Marianne Koch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marianne Koch
Koch in 2018
Born	(1931-08-19) 19 August 1931 (age 93) Munich, Germany
Years active	1950–1971
Spouse(s)	Gerhard Freund ​ ​ (m. 1953; div. 1973)​
Partner(s)	Peter Hamm (c. 1970s; d. 2019)
Children	2 (with Freund)

Marianne Koch (born 19 August 1931) is a German actress who is now retired. She was very famous for her roles in Western movies and adventure films in the 1960s. After her acting career, she became a television host and a doctor.

Her Acting Career

Marianne Koch acted in over 65 movies between 1950 and 1971. She played many main characters in German films during the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1954, she had a supporting role in the American thriller Night People, acting alongside Gregory Peck. She also had important roles in Hollywood movies like Four Girls in Town and Interlude, both released in 1957.

Many people around the world know her best from the 1964 movie A Fistful of Dollars. In this film, she starred with Clint Eastwood. She played a brave woman named Marisol who was caught between dangerous local gangs and her family.

Life as a TV Star

In Germany, Marianne Koch was also very well-known for being a regular guest on a popular TV game show called Was bin ich?. This show was a German version of the American show What's My Line?. It ran for many years, from the 1950s until 1988. At its most popular, about 75% of TV viewers watched it!

Becoming a Doctor

In 1971, Marianne Koch decided to go back to school. She had started studying medicine before she became an actress, but she stopped to pursue acting. In 1974, she finished her medical degree. She then worked as a specialist doctor in internal medicine in Munich until 1997.

Also in 1974, she became one of the first hosts of a new talk show in Germany called 3 nach 9 (Three After Nine). For her work on this show, she won the Grimme-Preis. This is one of the most important awards in German television. She also hosted other TV shows. Even in 2014, she still had a medical advice program on the radio!

Her Family Life

Marianne Koch's parents were Marie Aumüller and Rudolf Schindler.

In 1953, she married a doctor named Gerhard Freund. They had two sons together. Their marriage ended in 1973. Later, Marianne Koch started a relationship with the writer Peter Hamm. This relationship lasted from the mid-1970s until he passed away in 2019.

Images for kids

• 

  Koch in 1968