Biography.guide
Home › People › Actor › Peter Sodann
Portrait of Peter Sodann

Peter Sodann

1936 – 2024

German actor and politician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Peter Sodann

Lived 1936 – 2024 (aged 87). Peter Sodann was a German actor, stage actor, film actor, television actor, director and theatre director.

Peter Sodann (1 June 1936 – 5 April 2024) was a German actor, director and politician. He was the Left Party's nominee for the 2009 presidential election, but was not considered a serious candidate by the German media.

Early life Sodann was born on 1 June 1936 in Meissen to a working-class family. After training to be a toolmaker, he moved to Leipzig in order to study law. In 1959 he transferred to the Theaterhochschule Leipzig, where he led a cabaret group. The group's performance was deemed subversive by the East German authorities and closed in 1961. Sodann was arrested by the Stasi and spent nine months in prison and was on probation for four years.

Acting career In 1964, Sodann made his first performance with the Berliner Ensemble. In the following years, he acted and produced plays in Erfurt, Chemnitz and Magdeburg. In 1980, he moved to Halle and for years worked as a director there.

Political activities Sodann was a vocal supporter of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), which in 2007 became the Left Party. In July 2005 he announced his interest in running as a candidate of the PDS in Saxony for the 2005 federal election. However, he later withdrew himself from considering, citing restrictions on media employment for Bundestag politicians. As an actor-turned-politician, the German media compared him (usually as a criticism) to Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since the German president is elected by the Bundesversammlung, in which the vast majority of seats would be held by the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, Sodann stood little chance of winning. He finished third in the election, in which the incumbent Horst Köhler was re-elected.

Personal life and death Sodann was married to his second wife, Cornelia. He was the father of four children through his first marriage: Tina, Susanne, Franz and Karl.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Education
University of Music and Theatre Leipzig, Hans Otto Drama School of Leipzig
Positions held
Library director
Awards
Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; National Prize of East Germany; Osgar

People in Peter Sodann's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Peter Sodann's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Peter Sodann?

German actor and politician (1936–2024)

When was Peter Sodann born?

Peter Sodann was born on 1 June 1936 in Meissen.

When did Peter Sodann die?

Peter Sodann died on 5 April 2024 in Halle (Saale).

What was Peter Sodann's occupation?

Peter Sodann was an actor, stage actor, film actor, television actor, director and theatre director.

What nationality was Peter Sodann?

Peter Sodann was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Peter Sodann

· Wikidata: Q95929

· DBpedia: Peter Sodann

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter Sodann. https://biography.guide/peter-sodann/

MLA: "Peter Sodann." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-sodann/.

Chicago: "Peter Sodann." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-sodann/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:22 UTC