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1-50 of 83
- Writer
- Producer
Josef Goebbels, the man who almost single-handedly developed the field of propaganda into an art form, would, for a day, be the leader of World War II Germany. Goebbels was born in the German Rhineland to strict Catholic parents. He was short, standing at 5'5", of small stature and thin build, and had a sharp, prominent nose and an oily, sallow complexion. He was rejected by the German army in World War I on the basis of being a cripple, specifically, he had a club foot for which he wore a brace, contracted after a bout of osteomyelitis. After Germany was defeated, Goebbels joined the National Socialist Workers Party, more infamously known as the Nazi party, which opposed the democratic Weimar Republic that had been set up to govern Germany. Because of his impressive oratorical skills and uncanny ability to slant arguments to his view, Goebbels was considered an ideal leader in the Nazi party. It was there that he met Hitler in 1925. Though they both shared a hatred of Jews, Goebbels, a dedicated socialist, initially tried to expel the relatively capitalistic Hitler, who he saw as simply an opportunist. He would change his tune, however, when Hitler rose in rank to become leader. Hitler rewarded Goebbels with a post as Nazi district leader of Berlin, where he would wage year-round political campaigns that eventually drained the organization of virtually all of its funds. He met and married divorcée Magda Quandt around this time. Though their membership grew, the Nazis didn't manage to attract a sizable enough number of voters - especially in Berlin - to attain any kind of legitimate political power, due to both the rebounding German economy and a distrust of the gang of street thugs within the Nazi party called the Sturm Abteilung (SA). However, after the US stock market crashed in 1929, the European economies took a tremendous hit, and the resulting worldwide economic depression hit Germany especially hard. The dire economic straits of many Germans were tailor-made for a demagogue like Hitler, and, slowly, he began to take power; first as Chancellor in 1933, then as Führer in 1934. Goebbels was named minister of entertainment and propaganda, a position that gave him have sole discretion as to what books, magazines, films, radios, newspapers, etc., could print, say, or show. Knowing the media power where the influencing of people was concerned, he searched for a director to place as the head of UFA, Germany's leading film studio. In a famous meeting, he offered the position to respected German director Fritz Lang, who tried to excuse himself by saying that he had Jewish grandparents, to which Goebbels curtly replied, "We will decide who is Jewish!" Lang promptly fled the country and Goebbels settled on a rising female director, Leni Riefenstahl, as the "official" Nazi filmmaker. She directed two documentaries on the party's Nuremburg rallies of 1932 and 1933. The first was disowned by Riefenstahl because of the little time she had to prepare and the fact that it was never shown publicly because the film featured Ernst Röhm, leader of the SA, who along with many SA leaders, was murdered by the Nazi high command when they moved against the SA, just after the film was completed. Their second attempt, on which Goebbels assisted Riefenstahl extensively, is perhaps the most famous propaganda film ever made: Triumph of the Will (1935). It took almost a year to prepare from the miles upon miles of footage shot. It was a success worldwide, but was not particularly popular in Germany at the time. Goebbels then commissioned Riefenstahl to shoot the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which the Nazi leadership assumed would be dominated by German athletes. The Germans did win the total medal counts, but African-American sprinter Jesse Owens shattered the myth of Aryan dominance by winning gold medals in four different events - more than any other competitor - and was idolized by the German crowds.
After World War II broke out, Goebbels was responsible for creating a massive propaganda body of work by the German government, much of which still remains recorded. He was known to use almost anything for propaganda purposes, such as posters from French and German movies with Jewish stars as examples of the "typical Jew." Even when Germany was crumbling in 1945 and the Allies demanded unconditional surrender, Goebbels used that as a motivational tool to demonstrate that every German needed to fight or face destruction.
As Allied forces began to advance toward Germany, a paranoid and rapidly deteriorating Hitler had many of his assistants executed or imprisoned, but Goebbels was given the title of "Defender of Berlin." Hitler committed suicide by gunshot on April 30, leaving Goebbels as the next in command to take over the faltering government, which, by then, controlled only a small part of Berlin. As both Soviet forces on one side and American and British forces on the other closed in on the capital, Goebbels was well aware of the fate he would meet if he were captured alive. On May 1, 1945, he reluctantly endorsed the plan his wife had conjured, which she had communicated to Albert Speer, and permitted her to drug their six children with morphine and proceed to poison them to death through the administration of a cyanide capsule. Later that day, after requesting a moment of privacy with his wife from the onlooking SS soldiers, he shot her in head, as they had also planned, and then took his own life within seconds. Soviet troops, who Goebbels had always boasted would never get to Berlin, found him and his wife partially burnt and unburied outside the Fuhrerbunker. He was survived only by a stepson from Magda's first marriage.- Tanju Bilir was born on 9 August 1991 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is an actor, known for Tatort (1970), Turbo (2024) and German Genius (2023).
- Actress
- Producer
Tiana Pongs was born on November 12, 1979, in Mönchengladbach.
She began a successful international career as a model in 2001. After graduating from high school, she worked in Milan, Paris and New York. Due to the astonishing amount of more than 1,000 ad productions in the span of her career, Tiana Pongs was Germany's leading commercial face. She later pursued acting and relocated to Los Angeles.- Cinematographer
- Producer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Christian Kitscha was born on 4 June 1980 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. Christian is a cinematographer and producer, known for Annette (2021), 55 Steps (2017) and By the Sea (2015).- Shakuntala Banerjee was born in 1973 in Rheydt, Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is a writer, known for Makro (2011), Morgenmagazin (1992) and Wer weiß denn sowas? (2015).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Joko Winterscheidt was born on 13 January 1979 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for Look Who's Back (2015), Circus Halligalli (2013) and Joko gegen Klaas - Das Duell um die Welt (2012).- Actress
- Writer
Petra Schürmann was born on 15 September 1933 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She was an actress and writer, known for Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972), Angels of Terror (1971) and Verkehrsgericht (1983). She was married to Gerhard Freund. She died on 13 January 2010 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.- Additional Crew
- Actress
Sandra Navidi was born on 1 September 1972 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is an actress, known for Bad Banks (2018), Wall Street Warriors (2006) and The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel (2020).- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Susanne Regina Meures was born in 1977 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Susanne Regina is a director and writer, known for Raving Iran (2016), Saudi Runaway (2020) and Girl Gang (2022).- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Monty Arnold was born on 26 June 1967 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for Eine Nacht in Wilhelmsburg (2005), Maybe... Maybe Not (1994) and Der goldene Nazivampir von Absam 2 - Das Geheimnis von Schloß Kottlitz (2008).- Ulrike von der Groeben was born on 25 March 1957 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She has been married to Alexander von der Groeben since 12 October 1991. They have two children.
- Richard Lauffen was born on 2 June 1907 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He was an actor, known for The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959), Timm Thaler (1979) and The Indian Tomb (1959). He was married to Elisabeth Wiedemann. He died on 27 August 1990 in Marquartstein, Bavaria, West Germany.
- Andreas Schröders was born in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. He is an actor, known for The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), Charlie's Angels (2019) and Stralsund (2009).
- Volker Pispers was born on 18 January 1958 in Rheydt [now Mönchengladbach], Germany. He is a writer and actor, known for Beziehungen - kein schöner Land, Scheibenwischer (1980) and Neues aus der Anstalt (2007).
- Marc-André Ter Stegen was born on 30 April 1992 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is an actor, known for LaLiga (1954), UEFA Champions League (1992) and Beko: Eat Like a Pro (2019). He has been married to Daniela Jehle since 17 May 2017.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Dietmar Jacobs was born in 1967 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is a writer and producer, known for Stromberg (2004), Das Amt (1997) and Mitternachtsspitzen (1988).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Monika Treut was born on April 6, 1954 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is an award-winning director and writer of documentaries and features. Treut is known for Of Girls and Horses (2014) , Kriegerin des Lichts (2001), Gendernauts: A Journey Through Shifting Identities (1999) She has been teaching film at various universities in the U.S. and served on jurys at international film festivals like Toronto (TIFF); Amsterdam (IDFA) and many others. At Berlin film festival 2017 she's been awarded the Special Teddy for her lifetime achievement.- Gisela Hoeter was born on 12 April 1922 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She was an actress, known for Les grands détectives (1974), Unsere kleine Stadt (1961) and Ein Sommer - ein Herbst (1964). She was married to Rolf von Maydell. She died on 12 March 2010 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
- Sükrü Pehlivan was born on 18 December 1972 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- Writer
- Actor
- Cinematographer
Walter Moers was born on 24 May 1957 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He is a writer and actor, known for Käpt'n Blaubärs Seemannsgarn (1990), Kleines Arschloch (1997) and Leos Freunde (1996).- Günter Netzer started playing football at the age of nine at Borussia Mönchengladbach. From 1963 he played for the club in the regional league. Two years later, the then nineteen-year-old had his first major national success. Under the sporting direction of coach Hennes Weisweiler, Netzer contributed to the club's promotion to the Bundesliga. He became German champion twice in a row with Borussia in 1970 and 1971. In 1973, Günter Netzer shone in the DFB Cup final against 1. FC Köln seconds after coming on as a substitute with a remarkable shot on goal that led his team to a 2-1 victory. Even today, this encounter in Düsseldorf's Rheinstadion is referred to as the "game of the century".
In the same year, 1973, he was signed by the Spanish top club Real Madrid. There he continued his sporting career. With the club he won back-to-back cups in 1974 and 1975. He also became champions of the Spanish league with the Real Madrid team in 1975 and 1976. Günter Netzer then left the traditional Spanish club and moved to Zurich. There he played for the Grashoppers Zurich club. After one season he ended his active career as a footballer. The great midfielder's football record includes, among other things, 82 goals in a total of 320 Bundesliga games, 37 international matches between 1965 and 1975, six international goals, the European Championship title in 1972 and participation in the World Cup in 1974 in Germany.
His personal successes include being voted "Footballer of the Year" twice in Germany in 1972 and 1973. Netzer's footballing strengths lay in the precise placement of his passes, his shooting power, the intelligent design of the game and his creative offensive style of play, which he implemented through skillful technique. After the end of his playing career, Günter Netzer managed the club Hamburger SV from 1978 to 1986. During this period, the Hamburg team became German champions in 1979, 1982 and 1983. They also won the European Cup in 1983. In the 1991/92 season he worked as a consultant for the FC Schalke 04 club and in the meantime he acted as a co-presenter in the sports program "Anpfiff" on the RTL channel.
Günter Netzer then devoted himself to managing a Swiss sports agency in Zurich that markets television rights and perimeter advertising. In addition, he was asked to comment on football broadcasts. His other activities included writing sports articles. At the Football World Cup in France in 1998, he provided game and player analyzes as a football expert for the broadcaster ARD. Günter Netzer, together with sports reporter Gerhard Delling, received the Adolf Grimme Prize in 2000 for their competent reporting. In 1993, author Ulfert Schröder published a biography of Günter Netzer entitled "The football field is also a stage and Netzer is its best mime."
With his inimitable style on the field and his long mane of hair, Günter Netzer became a cult figure in German and international football. Even today, 25 years after ending his playing career, he is still recognized by the public and the experts and is in demand as an expert in all matters football.
Günter Netzer is married and has a daughter. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Torsten Knippertz was born on 19 June 1970 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for A Dangerous Method (2011), Miracle at St. Anna (2008) and neoManiacs (2017).- Walter Ullrich was born on 29 January 1931 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He is an actor, known for Tatort (1970), Ekstase - Der Prozeß gegen die Satansmädchen (1979) and Die Elixiere des Teufels (1976).
- Director
- Cinematographer
- Producer
The family soon moved to Königsberg in East Prussia, where Sielmann grew up. During his school days he was already interested in the animal world. At the age of 18, Sielmann presented his scientific observations at the Zoological Institute in Königsberg. After graduating from high school, Sielmann studied biology at the University of Königsberg. While studying, he turned to animal observation, which he also captured on film. Sielmann made his debut as an animal filmmaker in 1938 with his first sound film "Birds over Haff and Meadows". After the outbreak of the Second World War he was exempted from military service for ornithological research.
Among other things, he worked on the island of Crete, which was occupied by the German Wehrmacht. After the end of the war, Sielmann joined the Institute for Film and Image in science and teaching in 1947, where he worked as a director and cameraman until 1958. The animal observer also produced film material for school lessons here, which shaped generations of students in western post-war Germany. The sophisticated technology that Sielmann used in his animal films attracted particular attention. In his documentary about "The Carpenters of the Forest" in 1954, for example, he filmed the woodpeckers from inside a previously prepared tree trunk.
The co-founder of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Briton Peter Scott, brought Sielmann into his BBC television series, which then took over and broadcast all of the animal observer's films. Sielmann shot his first feature film in the Congo in 1957 on behalf of the Belgian royal family: "Ruler of the Jungle" was an international success and won a prize at the Moscow Film Festival. In 1960, Sielmann became self-employed. He subsequently provided German television and school lessons with numerous productions. Sielmann undoubtedly achieved his greatest fame and popularity through the TV series "Expeditions into the Animal Kingdom", which he produced continuously in over 170 episodes for ARD until 1991.
During the 1980s, Sielmann became increasingly involved in ecological issues. He drew attention to threatened natural and landscape areas in the Federal Republic. The animal and nature conservationist hit the headlines in the wake of German reunification in 1989/90 when he suggested converting the former "death strip" on the inner-German border into a national park. In the fall of 1991, Sielmann opened a new broadcast project on RTLplus with "Sielmann 2000 - Return to the Future", which led to the discontinuation of his ARD series. However, the new series also had to be stopped early for financial reasons.
Following this, Sielmann realized the series "The Heinz-Sielmann-Report" on Sat.1, which he produced together with the WWF and was first broadcast in 1993. In 1996 he produced four episodes of the program "Sielmann's Nature Adventure" for the same private broadcaster. In 1994, Sielmann set up a nature conservation foundation named after him, which acquired a natural area in Brandenburg around 2002 as a habitat for endangered animal species. In 1995 he published his autobiography with the book "My Life". In the meantime, Sielmann had withdrawn from active filmmaking to devote himself entirely to his foundation.
Sielmann has received numerous awards for his film work, including five federal film awards. In 1987 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit First Class and in 1993 the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Also in 1993 he received the WWF's "Golden Ark". Sielmann has been an honorary professor at the University of Munich since 1994. The Grand Cross of Merit with Star of the Federal Republic followed in 1997. In autumn 2001, the animal researcher was awarded the Görlitz Meridian Nature Film Prize. In October 2004, the animal filmmaker received the international prize from the economic and environmental initiative B.A.U.M.
In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Brandenburg and the German Environmental Prize. In 2006, a primary school in Crinitz was named "Heinz-Sielmann-Schule". Sielmann was married and the father of a son who had already died.- Abitur at Rheydt-Odenkirchen high school. Studied at the universities of Cologne and Bonn; second state law examination. Lawyer in Mönchengladbach-Rheydt.
Member of the CDU since 1959, state board of the Junge Union Rheinland and district chairman of the Junge Union Niederrhein, from 1986 to 2000 chairman of the Lower Rhine district association of the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia. 1969 to 1980 member of the city council, 1975 to 1979 head of the Rheydt-Mitte district, 1975 to 1976 member of the Rhineland Regional Council.
Member of the Bundestag since 1976; April 1985 to December 1988 Chairman of the defense policy working group of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group; December 19, 1988 to April 1, 1992 Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defense; July 1994 to July 2000 Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. - Nick Heidfeld was born on 10 May 1977 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany [now Germany].
- Sabine Wegner was born in 1955 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. She is an actress, known for Stammheim - The Baader-Meinhof Gang on Trial (1986), In Search of Paradise (1992) and Men... (1985). She is married to Walter Kreye. They have two children.
- Bert Stevens was born on 18 February 1951 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is an actor, known for Barschel: A Murder in Geneva (1993), Kleinstadtbahnhof (1972) and Unter uns (1994).
- Costume Designer
- Art Department
- Set Decorator
Andrea Spanier was born on 11 November 1961 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. She is a costume designer and set decorator, known for Tatort (1970), V8 - Du willst der Beste sein (2013) and Die Wilden Kerle 5 (2008).- Astrid Randerath was born on 1 April 1965 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is a writer, known for Nano (1999), ZDF-Mittagsmagazin (1989) and Markus Lanz (2008).
- Mikka Bender was born in 1954 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- Nina Juraga was born on 17 December 1975 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She is an actress, known for Verbotene Liebe (1995), The Air Rescue Team (1997) and Zwischen den Sternen (2002).
- Stephan Grünewald was born on 8 November 1960 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Alexander Arnz was born on 25 August 1932 in Rheydt, Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He was a director and writer, known for Na sowas! (1982), Wetten, dass..? (1981) and Telespiele (1977). He was married to Ulla Arnz. He died on 30 September 2004 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Volker Büdts was born on 11 July 1972 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. He is an actor, known for Siegfried (2005), Die Kumpel (2001) and Tatort (1970). He is married to Daniela Wutte. They have two children.
- He found his passion for football as a child. His talent was recognized and encouraged early on. He first played in the E-youth team at "Borussia Mönchengladbach" in 1993 and later in various youth teams. For the 1998/99 season he moved from "SV Mönchengladbach" to the youth team of "Borussia Mönchengladbach". Here Marcell Jansen was able to draw further attention to himself as a young talent and celebrate his first successes. He was then accepted into the Borussia second team for the 2003/04 season before he was promoted to the professional team of the 1st Bundesliga in 2004/2005 thanks to the support of coach Dick Advocaat. As a defender on the left wing, Jansen developed into a brilliant play maker. On December 4, 2004, Marcell Jansen played his first game in the Bundesliga in the away game against "Herta BSC Berlin". The match ended in a 6-0 defeat.
Nevertheless, he was able to assert himself as a top player and secure his place as a regular player. Meanwhile, he had played three U21 international matches and played in all U national teams. After promotion to the senior national team, he celebrated his debut within the DFB squad under national coach Jürgen Klinsmann on September 3, 2005 in the Germany/Slovakia encounter. His contract with "Borussia Mönchengladbach" runs until 2009. His market value was estimated at 5 million euros in 2006. Jürgen Klinsmann appointed Marcell Jansen to the DFB squad of the German national team for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. After the German national team won the World Cup on June 30, 2006 with a 5-3 victory. After reaching the semi-finals against Argentina, the team under captain Michael Ballack lost 0-2 goals in extra time against Italy on July 4, 2006.
In the game for third place on July 8th in Stuttgart, the German team won 3-1 against Portugal. The triumph of the 2006 World Cup title went to Italy in the final on July 9th, to which France lost on penalties. In August 2006, Federal President Horst Köhler awarded the German national team the "Silver Laurel Leaf", the highest award that Germany can give to athletes. On May 24, 2007, FC Bayern Munich announced Jansen's commitment for the 2007/08 Bundesliga season. The 1.91 meter tall national player signed a four-year contract with FC Bayern until the end of June 2011. On June 2, 2007, he scored his first international goal against San Marino. - Chris Kempers was born on 7 January 1965 in Mönchengladbach, Germany.
- Jupp Heynckes was born on 9 May 1945 in Mönchengladbach, Germany.
- Michael Penners was born on 12 December 1974 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.
- Nadine Arents was born on 3 February 1982 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. She is an actress, known for Rote Rosen (2006), Lotta in Love (2006) and The Visitor (2013).
- Composer
- Music Department
- Writer
Franz Doelle was born on 9 November 1883 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He was a composer and writer, known for Enemy at the Gates (2001), Wenn der weiße Flieder wieder blüht (1929) and Ich habe im Mai von der Liebe geträumt (1927). He died on 15 March 1965 in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Carina Hinzen was born on 10 August 1991 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She is an actress, known for Wer küßt schon einen Leguan? (2004).
- Sílvia Marques was born on 4 May 1978 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She is an actress, known for Mar Salgado (2014), Bem-Vindos a Beirais (2013) and Anjo Selvagem (2001).
- Verena Lepper was born in 1973 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- Roland Müller-Stein was born on 22 September 1895 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He was an actor, known for Black Gravel (1961), Das Kriminalmuseum (1963) and Johannes durch den Wald (1968). He died on 9 March 1972 in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany.
- Additional Crew
- Art Department
- Art Director
Sven Knoch was born on 9 April 1964 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He is an art director, known for Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017), The Worst Movies of All Time (2013) and Wer zuletzt lacht...! - Der komische Jahresrückblick (2001).- Ulrich Reitz was born on 22 October 1960 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.
- Script and Continuity Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
Carmen Stuellenberg was born in 1977 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany. She is an assistant director and director, known for Neun (2005), Head Full of Honey (2018) and Vergessen (2002).- Theo Lieven was born in 1952 in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- Will Elfes was born on 29 February 1924 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. He died on 20 November 1971 in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany.