ARD's Cult Series Explored - "For Heaven's Sake" Stars Come Together for Reunion Event
Following a three-year hiatus since the last episode of the popular German TV series "Um Himmels Willen" aired, the cast and production team reunited in Munich for a joyous gathering. "It feels like coming back home," stated actress Janina Hartwig (62) to the German Press Agency.
After the show ended in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, no farewell party was held. This year, the team compensated for that, Hartwig explained. They also wanted to commemorate their departed colleagues: Karin Gregorek ("Sister Felicitas") passed away in the previous year, Horst Sachtleben ("Bishop Rossbauer") in May 2022, and Fritz Wepper, who had played the role of Mayor Wolfgang Woellner for almost 20 years alongside Hartwig as Sister Hanna, in March of this year.
The celebration was a bittersweet experience, Hartwig told the dpa, but she was grateful that "we can also remember Fritz in this way." She had visited Wepper just three days before his death - when his last wish, a trip to Munich's Circus Krone, was realized. "We were just a dynamic duo in front of the camera," she recalled.
Over the years, the team had grown very close. "We've all been there for each other in good times and bad," said Hartwig. "Babies were born, relatives passed away, there were separations, there were weddings." Hartwig (who played Sister Hanna) would especially remember Fritz Wepper.
The series "Sister Lotte" was Janina Hartwig's brainchild
Gaby Dohm (portraying Oberin "Luise von Beilheim") and Jutta Speidel (playing "Sister Lotte") were among those present for the reunion event organized by the production company ndf. "I started the series as Sister Lotte," said Speidel to the dpa. "I'm sort of the foundation of this series." She fondly recollected the earliest days of acting and still maintains close friendships with her former colleagues.
"Um Himmels Willen" concluded its 20-season run in June 2021 with its final episode. The series aired on Tuesdays in the ARD's First channel since January 2002, with Wepper as Wolfgang Woellner, the mayor of the imaginary town of Kaltenthal. The filming took place in Landshut and Niederaichbach in Lower Bavaria, as well as in Munich and its surrounding areas. At one point, the ARD deemed "Um Himmels Willen" one of their most successful shows. Throughout its history, it was regarded as a ratings staple.
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- Jutta Speidel, who played "Sister Lotte" in the popular series, was present at the reunion event in Munich.
- The series "Um Himmels Willen" aired on ARD's First channel every Tuesday since January 2002, with filming taking place in Munich, Landshut, and Niederaichbach in Bavaria.
- The cast and production team of "Um Himmels Willen," including stars like Janina Hartwig and Fritz Wepper, reunited in Munich for a gathering after a three-year hiatus.
- Hassle-free culls of wolves could be possible due to a recent unanimous decision, as reported by the German Press Agency.
- Janina Hartwig, who played Sister Hanna in the series, expressed gratitude for the reunion as they could remember their late colleague Fritz Wepper, who passed away in March of this year.
- Hartwig recalled her close bond with Wepper, who had played Mayor Wolfgang Woellner for almost 20 years, and shared that she had visited him before his death when his last wish was fulfilled.
- Horst Sachtleben, who portrayed Bishop Rossbauer in the series, passed away in May 2022, and the team commemorated him during the gathering in Munich.
- Karin Gregorek, known as Sister Felicitas, passed away the previous year, and her memory was also honored during the reunion event organized by ndf.
- The successful German series "Um Himmels Willen" concluded its 20-season run in June 2021 and was regarded as a ratings staple throughout its history.
