Modest artist without airs and graces: actor Wolf Ackva lived in the Freising district until his death

Created: 04/14/2022, 08:00

Wolf Ackva chose a classic pose for his autograph card.

© Merkur Archive

Actor Wolf Ackva has not been forgotten in his star role to this day.

His wife looks back on Ackva's career - and life in the Freising district.

Viehbach

– In Bavaria he is still best known today as chief inspector Wilhelm Steiner from the ARD television series “The Strange Methods of Franz Josef Wanninger” with Beppo Brem and Maxl Graf.

Wolf Ackva was an artistic all-rounder, and above all a gifted and extremely sought-after theater actor at the highest level.

What might surprise many Freisingers: Ackva lived in Viehbach near Fahrenzhausen until his death in 2000.

Last year, the exceptional actor would have been 110 years old.

memories

When Els Ackva talks about her husband, one can guess how much they meant to each other.

"He never told me what role he got in a play," says Els Ackva.

Why?

He just wanted to surprise her over and over again and then just play for his wife.

And that was Wolf Ackva too: an extremely modest person without any star airs.

After the performances, according to Els Ackva, he always went home.

"There were no scandals." At home in Viehbach, the actor left his job as far as possible out of the equation, and there were hardly any friendships with other actors - except, for example, with the popular actor Ludwig Schmid-Wildy.

At home, the famous theater actor lived a rather secluded life, liked to read and painted a lot and, above all, well.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

Of course there was a phase in which this rural tranquility was increasingly broken by fans asking for autographs, when Wolf Ackva played his way into the Bavarian collective memory with his role as detective chief inspector Steiner.

"People," says Els Ackva in retrospect, "even addressed me on the street as Mrs. Steiner."

First encounter

The two got to know each other in 1957 on television, because Els Ackva was also successful in this industry - namely as an image mixer, later for street sweepers such as "Dalli Dalli" and "Aktenzeichen XY... unsolved".

Due to the proximity to the Munich film studios, the couple eventually moved to the surrounding area and finally to Viehbach.

Wolf Ackva originally comes from somewhere completely different, namely from France, where he was born on July 30, 1911.

After working as an author, starting his medical studies and finding his calling at the renowned Otto Falkenberg drama school, he was quickly drawn to the stage - including the Munich Kammerspiele.

Great achievements

After doing military service and being a prisoner of war until 1948, Wolf Ackva had his first major stage successes in 1950.

For example, Els Ackva's interpretation of Christ in the "Haller Spiel von der Passion" at the Schwäbisch Hall open-air theater in 1954 is unforgettable Canon of the most important pieces of the stage programs of the time: "The Maid of Orleans", "Romeo and Juliet", "Die Fledermaus", "Wallstein" or "Götz von Berlichingen".

In addition to television roles, such as in the crime television drama "The Hound of Baskerville" as master detective Sherlock Holmes from 1955, his distinctive voice remains unforgotten for film and radio play fans to this day.

Because very few people know this either: Wolf Ackva temporarily lent his German voice to some very prominent Hollywood stars such as Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck or Clark Gable.

Wolf Ackva also gave his dignified voice to the famous secret service boss "M" in the James Bond series - a total of seven times, including in "The Man with the Golden Gun".

The voice acting role he probably liked best was William Holden in the feature film Network (1976), as confirmed by Els Ackva.

The actor managed this balancing act between high standards and entertainment effortlessly - because while he embodied the big roles of the time on stage, he also dubbed the bossy eagle Sam from the Muppet Show in between.

This is how the exceptional actor achieved something fascinating: With his theater roles, he gave the high standards a clear face, played his way into Bavarian hearts with Steiner and also managed to ensure that his voice will irrevocably be remembered by several generations of radio listeners and television viewers .

Els Ackva's memory of her husband is still very much alive.

There would be a lot to tell, because the actor had an extremely multifaceted life with numerous interests, even off the stage.

For example, he got his hunting license so he could roam through the woods with his Els.

The curtain falls

Suddenly, however, the serious illness came, in which she was there for him 24 hours a day - in bright moments of hope, as well as in the darkest nights.

"During that time," Els Ackva remembers, "I cried a lot." But she never showed him that.

"Because he never wanted his wife to experience such sadness because of him."

Wolf Ackva left the world stage on January 16, 2000 and found his final resting place in the small cemetery in Viehbach.

For Els Ackva, her husband is still there for her.

"He takes care of me," she says.

"He is and will always be the love of my life."

You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.