Rolf Hoppe

Rolf Hoppe (6 December 1930 – 14 November 2018) was a prolific German stage, cinema, and television actor, who played in more than 400 films in a career which spanned over six decades.

To international audiences Hoppe is perhaps best known for his roles as the General in the Oscar-winning Mephisto (1981) and as the King in the East-German–Czechoslovak Holiday classic Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973).

Early life

Hoppe was born the son of a master baker in Ellrich, Thuringia, Germany. After his apprenticeship as a baker, he worked from 1945 to 1948 as a coach driver.

Career

Hoppe moved to Erfurt where he began formal training as an actor at the Staatliches Konservatorium from 1949 to 1951, during which time he supported himself by working as an animal handler at the Zirkus Aeros. He later performed at Thalia Theater in Halle (Saale) and at the Theater der jungen Welt (children's and youth theatre) in Leipzig. His stage performances included such notable venues as the Staatsschauspiel Dresden, the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, and the Salzburg Festival. Internationally, he worked in Switzerland, Italy, Poland and China.

In the East German DEFA movies, Hoppe frequently played villains in different Osterns ("Red Westerns") of the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1973 fairytale film Three Wishes for Cinderella, a Czechoslovak–East German co-production, he appeared as the King. One of Hoppe's most notable roles is that of "the General" (based on Hermann Göring) in István Szabó's drama Mephisto, which was awarded the 1981 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In Peter Schamoni's historical drama Spring Symphony, he played Friedrich Wieck, the strict piano teacher of Robert Schumann and father of Clara Wieck.

In addition to numerous appearances in feature films and television productions, Hoppe also worked as a voice-artist in children's radio plays and audio-books.

Private life and death

Hoppe died 14 November 2018 in Dresden, where he lived in the suburb of Weißig. He was interred in the Waldfriedhof Weisser Hirsch (cemetery), Dresden. He was survived by his wife Friederike with whom he had two daughters: Josephine and Christine, the latter is also an actress. His grandson Oscar Hoppe is an actor as well.

Selected filmography

1963: Jetzt und in der Stunde meines Todes, as Portier 1965: Solange Leben in mir ist, as Abgeordneter 1965: Die besten Jahre, as Lehrer Klein 1965: Der Frühling braucht Zeit, as Rudi Wiesen 1965: , as Lehrer Eiffler 1966: Fräulein Schmetterling, as Himmelblau 1967: Frau Venus und ihr Teufel, as Siegfried 1968: I Was Nineteen, as Major Behring 1968: Die Nacht im Grenzwald, as Bennigsen 1968: Spur des Falken, as Bashan 1968: Hauptmann Florian von der Mühle, as Polizeidirektor 1968: Mohr und die Raben von London, as Bankier 1968–1970: Ich – Axel Cäsar Springer (TV series) 1969: Lebende Ware, as Grabau 1969: Jungfer, Sie gefällt mir, as Reitender Bote 1969: Nebelnacht, as Herr Kranepuhl 1969: Weiße Wölfe, as James Bashan 1970: Tödlicher Irrtum, as Allison 1970: Jeder stirbt für sich allein (TV Mini-Series) 1971: Männer ohne Bart, as Gangster 1971: Goya or the Hard Way to Enlightenment, as Charles IV of Spain 1971–1973: Die Brüder Lautensack (TV miniseries) 1972: Leichensache Zernik, as Werner W. Bergmann 1972: The Stolen Battle, as Josef Barody 1972: Eolomea, as Prof. Oli Tal 1973: Das zweite Leben des Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Platow, as Dr. Hoppe 1973: Apachen, as Captain Burton 1973: Susanne und der Zauberring, as Schleusenwärter 1973: Die Hosen des Ritters von Bredow, as Ritter Götz von Bredow 1973: Three Wishes for Cinderella, as King 1973: Die Zwillinge (TV Movie), as Generaldirektor Beißer 1974: Orpheus in der Unterwelt, as Jupiter 1974: Leben mit Uwe, as Dr. Bohnsack 1974: Der nackte Mann auf dem Sportplatz, as Tautz 1974: Für die Liebe noch zu mager, as Onkel Carlo 1974: Ulzana, as Captain Burton 1974: Wie füttert man einen Esel, as Otto-Ernst Schuster 1974: Hans Röckle und der Teufel, as Meister Hans Röckle 1974: Johannes Kepler, as Emperor Rudolf II 1974: , as Shorty 1975: Between Day and Night 1975: Die Bösewichter müssen dran, as Christian 1975: Ikarus, as Brigadier 1975–1996: Polizeiruf 110: Die Rechnung geht nicht auf (TV Series), as Goertz / Hopfer / Paul Kramer 1976: Daniel Druskat (TV Mini-Series), as Herr Mühlstädt 1976: Das Licht auf dem Galgen, as Pfarrer Clark 1976: Unser stiller Mann, as Schuster 1976: Beethoven – Tage aus einem Leben, as Ignaz Schuppanzigh 1977: Zur See (TV Series), as Havarie-Kapitän Topf 1977: Unterwegs nach Atlantis, as Alexander Grey 1977: Die Flucht, as Der Runde 1977–1979: Das unsichtbare Visier (TV Series) 1978: Jörg Ratgeb – Maler, as Gaukler 1978: Sabine Wulff, as Professor 1978: Fleur Lafontaine, as Bullklein 1978: Volpone (TV Movie), as Volpone 1978: Ein Sonntagskind, das manchmal spinnt, as Lehrer Schütterow 1979: Schatzsucher, as Blinder 1980: Komödianten-Emil, as Kommissar 1980: Yunost Petra 1980: Levins Mühle, as Froese 1980: Heute abend und morgen früh 1981: Mephisto, as Tábornagy 1981: Pugowitza, as Hopf 1981: Feuerdrachen (TV Series), as Solka 1982: Rächer, Retter und Rapiere (TV Series), as Heinrich von Müffling 1982: Die Gerechten von Kummerow, as Superintendent 1982: Der lange Ritt zur Schule, as Trapper 1982: Sonjas Rapport 1982: Bahnwärter Thiel (TV Movie), as Pfarrer 1983: Spring Symphony, as Friedrich Wieck 1983: Mein Vater ist ein Dieb 1983: Martin Luther (TV Series) 1983–1985: Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort (TV Series), as Clemens Gerlach / Tristan 1984: Woman Doctors, as Dr. Böblinger 1984: (TV Movie), as Edgar Allan 1985: Irrläufer (TV Movie), as Bergmann 1985: , as Gefängnisdirektor 1985: 1985: Kaiser und eine Nacht, as Eddie 1985: Besuch bei Van Gogh, as Amadeus Bergk 1985: Die Gänse von Bützow, as Dr. Hane 1985: Sachsens Glanz und Preußens Gloria (TV Series), as Augustus III 1986: The House on the River, as Director Hüsgen 1986: Der Nachbar, as Georg Walz 1986: Boundaries of Time: Caspar David Friedrich (TV Movie) 1987: , as Duke Ernest II 1987: Liane, as Jürgens Vater 1987: Magnat, as Heinberg 1987: The Tribulations of a Chinese Gentleman 1988: Melanios letzte Liebe (TV Movie), as Melanio Altolaguirre 1988: Zimmer 36 1989: , as Bruno Markward 1989: Pestalozzi's Mountain, as Zehender 1989: , as Hart 1989: The Dancing Girl (舞姫), as Robert Koch 1989: Ein brauchbarer Mann, as Heiner Rudolf 1990: Kohl – ein deutscher Politiker 1991: Das Licht der Liebe 1991: (TV Movie), as Otto Hahn 1991: , as Gefangener 1992: Die Männer vom K3 (TV Series), as Adolf Buchegger 1992: Schtonk!, as Karl Lentz 1992: , as Tobler 1992: The Democratic Terrorist, as Lodge Hecht 1992: (TV Movie), as Friedrich 1993: Durchreise – Die Geschichte einer Firma (TV Mini-Series) 1993: Die Lok, as Hans Kastler 1993–2000: Das Traumschiff (TV Series), as Kommisar Franz Engel / Kurt Steiner 1993–1999: Rosamunde Pilcher (TV Series), as Peter Green / Grenville Bayliss 1994: Die Elefantenbraut (TV Movie), as Krottendorf 1994: , as Gemeindepräsident Mathis 1994: Mario and the Magician, as Prefecto Angiolieri 1994–2003: Tatort (TV Series), as Dr. Paul Knödgen / Karsunke / Mr. Sudhoff / Walter Severing / Karl Ammond / Tauber 1995: La piovra, (TV Mini-Series), as Professor Ramonte 1995: (TV Movie), as Theo Krautinger 1995: (TV Movie), as Senft 1995: Inspector Rex (TV Series), as Erich Staller 1997: Geisterstunde – Fahrstuhl ins Jenseits (TV Movie), as Frank 1997: Lorenz im Land der Lügner, as König 1997: Der Hauptmann von Köpenick (TV Movie), as Zuchthausdirektor 1997: Comedian Harmonists, as Gauleiter Streicher 1997: Die Healthy, as Georg Mosbacher 1997: Reise in die Dunkelheit (TV Movie) 1998: Palmetto, as Felix Malroux 1998: Sugar for the Beast (TV Movie), as Prof. Weihrauch 1998: One Step Too Far (TV Movie), as Anwalt Bornstein 1999: Hans im Glück, as Reiter 1999: Klemperer – Ein Leben in Deutschland (TV Series), as Opa Findeisen 2000: Am Ende siegt die Liebe (TV Movie), as Max Sander 2000: Models (TV Movie), as Berhard Rief 2001: Die Verbrechen des Professor Capellari (TV Series), as Dr. Walter Schneider 2001: Der Bulle von Tölz (TV Series), as Dr. Berthold Schwaninger 2001–2006: SOKO Kitzbühel (TV Series), as Manninger / Santigo / Konsul Tichalski 2002: Der letzte Zeuge (TV Series), as Josef Karzmann 2002: (TV Movie), as Johann Kirnberger 2004: Wilsberg (TV Series), as Erwin Kuhn 2004: Donna Leon (TV Series), as Gabriele Cossato 2004: Am Kap der Liebe (TV Movie), as Ferdinand Hansen / Paul Freeman 2005: Alles auf Zucker!, as Rabbi Ginsberg 2007: Giganten (TV Series), as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 2007: SOKO Rhein-Main (TV Series), as Rosenbaum 2007: Mein alter Freund Fritz 2007–2009: Commissario Laurenti (TV Series), as Galvano 2008: (TV Movie), as Georg Riemann 2009: Swinki, as Weber 2009: (TV Movie), as Mosche 'Zaide' Pulver 2009: Eine Liebe in Petersburg (TV Movie), as Grischa 2010: Küstenwache (TV Series), as Gunther Breitscheid 2011: Bittere Kirschen 2011: Linda geht tanzen (TV Movie), as Wilhelm Hessler 2012: , as Oberst Seler 2013: Die letzte Instanz (TV Movie), as Otmar Koplin 2014: Ohne Dich, as Hans 2016: The Bloom of Yesterday, as Professor Norkus

Discography 2010: Hoppe spricht Schöne Frühlingslieder

Awards 1971: National Prize of East Germany 1. class for art and literature 1981: Critics Award of the Hungarian Journalist. Association for his role in Mephisto 1995: Lessing Prize of the Free State of Saxony 1998: Grimme-Preis for his role in the TV miniseries Sardsch 2005: Goldene Henne for his lifetime achievement 2007: Art Award, City of Dresden 2010: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany