Biography
Hannes Messemer was a German actor. Born on 17 May 1924 in Dillingen an der Donau, Bavaria, he began acting after the Second World War without formal training. He joined theatre companies in Tübingen, Hamburg, Munich and Berlin, making his film debut in Rose Bernd (1956).
Messemer received a Best Actor award for his role in The Devil Strikes at Night (1957). He appeared in General Della Rovere (1959) as S.S. Colonel Mueller and played General Jodl in Is Paris Burning? (1966). He is best known internationally for portraying the camp commandant Von Luger in The Great Escape (1963). Other film credits include The Odessa File (1974) as General Glücks.
He worked extensively in German television, with roles in series such as Derrick (1974). Messemer died on 2 November 1991 in Aachen.
