Dietrich Hollinderbäumer | Today's AI Wiki

1. Overview

Dietrich Hollinderbäumer (born 16 August 1942) is a German-Swedish actor known for his extensive work in German film and television, as well as significant roles in acclaimed international productions. He is particularly recognized for his portrayal of Robert Ritter von Greim in the 2004 film Downfall (Der Untergang^German) and for playing the character of Adam in the German Netflix science fiction thriller series Dark. His career spans decades, encompassing a wide range of characters across various genres.

2. Early life and background

Dietrich Hollinderbäumer's early life was marked by a bicultural upbringing and a foundational education in the performing arts that prepared him for a distinguished career.

2.1. Birth and family background

Dietrich Hollinderbäumer was born on 16 August 1942 in Essen, Germany. His background is a blend of German and Swedish heritage, as he was born to a Swedish mother and a German father. His mother had immigrated to Germany, where she met his father. In 1951, when Hollinderbäumer was nine years old, his parents separated. Following the separation, he and his two-year-old brother relocated to Stockholm, Sweden, where they were raised.

2.2. Education and early theater career

Hollinderbäumer pursued his passion for acting by studying at the prestigious Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. His early professional career was predominantly in theater, with significant engagements across Germany and Austria. From 1968 to 1972, he performed at the Westfälisches Landestheater. Later, from 1978 to 1983, he was active at the Theater & Orchester Heidelberg. He then joined the renowned Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria, where he worked from 1983 to 1988. These early experiences in professional theater laid the groundwork for his future in film and television.

3. Acting career

Hollinderbäumer's acting career is notable for its versatility and longevity, spanning decades across theater, film, and television, with a significant presence in German productions and notable international works.

3.1. Theater career

Having trained at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Dietrich Hollinderbäumer began his professional acting journey in theater. His early career saw him engaged with several prominent German and Austrian theater companies. From 1968 to 1972, he was a member of the ensemble at the Westfälisches Landestheater. He then moved to the Theater & Orchester Heidelberg, where he performed from 1978 to 1983. A significant period of his theater career was spent at the illustrious Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria, where he worked from 1983 to 1988. These stage experiences honed his craft and prepared him for his extensive film and television work.

3.2. Film and television career

Dietrich Hollinderbäumer has an extensive filmography, having appeared in numerous German films and television programs throughout his career.

3.2.1. Major roles

Among his most widely recognized film roles is his portrayal of Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim in the critically acclaimed 2004 German historical war film Downfall (Der Untergang^German), which depicts the final days of Adolf Hitler. On television, he gained significant international recognition for his role as the aged and mysterious character Adam in seasons two and three of the German Netflix science fiction thriller series Dark.

He was also a prominent cast member in the satirical news program heute-show, where he played recurring characters such as Ulrich von Heesen and Teufel from 2009 to 2018. Another significant television role was Volker Pastewka in the popular German comedy series Pastewka, which he appeared in from 2005 to 2018. Additionally, he received an Adolf-Grimme-Preis for his work as Gerd in the series Add a Friend, which ran from 2012 to 2014.

Hollinderbäumer has also appeared in several other notable films and television series, including:

1974: Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre: Der Papageienkäfig (TV series episode)
1989: Seven Minutes (Georg Elser - Einer aus Deutschland^German) as Seifert
1991: Die Männer vom K3 (TV series, one episode) as Wolfgang Lützow
1991: Eine erste Liebe
1991-2004: Ein Fall für Zwei (TV series, twelve episodes) in various roles including Prosecutor Sieber, Hartmann, Kommissar Bigeler, and Tenberg
1994: Wolffs Revier (TV series, one episode) as Walter Gersberg
1994: Die Kommissarin (TV series, one episode) as Haase
1997: Dr. Stefan Frank - Der Arzt, dem die Frauen vertrauen (TV series, one episode)
1998: Tatort - Russisches Roulette (TV series)
1998: Kommissar Rex (TV series, one episode) as Stefan Klein
1998: Ultimate Trespass (Vergewaltigt - Eine Frau schlägt zurück^German) (TV Movie) as Wagner
1998: Tatort - Gefallene Engel (TV series) as Dekan
1999: SOKO 5113 (TV series, one episode)
1999: Der Fahnder (TV series, one episode) as Baumann
1999: Long Hello and Short Goodbye as Kahnitz
1999: Medicopter 117 (TV series, one episode) as Dr. Bach
2000: Das Phantom (TV Movie) as Baré
2000: Tatort - Die kleine Zeugin (TV series) as Robert
2000: Når mørket er forbi as Krebs
2001: Nur mein Sohn war Zeuge (TV Movie) as Bodenburg
2001: Im Namen des Gesetzes (TV series, one episode) as Prof. Dr. Eberhard Brunner
2001: Tatort - Exil! (TV series) as Dr. Kevin Lohmann
2001: Tatort - Hasard! (TV series) as Dr. Kevin Lohmann
2001: Erkan & Stefan gegen die Mächte der Finsternis (유로 덤 앤 더머 2_{Euro Dumb and Dumber 2}^Korean) as Prof. Johns
2002: Therapie und Praxis (TV Movie) as Reinhard Arnsberg
2002: Shattered Glass (Scherbentanz^German 부서진 유리_{Buseojin Yuri}^Korean) as Gebhard
2002: The Hunt for the Hidden Relic (Das Jesus Video^German 레릭 헌터 대작전_{Rerik Heonteo Daejakjeon}^Korean) as John Kaun
2002: Checkmate (체크메이트_Chekeumeiteu^Korean)
2004: Alarm für Cobra 11 - Die Autobahnpolizei (TV series, one episode) as Roberto Leone
2004: Der Traum vom Süden (TV Movie) as Erich
2004: Die Stunde der Offiziere (TV Movie) as Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein
2004: Einmal Bulle, immer Bulle (TV series, six episodes) as Bernd Reiff
2004: Tatort - Abgezockt (TV series) as Max Hüllen
2004: Saint Rita (TV Movie) as Ferdinando Mancini
2004-2009: In aller Freundschaft (TV series, two episodes) as Armin Wittgenstein / Johannes Paintner
2005-2018: Pastewka (TV series) as Volker Pastewka
2006: Die Rosenheim-Cops (TV series, one episode) as Walter Ammon
2006: Lulu (TV Movie) as Dr. Goll
2006: Cologne P.D. (one episode) as Hermann Lahnstein
2006: SOKO Kitzbühel (TV series, one episode) as Ralf Renner
2006: Zwei am großen See (TV series, one episode) as Dr. Eberhard Perny
2006: Vier Minuten (포 미니츠_{Po Minijeu}^Korean) as Pater Vincens
2006: Joy Division as Grandpa
2006: Resistance (레지스탕스_{Rejisutangseu}^Korean)
2006: Wigald (위갤드_Wigaeldeu^Korean)
2006: Ein starkes Team - Zahn um Zahn (TV series) as Henry von Haase
2007-2017: Der Kommissar und das Meer (TV series) as Jan Hagman
2007: Wilsberg - Unter Anklage (TV series)
2007: Afrika, mon amour (TV Mini-Series)
2008: Bella Block - Reise nach China (TV series) as Dr. Scherwitz
2008: Ein Ferienhaus in Marrakesch (TV Movie) as Norman Hopkins
2008: Putzfrau Undercover (TV Movie) as Eckhard Windhorst
2008: The Visit (Der Besuch der alten Dame^German) (TV Movie) as Matthias Büsing
2008: The Swimsuit Issue as Volker
2009-2018: heute-show (TV series) as Ulrich von Heesen / Teufel
2009: Diamantenhochzeit as Vater Dähnert
2009: Augustinus (TV Movie) as Macrobius
2010: Countdown - Die Jagd beginnt (TV series, one episode) as Hans-Jörg Bennat
2010: Kreuzfahrt ins Glück (TV series) as Peter May
2011: The Cold Sky (Der kalte Himmel^German) (TV Movie) as Psychiatrist
2011: Der letzte Bulle (TV series, Mord auf Seite 1) as Berthold von Baranki
2011: Försvunnen (Försvunnen^Swedish) as Peter
2011: Men Are Wired One Way, Women Another (Männer ticken, Frauen anders^German) (TV Movie) as Felix Brugger
2011: Die Brücke - Transit in den Tod (TV series) as Göran
2011: Allein gegen die Zeit (TV series) as Dr. Crohn
2011: Gon (곤_Gon^Korean)
2011-2015: Reiff für die Insel as Helge Quedens
2012: Komm, schöner Tod (TV Movie) as Sebastian von Werding
2012: Die letzte Spur (TV series, one episode) as Rüdiger Herzog
2012: Drei Stunden as Gott
2012: Alles bestens (TV Movie) as Paul Rademacher
2012-2014: Add a Friend (TV series) as Gerd
2013: Küstenwache (TV series, one episode) as Dr. Werner Vosskamp
2013: Utta Danella - Sturm am Ehehimmel (TV series) as Paul Sommer
2014: Weiter als der Ozean (TV Movie)
2014: Real Buddy as Nathan Hopkins
2015: Ein Sommer in Masuren (TV Movie) as Jakub Wozniak
2015: SOKO 5113 (TV series, one episode) as Willibald Janker
2016: Hubert und Staller (Unter Wölfen) (TV Movie) as Manfred Kröpf
2017: Der Kommissar und das Meer - In einem kalten Land (TV series) as Jan Hagman
2017: Rentnercops (TV series, one episode)
2017: Das Pubertier (TV series) as Eberhard Maybacher
2017: Angst - Der Feind in meinem Haus (TV Movie) as Hermann Tiefenthaler
2017: Schatz, nimm Du sie! as Chefarzt
2019: Dark (TV series, season 2, season 3) as Adam / Jonas Kahnwald

4. Personal life

Dietrich Hollinderbäumer's personal life reflects his diverse background. He has two children, both of whom have followed in his footsteps and also work as actors. Demonstrating his multilingual upbringing and professional versatility, Hollinderbäumer is fluent in three languages: his native German and Swedish, as well as English.

5. Awards and recognition

Dietrich Hollinderbäumer has received several awards and nominations throughout his career, particularly for his contributions to German television:

In 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, he was honored with the Deutscher Comedypreis as a member of the television program heute-show, broadcast on ZDF.
In 2010, the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival awarded him the Jury-Preis for "Bester Kurzfilm über 15 Minuten" (Best Short Film over 15 Minutes) for his work on Hermann.
Also in 2010, he received the Adolf-Grimme-Preis, another prestigious German television award, as a member of the heute-show ensemble.
In 2011, he was part of the heute-show team that won the Deutscher Fernsehpreis.
In 2013, he was nominated for the Deutscher Comedypreis for Best Actor for his role in Pastewka.
In the same year, 2013, he was awarded the Adolf-Grimme-Preis for his performance in the series Add a Friend.

6. Legacy and evaluation

Dietrich Hollinderbäumer's career showcases a prolific and versatile actor consistently contributing to German and, increasingly, international cinema and television. His ability to inhabit a wide range of characters, from the historical figure of Generalfeldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim in Downfall to the complex and mysterious Adam in Dark, highlights his dramatic depth. Simultaneously, his long-running roles in popular satirical and comedy shows like heute-show and Pastewka demonstrate his comedic timing and versatility. Often described as a "master of supporting roles" in German media, his consistent presence and memorable performances have made him a respected figure in the industry, influencing younger generations of actors through his diverse body of work.