Hannes Messemer (19 May 1924 – 2 November 1991) was a German actor. Born in Dillingen an der Donau, Bavaria, Messemer served on the Eastern Front of World War II and was eventually captured by Soviet soldiers. He managed to escape and make it back to Germany on foot. After the war, Messemer tried his hand at several jobs, before falling into acting in 1946. With only his natural talent and no training, he successfully secured roles with several major theatre companies in Tübingen, Hamburg, Munich and Berlin in the following ten years.His big break in films came with a role in Rose Bernd in 1956. He was then cast in the major role of Colonel Rossdorf in the production of Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam the following year - a role which saw him awarded a Best Actor accolade. A series of successful roles followed, including The Doctor of Stalingrad, Der Transport (Destination Death), Die Brücke des Schicksals and the comedy Babette Goes to War with Brigitte Bardot. He achieved critical international acclaim for his role as Colonel Muller in the Roberto Rossellini production of General della Rovere (1959), with the film winning the Golden Lion at Venice that year.Messemer is probably best known for his role as the commandant in The Great Escape (1963). The film had a star-studded cast, but it was Messemer, relatively unknown outside Europe, who uttered the film's most famous line (to Steve McQueen/Capt. Hilts): "It looks, after all, as if you will see Berlin before I do."He continued to star in TV and theatre productions, becoming a familiar face to German television audiences for over 20 years. Some of his roles included major TV productions such as Union der festen Hand and Die Dämonen, as well as two years as Commissioner Deeds in the TV drama series "Sergeant Berry". He also lent his distinctive voice to radio and recorded works, including the writings of Mao, and a reading of the four books of the Gospels.A heavy lifelong smoker, Messemer suffered throat cancer during the 1980s, and surgery left his voice at only a whisper. Forced to retire from acting, he appeared on German television for the last time in 1989, in a production with Agnes Fink.Hannes Messemer died of a heart attack in Aachen. He was married four times, and was survived by two daughters.
He was conscripted into the German Army in 1942. He was sent to Stalingrad as punishment for failing to obey orders. Subsequently fell into Soviet captivity, but managed to escape in 1945.
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Was conscripted in 1942. Sent to Stalingrad as punishment for failing to obey orders. Subsequently in Soviet captivity, but managed to escape in 1945.
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Austere, incisive character actor, often seen in hard-edged, military or villainous roles. Prior to acting, he worked as a waiter and as an accountant.
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In The Great Escape (1963) Messemer plays the kommendant of the POW camp, in real life he was himself a POW in Russia.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Collin
1981
TV Movie
Havelka
Die Hinrichtung
1981
TV Movie
Kreuzfahrten eines Globetrotters
1981
TV Series
Willie Ashenden
Die Paulskirche
1980
TV Movie
Die Ursache
1980
TV Movie
Liebe bleibt nicht ohne Schmerzen
1980
TV Movie
Herr Schirmer - Episode 1
Union der festen Hand
1979
TV Series
von Zander
Ein Hut von ganz spezieller Art
1978
TV Movie
Herr Wühlisch
Polizeiinspektion 1
1978
TV Series
Bettler
Die Dämonen
1977
TV Mini-Series
Stepan Trofimowitsch Werchowenski
Onkel Silas
1977
TV Series
Onkel Silas
Generale - Anatomie der Marneschlacht
1977
TV Movie
Gallieni
Oblomows Liebe
1976
TV Movie
Narrator
Die Fastnachtsbeichte
1976
TV Movie
Panezza
Das Fräulein von Scuderi
1976
TV Movie
René Cardillac
Fünf Prüfungen des Oberbürgermeisters
1976
TV Movie
Dalli Dalli
1975
TV Series
Kandidat
Sergeant Berry
1974-1975
TV Series
Commissioner Deeds
Der tödliche Schlag
1975
TV Movie
Odysseus
Olaf und Albert
1975
TV Movie
Olaf
The Odessa File
1974
General Glücks
Wer stirbt schon gerne unter Palmen?
1974
Jean-Pierre Pineaud
Ein Fall für Goron
1973
TV Movie
Commissaire Goron
Alle lieben Célimare
1973
TV Movie
Vernouillet
Der 21. Juli
1972
TV Movie
Goerdeler
Bös, bös, Jo-Jo!
1972
TV Short
Kayo Hathaway
Aus Mangel an Beweisen
1971
TV Movie
Roberto Galimberti
Die Berufe des Herrn K
1970
TV Series
Mit sich allein
1970
TV Movie
Keith Bailey
Die Verschwörung
1969
TV Movie
Caesar
Bericht einer Offensive
1969
TV Movie
Colonel Henriot
Das Trauerspiel von Julius Caesar
1969
TV Movie
Brutus
König Richard II
1968
TV Movie
König Richard II.
Das Attentat - L.D. Trotzki
1967
TV Movie
Salazar
Silo 15
1967
TV Movie
Ralph Thompson
Bericht eines Feiglings
1967
TV Movie
Pavel Karpisiak
Flieger Ross
1966
TV Movie
Allenby
Paris brûle-t-il?
1966
General Jodl
L'espion
1966
Dr. Saltzer
Grieche sucht Griechin
1966
Fahrcks
Die fünfte Kolonne
1966
TV Series
Ministerialdirektor Dr. Gregor
Alle mal herhören, auch die, die schwerhören..!
1966
TV Movie
Premierminister
Theater und Gesellschaft - Rollenbilder im Wandel der Jahrhunderte
1966
TV Series
Franz Moor
Der Kongreß amüsiert sich
1966
Prince Metternich
Die Räuber
1966
TV Movie
Franz
Plädoyer für einen Rebellen
1965
TV Movie
Keller
Ninotschka
1965
TV Movie
Krasnow
Der arme Mann Luther
1965
TV Movie
Mönch
Die Verschwörung des Fiesco zu Genua
1964
TV Movie
Fiesko - Graf von Lavagna
Der trojanische Krieg findet nicht statt
1964
TV Movie
Ulysses
Bericht von den Inseln
1964
TV Movie
José
Interpol
1963-1964
TV Series
Baron von Falkenhausen / Attaché
Mission to Venice
1964
Carl Natzka
The Great Escape
1963
Von Luger 'The Kommandant'
Reporter
1963
TV Movie
Hildy Johnson
Amphitryon 38
1963
TV Movie
Amphitryon
Die Legende vom heiligen Trinker
1963
TV Movie
Andreas Kartak
Liebe im September
1962
TV Movie
Graham Colby
Ein später Gast
1962
TV Movie
Jack Choughton
Er ging an meiner Seite
1961
TV Movie
Destination Death
1961
Leutnant Bleck
Auf Engel schießt man nicht
1960
Suarez
Die Brücke des Schicksals
1960
Klaus Urban
Die rote Hand
1960
Mahora Khan
Escape by Night
1960
German Colonel Baron Von Kleist
Schatten der Helden
1960
TV Movie
János Kádár
Das kunstseidene Mädchen
1960
Ernst Moos
Ein Tag, der nie zu Ende geht
1959
General Della Rovere
1959
S.S. Colonel Mueller
Babette Goes to War
1959
General von Arenberg
People in the Net
1959
Braun
Douze heures d'horloge
1959
Serge
Taiga
1958
Roeder
Der Arzt von Stalingrad
1958
Oberleutnant Pjotr Markow
Escape from Sahara
1958
Robert Altmann
The Glass Tower
1957
Dr. Krell
The Devil Strikes at Night
1957
SS-Gruppenfuehrer Rossdorf
Die Kraft und die Herrlichkeit
1957
TV Movie
Leutnant (as Hans Messemer)
The Sins of Rose Bernd
1957
August Keil
Zwischen Himmel und Meer
1957
TV Movie
Babo - ein Mulatte
Herzlich willkommen?
1956
TV Movie
Langusten
1989
TV Movie
Ernst
Der Fahnder
1986
TV Series
Lersch
Paulchen
1985
TV Movie
Patient
Gespenstergeschichten
1985
TV Series
Schloßherr
Das zerbrochene Haus
1984
TV Movie
Diese Drombuschs
1983-1984
TV Series
Herr Diehl / Herr Diehl, Oberstudienrat i.P. / Kunde
August der Starke
1984
TV Movie
Derrick
1978-1983
TV Series
Herr Obermann / Ulrich Hauff / Egon Peiss
Konsul Möllers Erben
1983
TV Series
Konsul Vollquardsen
SOKO München
1983
TV Series
Kontakt bitte...
1983
TV Series
Die Geschwister Oppermann
1983
TV Mini-Series
Gutwetter
Frau Jenny Treibel
1982
TV Movie
Leutnant a.D. Vogelsang
Der kleine Bruder
1982
TV Movie
Reini
Flüchtige Bekanntschaften
1982
TV Movie
Paul
Sonderdezernat K1
1977-1982
TV Series
Karl Heidenreich / Herr Wehrmeister
Kennwort Schmetterling
1981
TV Movie
Bouwmeester
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Die Sendung mit Paul
1973
TV Series
Himself
Zur Nacht
1971
TV Series documentary
Himself - Narrator
Lampenfieber
1960
Himself
Raketen
1958
Documentary short
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1959
Golden Gate Award
San Francisco International Film Festival
Best Supporting Actor
Il generale Della Rovere (1959)
1959
Special Mention
Venice Film Festival
Il generale Della Rovere (1959)
1958
Film Award in Gold
German Film Awards
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Männliche Hauptrolle)
Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam (1957)
1957
Film Award in Silver
German Film Awards
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Beste darstellerische Leistung - Männliche Nebenrolle)