Bernhard Wicki (28 October 1919 in St. Pölten, Austria – 5 January 2000 in Munich) was an Austrian actor and film director.Wicki studied in the city of Breslau such topics as Art History, History und German Literature. In 1938, he transferred to the drama school of the Staatliches Schauspielhaus in Berlin. In 1939, because of his membership in the Bündischen Jugend he was imprisoned for many months in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. After his release he moved to Vienna, and then in 1944 to Switzerland.After the end of World War II, he starred in many films, like Die letzte Brücke (1953) and Es geschah am 20. Juli (1955). He was also a photographer. His first attempt at directing came three years later with the documentary Warum sind sie gegen uns? (1958). He became internationally famous with his anti-war film of 1959 called Die Brücke, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 1961, he won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 11th Berlin International Film Festival for his film The Miracle of Father Malachia.After his death, a fund was started in 2001 and named after him in Munich, the Bernhard Wicki Memorial Fund. Since 2002, it has awarded a film prize, The Bridge, considered a peace prize. A further prize was endowed in 2006 with 15,000 euros, a prize given in the city of Emden since 2000. He was a patron of the International Film Festival in Emden-Norderney which first started in 1990.He first married Agnes Fink, a fellow acting colleague, and later married Elisabeth Endriss, also a colleague. In the documentary Verstörung - und eine Art von Poesie (June, 2007), Elisabeth Wicki-Endriss portrayed the life and work for Wicki.He is buried at the Nymphenburger cemetery in Munich (grave number 4-1-23).
Studied at the Max Reinhardt Drama School in Vienna and (from 1938) at the Berlin State Drama School under Gustav Gruendgens. Imprisoned for ten months at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp because of his earlier affiliation with the communist party. Released after intervention by Gruendgens. Acted on stage in Munich, Salzburg, Zurich and Basel during the war years. Started directing films from 1958. Best known for his anti-war film The Bridge (1959).
2
Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1986.
3
The German soldier/clown named Bernd in Jean Becker's French film Effroyables jardins (2003) is based on Bernhard Wicki. The memoir entitled "In Our Strange Gardens", on which this film is based, is dedicated to him.
4
A memoir titled "In Our Strange Gardens" is partly dedicated to Wicki, who was a German soldier guarding the author's father, a French Resistance fighter, during the German occupation of France. Wicki, who was clown before he became a soldier, stole food for and entertained his French prisoners while they waited to find out if they would be executed.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Königin Luise
1957
Zar Alexander
Skandal um Dr. Vlimmen
1956
Dr. Jan Vlimmen
Weil du arm bist, mußt du früher sterben
1956
Dr. Grüter
Frucht ohne Liebe
1956
Dr. Kolb
Rosen im Herbst
1955
Geert von Innstetten
Du mein stilles Tal
1955
Erik Linden
It Happened on July 20th
1955
Oberst Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg
Kinder, Mütter und ein General
1955
Hauptmann Dornberg
The Eternal Waltz
1954
Johann Strauß Sohn
A Double Life
1954
Rainer von Hohenburg
Die Mücke
1954
Hugo
Prisoners of Love
1954
Franz Martens
Circus of Love
1954
Franz
Die letzte Brücke
1954
Boro
Junges Herz voll Liebe
1953
Vitus Zingerl
The Falling Star
1950
Otto
Der Postmeister
1940
Statist (uncredited)
Rosamunde Pilcher
1994
TV Series
Sir Kenneth
Prinzenbad
1993
Dany
Das Geheimnis
1993
Dr. Virgil Schwarz
Erfolg
1991
Bichler
Martha et moi
1990
Narrator (scenes deleted)
Das Erbe der Guldenburgs
1990
TV Series
Frederico Torres
Das Spinnennetz
1989
Herr Waizenbaum
I promessi sposi
1989
TV Mini-Series
Pattbergs Erbe
1987
TV Movie
Herr Pattberg
Killing Cars
1986
Von der Mühle
Marie Ward - Zwischen Galgen und Glorie
1985
George Abbot
Eine Art von Zorn
1984
TV Movie
Philipp Sanger
Bereg
1984
Weber, Verleger
Paris, Texas
1984
Doctor Ulmer
Ein Fall für zwei
1984
TV Series
Professor Kaiser
Dangerous Moves
1984
Pühl
A Love in Germany
1983
Dr. Borg
Spring Symphony
1983
Baron von Fricken
The Mysterious Stranger
1982
TV Movie
Heinrich Stein
Domino
1982
Lehrter
Im Schlaraffenland. Ein Roman unter feinen Leuten
1981
TV Movie
Bankier James Türkheimer
Der Alte
1979-1981
TV Series
Dragan Janczak / Hans Pagel
Das Gastmahl
1981
TV Short
Derrick
1977-1980
TV Series
Karl Yurowski / Dr. Lechner
Death Watch
1980
Katherine's Dad (as Bernard Wicki)
Theodor Chindler - Die Geschichte einer deutschen Familie
1979
TV Mini-Series
Helmberger
Lemminge
1979
TV Mini-Series
Herr Leuwen
Kidnapped
1978
TV Mini-Series
Captain Hoseason
Der Mann im Schilf
1978
Sir Gerald
Die linkshändige Frau
1978
Verleger
Despair
1978
Orlovius
Die gläserne Zelle
1978
Police Commissioner Österreicher
Glücksucher
1977
TV Movie
Kurt Siebold
Drei Wege zum See
1976
TV Movie
Branco Trotta
Crime and Passion
1976
Rolf
Der Kommissar
1972-1973
TV Series
Dr. Wolfgang Brandes / Johannes Berneis
Das Jahrhundert der Chirurgen
1973
TV Series
König Edward VII.
Carlos
1971
TV Movie
Philipp
Die Enthüllung
1969
TV Movie
Prof. Karl Jordan
Deine Zärtlichkeiten
1969
Vaeter
Graf Öderland
1968
TV Movie
Staatsanwalt
Der Feldmarschall
1968
TV Movie
Baron
Affäre Dreyfuss
1968
TV Mini-Series
Emile Zola
Ostwind
1967
TV Movie
Konarski
Vacances portugaises
1963
Bernard (as Bernard Wicki)
Elf Jahre und ein Tag
1963
Karl Rodenbach
L'amore difficile
1962
Hans (segment "Il serpente")
Die Nashörner
1961
TV Movie
Herr Behringer
La Notte
1961
Tommaso Garani
Lampenfieber
1960
Rohrbach
Frau im besten Mannesalter
1959
Tex Richards
Frauensee
1958
Karl Anton Graf Chur
The Restless Night
1958
Priest Brunner
La chatte
1958
Bernard Werner (as Bernard Wicky)
Escape from Sahara
1958
Luigi Locatelli
Es wird alles wieder gut
1957
Unterhaltungschef Dr. Johann Krapp
The Affairs of Julie
1957
Paul Frank
Flucht in die Tropennacht
1957
Robert
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Das Spinnennetz
1989
Sansibar oder Der letzte Grund
1987
TV Movie
Die Grünstein-Variante
1985
Die Eroberung der Zitadelle
1977
Curd Jürgens
1977
TV Movie documentary
Das falsche Gewicht
1971
TV Movie
Karpfs Karriere
1971
TV Movie
Der Paukenspieler
1967
segment "Die Träne"
Morituri
1965
The Visit
1964
The Longest Day
1962
German episodes
The Miracle of Father Malachia
1961
The Bridge
1959
Warum sind sie gegen uns?
1958
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Das Spinnennetz
1989
writer
Sansibar oder Der letzte Grund
1987
TV Movie screenplay
Die Grünstein-Variante
1985
screenplay
Die Eroberung der Zitadelle
1977
Curd Jürgens
1977
TV Movie documentary
Das falsche Gewicht
1971
TV Movie play / teleplay
Der Paukenspieler
1967
segment "Die Träne"
The Miracle of Father Malachia
1961
The Bridge
1959
uncredited
Warum sind sie gegen uns?
1958
writer
Assistant Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Monpti
1957
second assistant director
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Die Eroberung der Zitadelle
1977
co-producer - uncredited
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Curd Jürgens
1977
TV Movie documentary interviews
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Der Schauspieler Ulrich Mühe
1994
Documentary
Himself
Ich über mich - Autobiographische Notizen von Bernhard Wicki
1990
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Narrator
Bernhard Wicki: Regisseur
1989
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Max Haufler, 'Der Stumme'
1982
Documentary
Himself
Curd Jürgens
1977
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Apropos Film
1977
TV Series documentary
Himself
Mein Kind, Lieder von und mit Anja Hauptmann
1976
TV Movie
Himself
Je später der Abend...
1974
TV Series
Himself
Stars in der Manege
1966
TV Series documentary
Neues aus Hollywood
1965
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Herr Alsmann trifft Frau Hielscher
2011
TV Movie documentary
Hugo (uncredited)
The Cinema and its Double - Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 'Despair' Revisited
2011
Video documentary
Orlovius (uncredited)
Verstörung - und eine Art von Poesie. Die Filmlegende Bernhard Wicki
2007
Documentary
Himself
René Deltgen - Der sanfte Rebell
2004
TV Movie documentary uncredited
Meine Schwester Maria
2002
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Österreich - Unser Jahrhundert
1999
TV Series documentary
Reader - 'Todesfuge' von Paul Celan
Denk ich an Deutschland - Das Wispern im Berg der Dinge
1997
TV Movie documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1991
Guild Film Award - Gold
Guild of German Art House Cinemas
German Film (Deutscher Film)
Das Spinnennetz (1989)
1990
Berlinale Camera
Berlin International Film Festival
1990
Film Award in Gold
German Film Awards
Best Direction (Beste Regie)
Das Spinnennetz (1989)
1989
Honorary Award
Bavarian Film Awards
1989
Special Film Award '40th Anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany'
German Film Awards
Die Brücke (1959)
1988
Adolf Grimme Award in Gold
Adolf Grimme Awards, Germany
Fiction/Entertainment
Sansibar oder Der letzte Grund (1987)
1985
Film Award in Gold
German Film Awards
Best Direction (Beste Regie)
Die Grünstein-Variante (1985)
1976
Honorary Award
German Film Awards
For his continued outstanding individual contributions to the german film over the years.
1972
Film Award in Gold
German Film Awards
Best Direction (Beste Regie)
Das falsche Gewicht (1971)
1972
Golden Camera
Golden Camera, Germany
Best German TV Film
Das falsche Gewicht (1971)
1963
Award of the City of Valladolid
Valladolid International Film Festival
Das Wunder des Malachias (1961)
1961
Silver Berlin Bear
Berlin International Film Festival
Best Director
Das Wunder des Malachias (1961)
1961
CEC Award
Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain
Best Foreign Director (Mejor Director Extranjero)
Die Brücke (1959)
1960
Film Award in Gold
German Film Awards
Best Direction (Beste Regie)
Die Brücke (1959)
1960
German Film Critics Award
German Film Critics Association Awards
Best Film (Bester Spielfilm)
Die Brücke (1959)
1960
Best Film
Mar del Plata Film Festival
International Competition
Die Brücke (1959)
1960
FIPRESCI Prize
Mar del Plata Film Festival
Die Brücke (1959)
1960
Silver Spike
Valladolid International Film Festival
Die Brücke (1959)
1959
Film Award in Silver
German Film Awards
Best Cultural Film or Documentary (Bester Kultur- oder Dokumentarfilm)
Warum sind sie gegen uns? (1958)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1989
Palme d'Or
Cannes Film Festival
Das Spinnennetz (1989)
1977
Golden Berlin Bear
Berlin International Film Festival
Die Eroberung der Zitadelle (1977)
1964
Palme d'Or
Cannes Film Festival
The Visit (1964)
1963
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
The Longest Day (1962)
1961
Golden Berlin Bear
Berlin International Film Festival
Das Wunder des Malachias (1961)
1954
Film Award in Gold
German Film Awards
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Männliche Hauptrolle)