert von Wieseneck 1974: Wolz - Leben und Verklärung eines deutschen Anarchisten - Zweiter Polizist 1974: Ulzana - Aldrigton, Bürgermeister von Tucson 1975: Fischzüge (TV Movie) - Nienhusen 1976: Im Staub der Sterne - Suko 1976-1989: Polizeiruf 110 (TV Series) - Uwe Kellerbauer / Dr. Frowein / Friedrich Bader 1977: Osvobození Prahy - von Matzmer 1978: Anton the Magician - Bankmensch 1978: Zwei Betten in der Hohen Tatra - Wolfgang Witt 1979: Bis daß der Tod euch scheidet - Jens' Schwager 1980: Archiv des Todes (TV Series) - Standartenführer Hauk 1980: Oben geblieben ist noch keiner (TV Movie) - Flugplatzleiter Behrens 1980: Wizja lokalna 1901 1980: Jesli serce masz bijace 1981: Asta, mein Engelchen 1981: Der ungebetene Gast (TV Movie) - Felix Hollerbusch 1981: Berühmte Ärzte der Charité: Der kleine Doktor (TV Movie) - Geheimrat Dr. Lehnert 1982: Dein unbekannter Bruder - Staatsrat Diestelkamp 1982: Der lange Ritt zur Schule - Erster Guter 1983: Frühstück im Bett (TV Movie) - Georg Hartmann 1983: Die lieben Luder (TV Movie, Sequel to Polizeiruf 110) - Herr Zander 1983: Verzeihung, sehen Sie Fußball? - Dr. Kobermann 1983: Automärchen - Sauerboom 1984: Mensch, Oma! (TV Mini-Series) - Redner 1984: Front ohne Gnade (TV Series) - Obersturmbannführer Maas 1984-1990: Schauspielereien: Gesucht und gefunden (TV Series) 1985-1988: Zahn um Zahn (TV Series) - Dr. Alexander Wittkugel 1987: Magnat - Wilhelm II, German Emperor 1987: Sachsens Glanz und Preußens Gloria: Gräfin Cosel (TV Movie) - Graf Jacob Heinrich von Flemming 1989: 1991: Aerolina (TV Series) - Zirkusdirektor Bernhard 1992: Karl May (TV Mini-Series) - Lawyer Bernstein 1997: Verdammtes Glück (TV Movie) - Herr Leipold (final film role)