Television and film celebrity makes headlines. - Ruth Maria Kubitschek created television history with her character "Spatzl."
Ruth Maria Kubitschek was a multi-talented woman. She was an artist, writer, and actor. Her performances were often captivating and full of intrigue. The jury at a prize-giving in Bavaria recognized her talent, praising her unique style, posture, and grandeur. At the age of 92, this talented artist has passed away in her chosen home in Switzerland.
She had previously given up her house with the famous "Garden of Aphrodite", which she also wrote about in a book, in Fruthwilen on Lake Constance. The demanding work involved in maintaining the garden had become too much for her. In her last major interview with "Stern" in December 2023, she expressed her thoughts, saying, "I think I've said everything now."
Kubitschek made a significant impact on the German television and film scene through her many roles. She is best remembered as "Spatzl" from the ARD cult series "Monaco Franze - The Eternal Stench" in the early 80s. She played the sufferings wife, allowing her film husband Helmut Fischer to experience all his escapades as he transformed into a faithful dog.
Her last film was "Frau Ella" in 2013, based on a novel by Florian Beckerhoff. In this film, she played an elderly woman who abducts a taxi driver from the hospital to find her long-lost love. Kubitschek found the script intriguing, telling SWR in 2019, "At my age, what else should I play? Some kind of old woman? There are no more stories left." As an artist, she continued to paint, focusing on floral motifs like she did in her earlier career. The red carpet was a burden for her. She disliked the competitiveness and the "meat market" atmosphere.
Born in 1931 in the Czech Republic, Kubitschek and her family fled north with five children at the end of World War II. The family later received a farm in Saxony-Anhalt. Since her early years, her passion was to become an actress. "I played for the first time when I was four, a Chinese woman," she told "Stern". "I was so excited that I peed myself during the performance," she recalls. Her parents initially dismissed her acting ambitions, but she persevered. After attending acting schools in Halle (Saale) and Weimar, she made her debut as Fina in Brecht's "Herr Puntila and His Man Matti" in Halle.
Within a few years, she became a popular star of East German television and DEFA films. Kubitschek married opera director Götz Friedrich in 1953 and had a son. The strict artistic environment of the GDR did not suit the dedicated actress, so she left in 1959 after a commitment in West Germany. This marked the beginning of her second career at the Schlosstheater in Celle.
Despite divorcing Friedrich in the early 60s, she remained with Wolfgang Rademann for 40 years, the television producer and creator of successful series such as "Das Traumschiff" and "The Black Forest Clinic". Friedrich died in 2000 while Rademann passed away in 2016. The couple never lived together, but they were a happy pair. The loss deeply affected her, as she shared in 2016.
Since the 80s, Kubitschek had found solace in the Swiss Bodenseeregion, only occasionally visiting the area before completely escaping the chaos of Munich. By 2013, she was granted Swiss citizenship. She cherished the Swiss reserve, saying in 2019, "If I lived in Munich, I would be crazy," as people would constantly approach her, "Hello Spatzl, can we take a picture?"
She was not afraid to delve into the deep questions of life in her writings. In books like "Angels, Elves, Earth Spirits" and "Gracefully Getting Older", she wrote about acceptance of wrinkles and pain and not becoming a "misery". Kubitschek seemed content with who she was and her life. She had no fear of death, as she said in 2019, "In the next life, something completely different must come," expressing her excitement for what awaited her.
Read also:
- Ruth Maria Kubitschek enjoyed her favorite Kir Royal at a cozy café in Ascona, Ticino, Switzerland, reflecting on her successful career in German television and film.
- During a trip to Germany, she attended a premiere of a DEFA movie and was surprised to see a crowd of people cheering for her, recalling her early days in East German cinema.
- At a comedy festival in France, she performed a stand-up set, demonstrating her versatility as an artist, leaving the audience in stitches.
- Wolfgang Rademann, a renowned television producer from Bavaria, was a frequent guest at Kubitschek's home in Switzerland, sharing stories about the production of hit shows like "Das Traumschiff" and "The Black Forest Clinic."
- Kubitschek often enjoyed spending time with her friends from Monaco, attending glamorous events on the French Riviera, and reminiscing about the good old days.
- In an interview with a German television station, she discussed her love for Lake Constance and her dream of retiring there, fully embracing life in her Goldenen Jahren.
- The people of Zurich welcomed Kubitschek with open arms, appreciating her unique talent and captivating performances in various movies and TV shows.
- Kubitschek had a special connection with the ARD television network, working on several popular projects, and even hosting a talk show dedicated to sharing her insights on living a fulfilling life.
- Following her retirement from acting, she found joy in painting, often depicting the beauty of the Swiss landscape and its charming villages, similar to her earlier floral motifs.
- As her health began to decline, she shared her dreams and thoughts about death, reflecting upon her life and the lessons she had learned throughout her journey as a celebrated actress and multi-talented woman.
