Quick Facts
Born:
1941-08-09
Birthplace:
Hopfen am See, Bavaria, Germany
Credits:
60 Total Roles
Volker Prechtel
Acting
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Biography
Volker Prechtel (born August 9, 1941, in Hopfen am See; died August 7, 1997, in Gröbenzell) was a German theater, film, and television actor.
Prechtel initially studied pedagogy and worked as a schoolteacher for several years before finding his way to professional acting through amateur theater stages. With his striking face and distinctive nose, he became a sought-after character actor in film and television, appearing in more than one hundred productions.
Prechtel was also a regular presence on the theater stage. He performed at venues including the Münchner Kammerspiele, the Münchner Volkstheater, the Freie Volksbühne Berlin, and the Münchner Theater für Kinder.
He achieved international recognition in 1986 for his role as the monk Malachias in *The Name of the Rose*, based on the novel by Umberto Eco. In that film, he acted alongside Sean Connery and Helmut Qualtinger. Additionally, he appeared as a public bus driver in the crime series *Der König*.
Volker Prechtel died in 1997—two days before his 56th birthday—from complications related to cancer.
Prechtel initially studied pedagogy and worked as a schoolteacher for several years before finding his way to professional acting through amateur theater stages. With his striking face and distinctive nose, he became a sought-after character actor in film and television, appearing in more than one hundred productions.
Prechtel was also a regular presence on the theater stage. He performed at venues including the Münchner Kammerspiele, the Münchner Volkstheater, the Freie Volksbühne Berlin, and the Münchner Theater für Kinder.
He achieved international recognition in 1986 for his role as the monk Malachias in *The Name of the Rose*, based on the novel by Umberto Eco. In that film, he acted alongside Sean Connery and Helmut Qualtinger. Additionally, he appeared as a public bus driver in the crime series *Der König*.
Volker Prechtel died in 1997—two days before his 56th birthday—from complications related to cancer.
Known For
The Name of the Rose
Malachia
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Hiltel, the prison guard
Woyzeck
Handwerksbursche
The Odessa File
Günther Kolb (uncredited)
Heart of Glass
Wudy
Scene of the Crime
Landpolizist
Scene of the Crime
Dallinger
Scene of the Crime
Self
Full Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | An Oral History of: The Name of the Rose MOVIE | Self (archive footage) |
| 1997 | Lorenz im Land der Lügner MOVIE | Spitzel |
| 1996 | Die Fernsehsaga – Eine steirische Fernsehgeschichte TV | Fösi |
| 1996 | Alles nur Tarnung MOVIE | Pfarrer |
| 1996 | Willkommen in Kronstadt MOVIE | Self |
| 1995 | Die Fernsehsaga – Eine steirische Fernsehgeschichte MOVIE | Fösi |
| 1994 | Der König TV | Pichler |
| 1994 | Air Albatros TV | Self |
| 1994 | Pumuckl und der Blaue Klabauter MOVIE | Stammtischbruder |
| 1994 | Das Geheimnis MOVIE | Staudammwärter |