The pioneering and provocative German film director Rosa von Praunheim, a seminal figure in queer cinema and the New German Cinema movement, has died at the age of 83. German media reported he passed away in Berlin in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
A Life Dedicated to Breaking Taboos
Born Holger Radtke in Riga in 1942, the artist adopted the stage name Rosa von Praunheim. This powerful pseudonym referenced the pink triangles (rosa winkel) that gay and bisexual men were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps. After escaping East Germany in 1953, he studied fine arts and began his film-making career in the late 1960s.
His second feature, a 1971 cine-essay titled It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives, premiered at the Berlin film festival. This silent film, overlaid with sharp socio-critical commentary, aimed to politicise the gay community. It is widely regarded as Germany's "Stonewall moment" for its radical and convention-shattering portrayal of queer life. The film was broadcast on German public TV in 1973, though Bavaria's broadcaster infamously replaced it with a car racing film.
Scandal, Activism, and a Prolific Career
Von Praunheim's career was marked by both prolific output and controversy. He created over 150 short films, features, and documentaries, covering subjects from sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld to director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. His final work, Satanische Sau (Satanic Sow), screened at this year's Berlin film festival, was described by him as a poetic farce exploring his death and sex life.
In December 1991, he caused a national scandal by outing two prominent German celebrities—chat show host Alfred Biolek and comedian Hape Kerkeling—on live television without their prior knowledge. He later framed this act as a "cry of despair at the Aids crisis", triggered by a friend's death from the virus. While initially condemned, both Kerkeling and Biolek later acknowledged the complex impact of his actions, with Biolek describing it as painful yet ultimately liberating.
A Late Marriage and Lasting Legacy
In a poignant final chapter, Von Praunheim married his long-term partner, Oliver Sechting, 50, in a Berlin ceremony just last Friday. He shared the news on Instagram, posting a picture of their distinctive frog-shaped wedding rings. Sechting had chosen the rings because the director once said he wished to be reborn as a frog.
Rosa von Praunheim's death marks the passing of a fearless and foundational voice in LGBTQ+ cinema. His work relentlessly challenged societal norms and fought for visibility, leaving an indelible mark on German culture and the global fight for queer rights.
