In Halle, theater people, politicians and long-time companions honored the life’s work of the late actor Peter Sodann.
Almost two months after his death on April 5th, the life and work of the actor and theater maker Peter Sodann (1936-2024) were remembered yesterday, June 1st, at a large memorial ceremony in Halle. Many acting colleagues, cultural figures and politicians came together at the event in the Neues Theater, Sodann’s long-time place of work, to pay their last respects to the city’s honorary citizen.
All-German fame as “Tatort” commissioner Ehrlicher
Even during the GDR era, the acting star, who later became known for his role as “Tatort” detective Bruno Ehrlicher, had played a decisive role in shaping the cultural life of the Saxon city. His greatest legacy is the “Kulturinsel Halle” (Halle Cultural Island), which Sodann established and brought to life in the 1980s as the acting director of the Halle State Theater.
Theatre maker with humor and personality
The memorial event was also a final birthday celebration for the popular actor, director and theater manager – on that day Sodann would have turned 88 years old.
Matthias Brenner (66), the former director of the New Theater, who worked with the acting legend for a long time, hosted the well-attended event. In his speech, he described the gathering as a “commemoration” and focused on Sodann’s dazzling and controversial personality, which always made working with him a special experience. “I liked having trouble with him, I liked having joy and fun with him, because it was always inspirational,” said Brenner.
Appreciation of a “straightforward and upright democrat”
Saxony-Anhalt’s Secretary of State for Culture Sebastian Putz (49) added in his speech: “Peter Sodann also represented his convictions as a politically active person and saw himself as an East German with a left-wing consciousness – regardless of whether his positions met with opposition and polarized people.”
It is a great loss for the whole country that the voice of “this straightforward and upright democrat, with his own and pointed form of intervention, is no longer heard in these troubled and turbulent times.”
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
