Herbert Feuerstein wrote his own obituary before his death. In it the entertainer looks back on his many lives.
He was a journalist, entertainer, cabaret artist – and a veteran of German television. Herbert Feuerstein died on October 6th at the age of 83, as the WDR announced on Wednesday (October 7th). "Feuerstein was a genius – he told me that himself, and I confirmed it to him," said colleague Harald Schmidt (63) on the death of his colleague. This work by Feuerstein is also considered a stroke of genius: The WDR has published a roughly two-hour obituary on its website, which could be heard on the radio on WDR5 and which Feuerstein had already recorded in 2015.
At the beginning there is dramatic Bach music that ends abruptly. He's not starting his obituary so pathetically, comments Feuerstein. Instead, he explains: "I don't want to talk about it for long, I'm dead now. And you, dear listeners, will be one day too. Then at the latest we will be even and before that I would like to entertain you again for 115 minutes. In a way as the 22nd and last of my SpielArt broadcasts (WDR broadcast, editor's note). "
He offers the audience "a few passages of his memories", embedded in music that is close to him. The obituary tells of Feuerstein's childhood, the dropping out of his music studies in Salzburg, his discovered enthusiasm for journalism, his move to New York and his late TV career. Feuerstein also refers to his autobiography, which describes the "nine lives of Mr. F." (2014) describes. He ends the obituary broadcast with the following words: "Today is January 15, 2015, I would have loved to know the broadcast date … Well, maybe not. But thanks for listening to me again. Bye. "
Colleagues also went to the microphone
Not only Feuerstein has a say in the obituary he wrote himself. He asked colleagues from the WDR's squad of speakers such as Katja Ruppenthal to read from his memoirs – "as proof of my consideration, ladies and gentlemen. Because I don't want you to endure a single voice for two hours, and that too." mine. " He had adapted the speakers to the age of the text.
In memory of Herbert Feuerstein, the WDR last Wednesday showed the film "Mr. Feuerstein writes his obituary – And lives 2091 days". It documents the entertainer's self-written obituary from January 2015 and his home story from the same year. The film and the obituary are available in the WDR media library. According to the WDR, the obituary was written shortly before Feuerstein withdrew from the public. He didn't want to rely on his colleagues from the features section.