Carolin Reiber was one of the most famous and popular faces in the folk music industry. The presenter celebrates her 80th birthday.
The Munich folk music icon with what is probably the most famous rolling R in recent television history is celebrating its 80th birthday today, Monday (November 2nd). The congratulations for Carolin Reiber from Bayerischer Rundfunk are particularly warm, as the trained foreign language correspondent had a steep career there. She started in 1960 as a program announcer. At some point she switched to the moderation subject and thus found her true calling.
It led through BR programs such as "Jetzt red i", "Unser Land", "Christmas with Carolin Reiber" and from 1978 to 1993 through the folk music program "Funny Musicians". From 1990 to 2001 she hosted "Die Volksstümliche Hitparade" for ZDF.
Another milestone in her career was the presentation of the preliminary decision for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1982, among others. In the show "Ein Lied für Harrogate" (the first), then 17-year-old Nicole (56) won with her piece "A bit of peace "- the protégé of composer and producer Ralph Siegel (75) later, as is well known, also won the final.
Honorary Prize of the Bavarian Television Prize
Reiber received a kind of early birthday present three weeks ago when Prime Minister Markus Söder (53) awarded her the honorary award of the Bavarian TV Prize 2020.
"If the term 'television darling' didn't exist, it would have to be invented for Carolin Reiber," said the official explanation. Generations of television viewers have taken Reiber into their hearts since the 1960s. She was characterized by authenticity, openness and great appreciation for her fellow human beings, both professionally and privately. "Carolin Reiber is the epitome of sympathetic television entertainment and an ideal representative of the Bavarian way of life."
The newly crowned honorary laureate then thanked her in the usual charming and professional way for "56 happy years with Bavarian Broadcasting, plus 28 years with ZDF".
The family man
In her short acceptance speech, she also remembered her husband. Carolin Reiber was with her great love, the former German pentathlon champion (1955) and management consultant Dr. Luitpold Maier, married. The then 17-year-old and the well-known athlete who was almost ten years older met each other at a carnival ball in Munich. "After half an hour he knew that he wanted to marry me," she told "TZ". "It wasn't that fast for me."
The two had two sons and became grandparents. One of the two sons, Marcus Luitpold, also accompanied Carolin Reiber to the award ceremony in mid-October in the Munich Residenz. There will be no big TV birthday gala in her honor at her own request.