Großstadtrevier or Büttenwarder:Jan Fedder played many typical North German characters. The actor died in Hamburg on December 30, 2019 - shortly before his 65th birthday on January 14, 2020.
by Kathrin Weber
The policeman Dirk Matthies from the Großstadtrevier, farmer Kurt Brakelmann in the series Neues aus Büttenwarder or the diver Jan Hinrichs in the book adaptation "Der Mann im Strom":Jan Fedder mostly played typical North German characters - tough but warm. In private, too, he was more of a roughneck, someone who didn't stick to conventions and didn't allow himself to be bent. And that's exactly how the audience loved him:the NDR viewers voted him the most popular actor in the north.
Jan Fedder - a true Hamburger
Jan Fedder was born on January 14, 1955 as a genuine Hamburger Jung. His ancestors all went to sea, he grew up as the son of a pub owner and a revue dancer in the St. Pauli district. At the age of ten he began acting lessons, at 13 he was on stage for the first time in his hometown:in "Unsere Kleine Stadt" at the Ernst-Deutsch-Theater.
Film role in the world hit "Das Boot"
After school, Fedder trained as a forwarding agent, but never worked in the profession. Instead, he continued to act in theaters, including at the Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen (1974 - 1976). After minor TV appearances, he became known to a larger audience in 1981 as the brash boatswain Pilgrim in Wolfgang Petersen's world hit "Das Boot". This was followed by roles in "Superstau" (1991) and guest appearances in TV crime series such as "Tatort".
As a neighborhood policeman Matthies on patrol from 1992
Dirk Matthies (Jan Fedder) and Ellen Wegener (Mareike Carrière, l.) in an episode of the series "Großstadtrevier" from 1993."I'm the new guy" - with these words Jan Fedder started his service as Dirk Matthies in 1992 in the Hamburg Kiez. The television series, which now has cult status, made him known nationwide. As patrolman Dirk Matthies, he took care of - how could it be otherwise - the big and small needs of the residents of the neighborhood around the Port of Hamburg. The role was tailor-made for him:Matthies mastered the rough tone of the neighborhood and didn't lack in hardness. But he also had a heart and, if necessary, stood up for the little people - even if they had left the path of virtue.
Jan Fedder as farmer Brakelmann in News from Büttenwarder
The NDR series Neues aus Büttenwarder is no less successful and also has a cult following. Fedder played the farmer Kurt Brakelmann alongside Peter Heinrich Brix ("Adsche"). In the village on the flat land, where actually not much is going on, he causes a stir again and again when he tries to make a really big deal in a tricky way. The first episode of "Büttenwarder" was shown at Christmas 1997 as part of "Heimatgeschichten". Because of its great success, the village story became a series.
German TV award for "The Man in the Stream"
Something different - Fedder as a diver in "The Man in the Stream".Fedder acted in about 250 films, which, in his own words, "not all deserve prizes". But the actor was not always able to choose his roles, especially at the beginning of his career. However, Fedder made a conscious decision to play the leading role in "Der Mann im Strom", a film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Siegfried Lenz, who died in 2014:"I'm just glad that I can show a different facet in this production. If you associated with a series as intensely as I am with the 'Großstadtrevier', you don't often have the opportunity to do so," he said at the time. In the film, he played a diver in the port of Hamburg who forged his papers to get a job, thereby making himself vulnerable to blackmail. In 2006 he received the German TV Award in the category "Best Actor for TV Film".
Fedder built on this success in the following years and acted in two other film adaptations based on stories by Siegfried Lenz. "The Lightship" (2008) and "The Rebellion" (2010). Both productions were well received by audiences and critics, and Fedder was praised for his acting skills. At the same time he developed a deep affection for the writer. In an interview with the Kulturjournal, he described his relationship with Lenz with a smile:"I love him. He's kind, he's smart, he's lovable. When I see him, my heart opens and then I want to protect him like you do his grandfather wants to protect from all evils in this world." And Siegfried Lenz admitted:"Jan Fedder is an actor that I just like. It goes so far that for the rest of my life I will secretly address what I write to him; in the hope that I can only Play Jan Fedder."
vegetarians, collectors and musicians
In his private life, Fedder, who for decades ate mostly vegetarian food, was a passionate collector of old vehicles. On his farm in Schleswig-Holstein near Itzehoe, where he usually spent the weekends, he had set up a small private museum and hoarded his treasures there. These included cars, tractors, motorcycles and antiques. His absolute favorite was a Messerschmitt bubble car. In his spare time, the actor enjoyed tinkering with the engines on his collectibles. He was also a musician and had made a name for himself as the lead singer of the rock band Big Balls. In 2000 Jan Fedder married his partner Marion.
Illness-related breaks in the metropolitan area
In 2012, Jan Fedder slipped into a new role in "Der Hafenpastor":As Pastor Stefan Book, he mimed the good soul in Hamburg's St. Pauli Church. But in the autumn of the same year, the actor had to take a break from filming for several months because of suspected cancer. Because of his time off, he was absent from two episodes of Neues aus Büttenwarder as Bauer Brakelmann and was unable to take part in the shooting of the 26th season of Großstadtrevier. In the 27th season, the cult policeman was back at the start, but in autumn 2014 he was absent from the shooting of the 28th season again for health reasons. Jan Fedder had to survive a total of 30 radiation treatments because of oral cavity carcinoma. It was "honestly" very difficult for him to pause. The time with the cancer was the worst of his life, Fedder said after his return to the 29th season in the metropolitan area. He had since discarded his uniform and instead took on a new role as a milieu investigator in civilian clothes. Even if he'll never be his old self again, he's still alive, he's still around - and that's wonderful. The work on the early evening series meant a lot to Jan Fedder:the metropolitan area is his family, his home.
Jan Fedder was in front of the camera until 2019
After the actor was initially able to defeat cancer and had regained the courage to face life, the next blow came. He sustained severe fractures in both legs. Infections made healing difficult. Despite these numerous health setbacks, Jan Fedder always returned to the camera:in 2019 he shot new episodes for the metropolitan area. In the fall of the same year, an ankle injury again forced him to take a break from filming. His work was like an elixir of life for the actor - in 28 years he played in more than 400 episodes of Großstadtrevier. He couldn't stop working, he once said - because "if I'm not allowed to shoot anymore, then I'll drop dead. Then it'll be over."
Jan-Fedder-Promenade and plaque of honor commemorate the actor
Since January 2022, the promenade at the port of Hamburg between Landungsbrücken and Baumwall has borne the name of the popular actor and honorary commissioner of the Hamburg police. A plaque on the Reeperbahn is now supposed to commemorate Fedder - installed at the entrance to the "Zur Ritze" restaurant, where he often stayed.