At the age of 84: Acting legend Christiane Hörbiger has died

Created: 11/30/2022, 6:45 p.m

By: Hannes Niemeyer

The actress Christiane Hörbiger is dead. She died on Wednesday morning at the age of 84 in her native Vienna.

Since 1955 she has appeared in over 130 films and series.

Vienna – It's a dark day for all film and television fans.

Because the actress Christiane Hörbiger, who established herself as a true TV legend with her role in "The Legacy of the Guldenburgs", died in Vienna on Wednesday at the age of 84.

A long-time employee and a family friend confirmed the sad news to the German Press Agency after the Vienna newspaper "Kurier" had first reported on it.

Decades in front of the camera: Christiane Hörbiger has been an actress since 1955

With Christiane Hörbiger, the film and television landscape loses a real veteran.

Ever since she starred in The Major and the Bulls in 1955 - an emotional film about the end of World War II - she has lent her talent to countless successful films.

She was last seen in the cinema in 2006, when she played the role of grandmother in the children's hit "Der Räuber Hotzenplotz".

However, she only dared her last detour into the world of TV productions in 2019 in "Der Fall der Gerti B." - an episode of the ORF series "Stadtkomödie", which has been running on the Austrian broadcaster since 2016.

Christiane Hörbiger died at the age of 84.

Born in Vienna, she has been in front of the camera since 1955 and has acted in over 130 films and series.

© IMAGO/K.Piles;

IMAGO/Sven Simon (photomontage)

Although Christiane Hörbiger's acting summary was already impressive back then, she did not get the role that would accompany her throughout her life until 1987. As Christine Countess of Guldenburg, she moved into a breathtaking country estate and was at Karl-Heinz Vosgerau's side († 92) in almost 40 episodes of the cult ZDF format "The Legacy of the Guldenburgs".

Thirty-two years after it aired, the story about the fictional nobles is still considered one of the channel's greatest successes - and in a way certainly laid the foundation for many of the productions about the ups and downs of the aristocracy that are so popular today.

Talent already in the cradle: Christiane Hörbiger's family is a family of acting legends

Anyone who looks at Christiane Hörbiger's impressive family tree will immediately notice that so much acting doesn't come from just anywhere.

Her parents, Paula Wessely (†93) and Attila Hörbiger (†91) - as well as Attila's brother Paul Hörbiger (†86) - were gifted theater actors and seem to have given their daughter a lot of talent in the cradle.

Her sisters Elisabeth Orth (86) and Maresa Hörbiger (77) finally found their way in front of the camera – and Christiane's nephew Christian Tramitz (67) is one of the most sought-after names in the German film industry.

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Film roles for eternity and a fascinating variety of acting - a legacy like that of Christiane Hörbiger will not exist anytime soon.

Born in Vienna, she has received numerous awards for her acting work over the course of her career.

In addition to the Bavarian Television Prize, she received the Adolf Grimme Prize and even the Vienna Medal of Honor in 2009 - a recognition that not many are granted.

Lisa-Marie († 16), who became famous through the TV format “Hartz und Herzen” recently passed away.