Kurt Raab

Kurt Raab (20 July 1941 – 28 June 1988) was a West German stage and film actor, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Raab is best remembered for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, with whom he collaborated on 31 film projects.

Kurt Raab
Born	20 July 1941 Bergreichenstein, Germany (now Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic)
Died	28 June 1988(1988-06-28) (aged 46) Hamburg, West Germany
Years active	1960s–1988

Biography

Raab was born in Bergreichenstein, which is now Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic. He completed the abitur at Musische Gymnasium Straubing, and studied in Munich.^[1]

He made his cinema debut in Fassbinder's Liebe ist kälter als der Tod (Love Is Colder than Death) in 1969. Over the next few years, he made numerous films with Fassbinder, including Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) and Der Amerikanische Soldat (The American Soldier) in 1970, Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte (Beware of a Holy Whore) in 1971, and Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (The Merchant of Four Seasons) in 1972.

He also worked as a production designer, assistant director, producer, and a screenwriter.

Raab was friends with Freddie Mercury of Queen, and appears as a ballerina in the band's music video for "It's a Hard Life".^[2] He is also seen in Mercury's "Living on My Own" video, dressed in drag as Mary, Queen of Scots.^[3]

On 28 June 1988, at age 46, Raab died of AIDS-related complications. Before Raab died, he worked to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in West Germany. In 1987, he discussed his illness in Herbert Achternbusch's Wohin?, a film about AIDS hysteria.^[4] In 1988, he made Mitten im Leben, a documentary about AIDS, for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.^[5] However, the illness remained poorly understood and Raab was placed in quarantine-like conditions in the Hamburg Tropical Institute. While confined to a hospital bed, Raab and his friend Hans Hirschmüller compiled the documentary Sehnsucht Nach Sodom, in which they explored "subjects as taboo as AIDS, death and the Catholicism of a gay person." Sehnsucht was released posthumously in 1989.^[6]

Prejudice about AIDS was also evident when Raab's body was refused burial in Steinbeißen, the Lower Bavarian town in which his family had settled in 1945.^[1] He is buried in Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg.^[1]

Filmography

Year	Title	American title	Role	Notes
1969	Liebe ist kälter als der Tod	Love Is Colder Than Death	Aufsichtsperson im Kaufhaus
1970	Götter der Pest	Gods of the Plague	Gast in der Kneipe	Uncredited
1970	Das Kaffeehaus [fr]	The Coffee Shop [fr]	Don Marzio	TV movie
1970	Warum läuft Herr R. Amok?	Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?	Herr R
1970	Der Amerikanische Soldat	The American Soldier	Ricky's brother
1970	Niklashauser Fart [de]	The Niklashausen Journey [de]	Bishop	TV movie
1970	Weg vom Fenster	n/a	Erster Erzieher	TV movie
1971	Rio das Mortes	Rio das Mortes	Tankwart	TV movie
1971	Mathias Kneissl	Mathias Kneissl	Fritz Rechthaler, Jungbauer
1971	Whity	Whity	The Pianist	Uncredited
1971	Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte	Beware of a Holy Whore	Fred
1971	Die Ahnfrau - Oratorium nach Franz Grillparzer	n/a	Pfarrer	TV movie
1972	Händler der vier Jahreszeiten	The Merchant of Four Seasons	Kurt
1972	Wildwechsel [de]	Jail Bait [de]	Factory Boss	TV movie
1972	Bremer Freiheit [de]	Bremen Freedom [de]	Carpenter	TV movie
1972–1973	Acht Stunden sind kein Tag	Eight Hours Don't Make a Day	Harald	4 episodes
1973	Zärtlichkeit der Wölfe	The Tenderness of Wolves	Fritz Haarmann
1973	Welt am Draht	World on a Wire	Mark Holm	2 episodes
1974	Angst essen Seele auf	Ali: Fear Eats the Soul	Car Mechanic	Uncredited
1974	Die Verrohung des Franz Blum [de]	The Brutalisation of Franz Blum [de]	Wupke, prison guard
1974	Martha	Martha	Secretary	TV movie
1974	Der Verfolger	n/a	n/a	TV movie
1974	Effi Briest	Effi Briest	Apotheker Gieshübler	Voice
1975	Münchner Geschichten [de]	n/a	Peter Pickl	TV movie
1975	Wie ein Vogel auf dem Draht	Like a Bird on a Wire	Barbesucher	TV movie, Uncredited
1975	Faustrecht der Freiheit	Fox and His Friends	Wodka-Peter
1975	Mutter Küsters Fahrt zum Himmel	Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven	Barbesitzer Gustav
1975	Angst vor der Angst [de]	Fear of Fear [de]	Herr Bauer	TV movie
1976	Die Atlantikschwimmer	The Atlantic Swimmers	Polizist
1976	Satansbraten	Satan's Brew	Walter Kranz
1977	Eierdiebe	Petty Thieves	n/a
1977	Adolf und Marlene	Adolf and Marlene	Führer
1977	Gruppenbild mit Dame	Group Portrait with a Lady	Parteifunktionär
1977	Bolwieser	The Stationmaster's Wife	Xaver Ferdinand Maria Bolwieser - Station Master	TV movie
1977	Belcanto oder Darf eine Nutte schluchzen?	n/a	Arthur
1978	Leidenschaftliche Blümchen	Preppy School Girls	Fletcher
1979	Victor	n/a	Ein Zirkusansager	TV movie
1979	Der Durchdreher	It Can Only Get Worse	Mann von Glorias Freundin
1979	Die Buddenbrooks	The Buddenbrooks	n/a	TV series
1979	Bildnis einer Trinkerin	Ticket of No Return	Chef
1979	Der Sturz [de]	The Fall [de]	Theopont Dirlewanger
1979–1980	Der ganz normale Wahnsinn	n/a	Franz	5 episodes
1980	Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen [de]	Why the UFOs Steal Our Lettuce [de]	Film-Hitler
1980	Unter Verschluß	Under Lock and Key	n/a	TV movie
1980	Endstation Freiheit [de]	Slow Attack [de]	Maria Franz Beekenbrandt
1981	Total vereist	Totally Frozen	Herr Münch
1981	Engel aus Eisen	Angels of Iron	Chauffeur
1981	Exil	n/a	Heilbrunn	2 episodes
1981	Wie die Weltmeister	n/a	Oberamtmann
1981	Heute spielen wir den Boß	n/a	Reichenstein
1981	Frankfurt Kaiserstraße [de]	Frankfurt: The Face of a City [de]	Onkel Ossi
1981	Sechsunddreißig Stunden	n/a	n/a	TV movie
1981	Feuer und Schwert - Die Legende von Tristan und Isolde	Fire and Sword	Ganelon
1981	Die Fahrt nach Schlangenbad	n/a	Alfred Wittkowsky	TV movie
1981	Der glücklose Mann	n/a	n/a	TV movie
1982	Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull	The Confessions of Felix Krull	Sally Meerschaum	5 episodes
1982	Liebeskonzil	Council of Love	Gerichtspräsident
1982	Der Zauberberg	The Magic Mountain	Dr. Krokowski
1982	Ich werde warten	I'll Be Waiting	Herr Dankert	TV movie
1982	Die Komplizen	n/a	Marcel Lambert	Episode: "Mein kleiner Betrüger/Das Haus des Colonels/Tschüs, Charlie!/Schmerzlose Behandlung/Schabernack mit einer alten Frau"
1982	Das Gespenst	The Ghost	Poli
1982	Dr. Margarete Johnsohn	n/a	Herr Körber	TV movie
1983	Die Insel der blutigen Plantage [de]	Escape from Blood Plantation [de]	Pevney
1983	Der Zappler	The Twitcher	Nachbar
1983	Derrick	n/a	Butler	Episode: "Via Genua"
1983	Bella Donna	n/a	n/a
1983	Die Olympiasiegerin	n/a	n/a
1983	Hauptsache konsequent	n/a	n/a	TV movie
1983	Traumlage	n/a	Fellner	TV movie
1983	Krimistunde	n/a	n/a	TV series
1983	Bolero	n/a	Rado
1984	Tricheurs	Cheaters	Jorg
1984	Humus	n/a	Horst	Short
1984	Rambo Zambo	n/a	n/a	TV movie
1984	Abwärts	Out of Order	Elevator mechanic
1984	Der Rekord	The Record	P.K. Wütrich
1984	Im Himmel ist die Hölle los [de]	n/a	Intendant
1984	Die Schwarzen Brüder	n/a	Man with scar	TV mini-series
1985	Kleine Stadt, ich liebe dich	n/a	n/a	TV mini-series
1985	Bittere Ernte	Angry Harvest	Maslanka
1985	Parker	Bones	Haag
1985	Franz Xaver Brunnmayr	n/a	n/a	Episode: "Das Palais"
1985	Der Formel Eins Film [de]	Feel the Motion [de]	Mephisto
1985	Mussolini: The Decline and Fall of Il Duce	Mussolini and I	Hitler	3 episodes
1986	Transitträume	n/a	Kaderleiter
1986	Miko – Aus der Gosse zu den Sternen	Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars	Walter Hahn
1986	Motten im Licht	n/a	Brenner
1986	Rette mich, wer kann [de]	n/a	1. Geige	Episode: "Kulturpause"
1986	Kir Royal	n/a	Michel, butler	Episode: "Das Volk sieht nichts"
1986	Schloßherren	n/a	n/a	TV series
1986	Das Totenreich	n/a	John Hagen	TV movie
1987	Escape from Sobibor	Escape from Sobibor	Commandant Frenzel	TV movie
1987	Das Rätsel der Sandbank	The Riddle of the Sands	Underwood	TV movie, Uncredited
1987	Der elegante Hund	n/a	n/a	TV series
1988	Wohin?	n/a	Gast
1989	Reporter	n/a	n/a	TV series, (final appearance)

References

1. "Kurt Raab - Biographie". Deutsches Filminstitut. 28 June 1998. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
2. "It's A Hard Life - An interview from the set of the video shoot". Archived from the original on 2012-12-19.
3. Hall, James (25 October 2019). "Drag, drugs and horse-drawn carriages: inside Freddie Mercury's epic 39th birthday party". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
4. Internet movie database, retrieved 7 June 2009
5. "Kurt Raab". Archived from the original on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2010-06-11. Kurt Raab filmography, retrieved 11 June 2010
6. Baethe, Hanno (2016-10-12), Sehnsucht Nach Sodom : Yearning for Sodom, retrieved 2022-06-10

External links

• Kurt Raab at IMDb
• Kurt Raab at Allmovie