Remembering Renate Krößner

The German actor Renate Krößner died on May 25, 2020. In the 1980s, Krößner was best known for her portrayal of the young singer Sunny in Konrad Wolf's last film Solo Sunny, for which she received the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 30th Berlinale in 1980. She was one of the most recognisable actors in the GDR and later in reunited Germany.

“As an actor from the GDR, Renate Krößner was able to inspire audiences on both sides of the German-German border with her embodiment of Sunny, many years before the reunification. And it is this very role for which she will remain unforgotten on the big screen for many viewers“, says Mariette Rissenbeek, Executive Director of the Berlinale.

Krößner was born in the German town of Osterode in 1945 and completed training at the Staatliche Schauspielschule Berlin in the 1960s. From the mid-1960s onwards, she played on various East German stages as well as in various films and television programmes. In 1985, Krößner moved with her family to West Germany and remained widely known for her engagements in successful German television series. In 1991, she was a member of the International Jury of the 41st Berlinale. In addition to the Silver Bear, Krößner was awarded the German Film Award (Filmband in Gold) and the renowned Grimme Award.

Krößner died at the age of 75 near Berlin after a short serious illness.