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Herbert Feuerstein
Herbert feuerstein 20050319.jpg
Herbert Feuerstein in 2005.
Born (1937-06-15)15 June 1937
Zell am See, Federal State of Austria
Died 6 October 2020(2020-10-06) (aged 83)
Erftstadt, Germany
Nationality German
Occupation Comedian
Years active 1960–2020
Awards Bambi Award

Herbert Feuerstein (born June 15, 1937 – died October 6, 2020) was a famous German comedian, journalist, and entertainer. He was originally from Austria. People knew him for his funny TV shows, especially with his partner Harald Schmidt. He also worked as an editor for popular magazines like pardon and the German version of Mad Magazine.

Herbert Feuerstein: A Life of Laughter

Early Life and First Steps

Herbert Feuerstein was born in Zell am See, Austria. He studied music, focusing on piano and composition, at the Salzburg Mozarteum from 1956 to 1958. He was asked to leave the school after an incident with the president.

In 1960, he moved to New York to be with his girlfriend, who was a student from Hawaii. They got married there. In New York, Herbert worked as a journalist. From 1968, he was the editor of a German newspaper called New Yorker Staats-Zeitung. He also wrote for German and Austrian news outlets, including the funny magazine pardon. He even worked in the press office of the Austrian consulate.

Return to Europe and Magazine Work

After his first marriage ended, Feuerstein came back to Europe in 1969. He became a director at a publishing company that produced pardon magazine. In 1973, he took on the role of editor for the German version of Mad Magazine. Under his leadership, the magazine's sales grew a lot, from 10,000 to 400,000 copies!

Becoming a TV Star

From 1984 onwards, Herbert Feuerstein mostly worked in German television. He became very well-known for his comedy shows with Harald Schmidt. These included popular shows like Pssst... [de] (from 1989 to 1995) and Schmidteinander [de] (from 1990 to 1994).

In 1994, he won the Bambi television award. This award recognized his amazing creativity, his "anarchic originality," and his "uninhibited courage for chaos." After receiving this award, he decided to leave the show.

Later Career and Legacy

In 1995, Herbert Feuerstein starred in a TV film called Entführung aus der Lindenstraße. He also hosted two very long, twelve-hour live TV shows in 1997 and 1998. These shows, called Feuersteins Nacht (Feuerstein's Night), were for the TV channel WDR.

He also lent his voice to animated characters. He was the German voice of Gilbert Huph in Pixar's movie The Incredibles. Many people noticed he looked a lot like the character! Herbert also performed on stage. He played the role of Frosch in the opera Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss 75 times at the Cologne Opera between 2004 and 2008.

Even though he was born in Austria, he became a German citizen in 1990. Herbert Feuerstein passed away in Erftstadt, Germany, at the age of 83. He left behind a legacy of laughter and unique entertainment.

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