Happy 80th Birthday Stefan Lisewski

Stefan Lisewski was born on July 6, 1933 in Dirschau, Poland. After the end of World War II Lisewski initially sought a career as a metallurgical engineer and applied at the Mining Academy in Freiberg. However, his passion was the theater, and with various extras roles in theater productions he had already achieved his calling. Nevertheless, he completed an internship as a smelter, and with Ernst Thalmann, he worked in Magdeburg, succeeding at his second attempt to study acting at the National Theatre School in Berlin-Schöneberg.

 
After his studies Lisewski obtained, in 1957, a longstanding commitment at the Berliner Ensemble, where he worked until 1999. In Brecht on Theatre Schiffbauerdamm he was for decades on of the main acotrs and played lead roles in nearly all the Brecht plays such as ‘Mack the Knife’ in The Three Penny Opera. In addition to his stage work Lisewski gained great popularity through roles in film and television in DEFA films and television of the GDR. In his screen debut, “Das Lied der Matrosen” in 1958, he portrayed the sailor Jupp King, and earned him his breakthrough as an actor. This was followed by countless leading roles, such as in 1959’s as Slatan Dudow in the contemporary film “Verwirrung der Liebe” became an favorite of film audiences. In 1969 Stefan appeared in his only Euro-western “Fatal Error” as Ten Eyck.
 
In the 1970s, the artist concentrated more on his stage career, but played supporting roles in several children's series, such as the children's series “Spuk unterm Riesenrad”, “Spuk im Hochhaus” and “Spuk von draußen”. In addition, he made himself a name as a voice in radio plays.
 
In 2002, he played ‘Pollicino’ in the opera by Hans Werner Henze led by Jobst Liebrecht. The CD recording won an Echo in 2004.
 
To date, he was seen in the role of Dogsborough in Brecht's “Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui”, directed by Heiner Müller, who in June 1995 had its premiere and has since been performed over 300 times at home and abroad.
 
Lisewski was married to fellow actress Monika Gabriel and now lives in Berlin.
 
Today we celebrate Stefan Lisewski’s 80^th birthday.