Claus Theo Gärtner

Claus Theo Gärtner (born 19 April 1943) is a German television actor and amateur racing driver, best known for portraying the private detective Josef Matula in the long-running crime series Ein Fall für zwei (A Case for Two). From 1981 until 2013 he appeared in about 300 episodes, making the role one of the most recognisable characters in German television.

Early life and education Gärtner was born in Berlin during the final years of the Second World War. He spent parts of his childhood and adolescence in Austria, the United States, and Southeast Asia, where his father worked for a German trading company. He studied music in Braunschweig and Hanover before turning to acting and made his first theatre appearance at the Junges Theater in Göttingen. During his student years he was active in the German Socialist Students’ Association (SDS).

Career Gärtner began acting on stage in the 1960s and appeared in minor film and television roles before gaining national recognition with Ein Fall für zwei.

Ein Fall für zwei The crime series, produced by ZDF, premiered in 1981 and centred on the partnership between the private detective Josef Matula (played by Gärtner) and various defence attorneys, beginning with Dr. Dieter Renz (played by Günter Strack).

Matula’s combination of street-smart intuition and moral ambiguity contrasted with Renz’s legal precision, forming a dynamic that defined the programme’s early years. Gärtner performed most of his own car stunts and fight scenes, drawing on his passion for automobiles and motorsport. He remained with the show for over three decades, departing in 2013 with the 300th episode “Letzte Runde” (“Final Round”).

Later work After leaving Ein Fall für zwei, Gärtner appeared in guest roles in television dramas and crime series, took part in documentaries about classic German television, and made public appearances at vintage-car rallies and talk shows. In 2020 he reunited with the production team for a cameo in the rebooted version of Ein Fall für zwei.

Motorsport and hobbies A committed car enthusiast, Gärtner began racing in 1967 and has since taken part in numerous rallies and touring-car events, including the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. He has also worked as a test-driver for German car manufacturers and has long been associated with the ADAC motorsport organisation. His knowledge of driving and vehicle dynamics informed many of his action scenes in Ein Fall für zwei.

Personal life On 20 September 2008 Gärtner married Swiss stage actress Sarah Würgler (born 1978) in Winterthur, Switzerland, after six years of partnership. The couple live in Basel, where Gärtner remains active in cultural events and charity work connected with road-safety education.

Legacy Gärtner’s portrayal of Josef Matula became a cultural icon in German-language television. The character’s combination of toughness and empathy influenced detective series such as Tatort and Der Alte. Television historians have described Matula as “the working-class Marlowe of West Germany,” embodying the social contradictions of the 1980s and 1990s between legality and justice.

Filmography Year Title Type Role Notes / Source 1971 Zoff Feature film – Early cinema appearance. 1974 Tatort: Gefährliche Wanzen Television film (Tatort) – Early appearance in the Tatort series. 1979 Die erste Polka Feature film Feldwebel Metzmacher Adaptation of Horst Bienek’s novel. 1979 Tatort: Das stille Geschäft Television film (Tatort) Ulli Meineke Crime series episode. 1981–2013 Ein Fall für zwei TV series Josef Matula Lead role in around 300 episodes; career-defining part. 1991 Filmriß Television film – ZDF/ORF co-production. 2017–2019 Matula TV film series (ZDF) Josef Matula Stand-alone TV films continuing the Ein Fall für zwei universe. 2020 Ein Fall für zwei (reboot) TV series cameo Josef Matula Guest cameo in revived version.