Uwe Kockisch

Uwe Kockisch (31 January 1944 – 22 December 2025) was a German stage, screen and television actor.

Career Kockisch completed his training to become an actor at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in East Berlin. He accepted engagements in Cottbus and Karl-Marx-Stadt (Chemnitz). He appeared in plays at the Maxim Gorki Theater for over 20 years and later, for two years, at the Schaubühne in Berlin.

He began working in the film industry in 1974. In 1981, he played the lead role in Dein unbekannter Bruder (Your Unknown Brother), available at Netflix, an East German film by Ulrich Weiss. Kockisch appeared in such crime series as Tatort and Polizeiruf 110, and played an inspector in the TV series Zappek. In 2003-2019 he portrayed Commissario Guido Brunetti in 22 television films based on the crime novels by Donna Leon. From 2010 he held one of the lead roles in the miniseries The Weissensee Saga: A Berlin Love Story, as the Stasi officer Hans Kupfer . This series grew into four seasons with 24 episodes portraying the story of a Berlin family before, during and after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Personal life and death Kockisch was born in Cottbus, Germany on 31 January 1944. As a youth, he attempted to escape from East Germany, but was caught and had to spend a year in prison.

He was married and later lived in Madrid, Spain. Kockisch died of lung cancer in Madrid on 22 December 2025, at the age of 81. 2011: Deutscher Fernsehpreis representing the actors for the six-part miniseries The Weissensee Saga: A Berlin Love Story. 1982: Dein unbekannter Bruder (Your Unknown Brother) 1982: Sabine Kleist, 7 Jahre… (Sabine Kleist, Aged Seven...) 1984: Die Zeit der Einsamkeit 1985: Erscheinen Pflicht 1986: Rabenvater 1988: Treffen in Travers 1990: Grönland 1992: 1992: Miraculi 1994: : Die Narbe des Himmels (TV) 1995: Operation Medusa (TV) 1995–1996: Zappek (TV series) 1996: Polizeiruf 110 - Kurzer Traum (TV episode) 1997: Berlin – Moskau (TV) 1997: Rosamunde Pilcher - Stunde der Entscheidung (TV episode) 1998: The Big Mambo 1998: Abgehauen (TV) 1998: Unsere Kinder! - Verschollen im Urlaub (TV) 1999: Gestern ist nie vorbei (TV) 1999–2000: Der Clown (TV series) 2000: Rosa Roth - Tod eines Bullen (TV episode) 2001: Polizeiruf 110 - Bei Klingelzeichen Mord (TV episode) 2001: Opferlamm - Zwischen Liebe und Haß (TV) 2001: Female 2 Seeks Happy End (TV) 2001: The Tunnel 2001: Tatort - Kalte Wut (TV episode) 2002: Rotlicht - Die Stunde des Jägers (TV) 2004: Kleinruppin forever 2004: Carola Stern's Double Life (TV) 2005: (TV) 2005: Erinnere dich, wenn du kannst! (TV) 2005: (TV) 2006: City for Ransom (TV) 2006: The Eagle – Codename: Minos (TV episode) 2006: The Eagle – Codename: Ithaka (TV episode) 2007: Unter Verdacht – Das Geld anderer Leute (TV episode) 2007: (TV) 2008: Wenn wir uns begegnen (TV) 2008: Eine Nacht im Grandhotel (A Night at the Grand Hotel) (TV) 2008: Schattenwelt (Long Shadows) 2009: Ein Dorf schweigt (TV) 2009: – (TV episode) 2009: Hoffnung für Kummerow (TV) 2009: Lutter - Mordshunger (TV episode) 2010: (TV) 2010: The Weissensee Saga: A Berlin Love Story (TV mini-series) 2010: Morgen musst Du sterben (TV) 2011: The Gold Quest: A Journey to Panama (TV) 2011: Spreewaldkrimi – Die Tränen der Fische, Regie (TV) 2011: Jorinde und Joringel (TV) 2012: Visitors 2013: Ruby Red

Donna Leon series As Commissario Guido Brunetti, Kockisch appeared in the following television films based on the crime novels by Donna Leon:

2003: ep 5 - Venezianisches Finale (Death at La Fenice) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2003: ep 6 - Feine Freunde (Friends in High Places) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2004: ep 7 - Sanft entschlafen (The Death of Faith – aka Quietly in Their Sleep) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2004: ep 8 - Acqua alta (Acqua alta – aka Death in High Water) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2005: ep 9 - Beweise, dass es böse ist (Doctored Evidence) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2005: ep 10 - Verschwiegene Kanäle (Uniform Justice) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2006: ep 11 - Endstation Venedig (Death in a Strange Country) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2006: ep 12 - Das Gesetz der Lagune (A Sea of Troubles) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2008: ep 13 - Die dunkle Stunde der Serenissima (Wilful Behavior) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2008: ep 14 - Blutige Steine (Blood from a Stone) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2009: ep 15 - Wie durch ein dunkles Glas (Through a Glass, Darkly) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2010: ep 16 - Lasset die Kinder zu mir kommen (Suffer the Little Children) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2011: ep 17 - Das Mädchen seiner Träume (The Girl of His Dreams) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2012: ep 18 - Schöner Schein (About Face) - Director: Sigi Rothemund 2013: ep 19 - Auf Treu und Glauben (A Question of Belief) - Director: Sigi Rothemund