Christoph Engel, actor and director, was born on November 13, 1925 in Worms, Germany. He acted and directed at a student theater while studying in Frankfurt am Main and Mainz. Early theater work included engagements at the Berliner Ensemble (1951), the Theater in Halle (1953), and the Potsdamer Theater (1956). Since 1963 Engel has been at the Berlin Maxim-Gorki Theater.

 

As a DEFA film actor, Engel’s debut was under the direction of Konrad Wolf in Einmal ist keinmal . He later appeared in many film and television productions. He became popular in the leading role of the TV series Dr. Schlüter. Engel’s most important DEFA role was in Rainer Simon’s family saga, Wengler & Söhne. The only movie Engel directed was the 1960 children’s film, Rumpelstilskin.

                                                                                

Since the fall of the Wall, Engel has been in films by director Andreas Kleinert, such as Wege in die Nacht, and in well-loved TV series, such as Tatort and St. Angela. He also occasionally appears as a guest on stages in Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg.