“The Old One” star Thomas Heinze: What fascinated him about cemeteries as a boy?

In the next episode “The Road to Freedom” (May 17th, 8:15 p.m., ZDF) of the popular crime series “Der Alte” (since 1977), Chief Detective Caspar Bergmann (Thomas Heinze, 60, in the title role since 2023) investigates. and his colleagues in the case of the killed journalist Maren Heppner (Sonia Hausseguy, 43). She was on the trail of an environmental scandal. During the joint inspection of the crime scene, forensic pathologist Dr. Luisa Geiger (Sidonie von Krosigk, 34) has an unusual hobby in conversation with Inspector Bergmann: she studies obituaries in the newspaper out of “poetic-psychological interest”. “You can find some really nice and really interesting thoughts there. An example? ‘Your life, as short as a dream, has flown by’ – from a 95-year-old,” says Geiger.

Lead actor Thomas Heinze doesn’t have a similarly bizarre hobby, as he says in an interview with spot on news, but it reminds him of a childhood passion. And there are also interesting points of reference for the Berlin actor when it comes to the episode’s topic of environmental protection.

Forensic physician Dr. Luisa Geiger studies obituaries as a hobby. What unusual hobby do you have?

Thomas Heinze: I don’t have any unusual hobbies – unless you include my fascination with technical developments in cars, motorcycles or gadgets. The only thing I can think of on the subject could also come from our pathologist’s world: When I was ten or eleven years old, I loved going to cemeteries whenever the opportunity arose. For me there was something attractive about these places. On the one hand it was of course a bit scary there, but on the other hand they are incredibly peaceful places.

What did you do there as a little boy?

Heinze: I went from gravestone to gravestone and read the names and calculated how old the people were. I wanted to know who lived the longest in this cemetery, who lived to be 100 and who just didn’t make it to 99 and so on. It was always very touching when someone died far too young. Then I tried to imagine the life stories behind them.

Which cemeteries still fascinate you today?

Heinze: There are incredibly beautiful cemeteries like the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise park cemetery in Paris or the Weissensee Jewish Cemetery in Berlin.

One of the new “The Old One” episodes is about the murder of a journalist who wanted to uncover an environmental scandal. When did you start to concern yourself with the issue of environmental protection?

Heinze: I have been a member of the WWF and the Federal Nature Conservation Association for decades. We have a truly beautiful world that needs to be preserved. The topic of environmental protection is not new. On the contrary, this was already a relevant topic 40 years ago. A few days after my 22nd birthday was the Chernobyl reactor accident in April 1986 [Ukraine, Red.] happened. Back then I made my first film in, among other places, the former Czechoslovakia [1918-1992] and I remember thinking at the time that we’re pretty close now.

What have you changed about your lifestyle to protect the environment?

Heinze: I’ve never been a fan of plastic bags or disposable tableware. So I usually had cloth bags and coffee cups with me. And common sense also tells you that swamps shouldn’t be drained arbitrarily, rivers shouldn’t be straightened and the sea shouldn’t be used as a garbage dump. All of this was clear decades ago.

And what do you think about the trend of cycling instead of driving?

Heinze: I’m from Berlin and was dependent on the car when I had small children. Three children who have to go to different schools is very difficult to manage without a car. In this respect, I don’t judge drivers. And certainly not across the board. But when I move around Berlin alone, I have always been on my scooter. For me, this has always been the most sensible and practical way to get around this city. It would be quite a distance by bike if you wanted to go from Berlin-Mitte to Steglitz, for example. I use my scooter all year round, whatever the wind and weather.