Biographie
Günther Schramm, the son of a physician, spent his early years in Stettin, Pomerania, before attending school in Hamburg following his family’s post-war relocation. He had a brother and sisters connected to the medical field—his brother was a doctor, and his sisters married doctors. After completing his matriculation, Schramm initially worked as a forest ranger's assistant but soon pursued acting. From 1950 to 1951, he studied at the State College of Music and Performing Arts in Hamburg. The next year, he co-founded and joined the literary cabaret troupe Die Buchfinken. Although successful, the group disbanded in 1957, by which time Schramm had already joined the prestigious Thalia Theater ensemble.
Schramm debuted on screen in 1955, playing a ship's cadet in a German television adaptation of the Titanic sinking. While he occasionally appeared in supporting roles in mainstream films, his primary focus was television. He gained recognition through guest roles, notably in the spy series Die fünfte Kolonne (1963) and the three-part miniseries Verräter (1967). He starred as an academic counselor in the drama Algebra um acht (1972) and achieved widespread fame as Detective Walter Grabert in the long-running crime series Der Kommissar (1969). Alongside Erik Ode and Reinhard Glemnitz, Schramm earned five Bambi Awards (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1975) and became one of Germany’s most beloved TV actors of the time. His portrayals of amiable, erudite, and sympathetic characters—often pipe-smoking—greatly contributed to his popularity; he was named Germany’s 'Pipe Smoker of the Year' in 1974.
Starting in the early 1970s, Schramm expanded into television hosting, first as a panellist on Dalli Dalli (1971), then as moderator of musical quiz shows such as Erkennen Sie die Melodie? (1969) and Quiz As - Musik zum Raten (1985). He also worked as a voice actor, dubbing for actors including Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (77 Sunset Strip, 1958), Lloyd Bochner, Dick Van Dyke, and Alec McCowen. By the mid-1990s, he returned to on-screen acting, appearing alongside Nadja Tiller in the comedy Holstein Lovers (1999), portraying an elderly aristocrat in the romantic melodrama Sehnsucht nach Sandin (2002), and featuring in numerous other TV productions. In 2007, Schramm joined the popular family saga Forsthaus Falkenau (1989), replacing Christian Wolff and appearing in 97 episodes through 2013.
Since 1958, Schramm has been married to actress Gudrun Thielemann. They have a son together, and he has a daughter from a previous marriage. From 1982 to 2001, the family lived on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with Schramm frequently commuting for work. They later returned to Germany, settling in Grünwald, a prosperous suburb south of Munich.
