Rosa von Praunheim (1942-2025) by Truus, Bob & Jan too! Via Flickr: West German postcard by Gebr. König Postkartenverlag, Köln, in the series Die Leidenschaften des Rosa von Praunheim, no. 10/4. Image: Cover of the magazine Death, August 1978, from the book Gibt es Sex nach dem Tode by Rosa von Praunheim, 1981. German director, writer, producer and gay rights pioneer Rosa von Praunheim died on 17 December 2025. Von Praunheim remains one of the most prolific and provocative figures in European cinema. He was 83. Rosa von Praunheim was born Holger Radtke in 1942 in Riga Central Prison in Nazi-occupied Latvia during World War II. His biological mother died in 1946 in the Wittenauer Heilstätten (a psychiatric hospital in Berlin). After his birth, he was given up for adoption. He only found out these facts when his adoptive mother, Gertrud Mischwitzky, told him in 2000. He discovered the fate of his biological mother in 2006 after a lengthy investigation. He documented his quest in his film Meine Mütter - Spurensuche in Riga / Two Mothers (2007), which was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival. His pseudonym is a double tribute: 'Rosa' references the pink triangle worn by homosexuals in concentration camps, and 'Praunheim' the Frankfurt district where he was raised after being adopted by the Mischwitzky family. Von Praunheims career exploded in 1971 with the release of the seminal documentary Nicht der Homosexuelle ist pervers, sondern die Situation, in der er lebt / It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives (Rosa von Praunheim, 1971). This film did more than depict gay life. It actively catalysed the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement in West Germany and led to the formation of over 50 political groups. Rosa von Praunheim's filmography exceeded 150 productions. His work is characterised by a campy, avant-garde style that frequently centres on strong female characters and queer subcultures. His major works include Die Bettwurst / The Bed Sausage (1971), a cult parody of bourgeois marriage, Stadt der verlorenen Seelen / City of Lost Souls (1983), a queer-punk musical that remains a cornerstone of transgender cinema, and Der Einstein des Sex / The Einstein of Sex (1999), a biopic of the pioneering sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld. Anita: Dances of Vice (1987), the life story of Anita Berber, a scandalous nude dancer in Berlin in the 1920s, attracted international attention. Never one to shy away from scandal, von Praunheim famously caused a national uproar in 1991 when he outed German celebrities Alfred Biolek and Hape Kerkeling on live television to demand solidarity during the AIDS crisis. Despite such polarising tactics, his influence on the industry is undeniable; he served as a professor of directing at the Film University of Babelsberg (1999–2006), mentoring a new generation of filmmakers known as 'Rosa’s Children,' including Tom Tykwer. Till his death, von Praunheim remained remarkably active. His last project, Satanische Sau / Satanic Sow (2025), won the Teddy Award for Best Documentary / Essay Film at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival. Other recent contributions include the documentary Dreißig Jahre an der Peitsche / Thirty Years with the Whip (2024) and the docudrama Rex Gildo – Der letzte Tanz / Rex Gildo - Der letzte Tanz (2022). Rosa von Paunheim died in Berlin, where he resided with his longtime partner and collaborator, Oliver Sechting. They married on 12 December 2025. From 1969 to 1971, he was married to Carla Egerer. Sources: Wikipedia (German and English) and IMDb. And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
