Wicki, Bernard

ACTOR, DIRECTOR (SWITZERLAND)
BORN 28 Oct 1919, Sankt Pölten, Niederösterreich - DIED 5 Jan 2000, München, Bayern
GRAVE LOCATION München, Bayern: Nymphenburger Friedhof, Maria-Ward-Straße 10 (4-1-23)

Bernhard Wicki was the son of an engineer. He was educated at the Ludwigsgymnasium in Köthen. When he was 13 years old he joined the communist youth organisation Bündischen Jugend. He studied art history and German at the University of Breslau. After that he decided to become an actor and in 1938 he was engaged by Gustaf Gründgens at the Staatlichen Schauspielhaus in Berlin.

Because of his membership of the Bündischen Jugend he was imprisoned in camp Sachsenhausen for several months. After his release he moved to Vienna where he studied at the Max Reinhardt Seminar. He appeared on the stage in Vienna, Bremen and from 1943 to 1944 in Munich. In 1945 he married the actress Agnes Fink and before the war ended they moved to Zürich. There he obtained Swiss citizenship and became a lifelong friend of the Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

In 1950 he moved to the State Theatre in Munich and the same hear he appeared in his first movie, "Der Fallende Stern". More film parts followed and in 1958 he directed the documentary "Warum sind sie gegen uns?". His next movie, "Die Brücke" gained him international fame. In 1962 he was co-director of "The Longest Day". In the 1980s he worked at the DEFA studios in Babelsberg. His wife died in 1994 and in 1995 he married the actress Elisabeth Endriss. Wicki died in 2000 in Munich.

Images

The grave of Bernhard Wicki at the Nymphenburger Friedhof, Munich.
Picture by Androom (06 Dec 2015)

 

Sources
Bernhard Wicki


Widal, Georges-Fernand

Published: 26 Jun 2021
Last update: 19 Apr 2022