“Do you recognize the melody?”
Actor and ZDF quiz presenter Ernst Stankovski died at the age of 93
The actor and former ZDF presenter Ernst Stankovski was 93 years old.
© imago/Horst Galuschka
The Austrian moderator and actor Ernst Stankovski is dead. He was 93 years old. From 1969 to 1977, Stankovski moderated the ZDF guessing program “Recognize the melody”.
Mourning for Ernst Stankovski: The Austrian actor, director, cabaret artist and presenter died on January 26 at the age of 93. His son confirmed this to the German Press Agency. In Germany, he is primarily known as the likeable quiz master of the ZDF program “Do you recognize the melody?” keep in remembrance. There he stood in front of the camera once a month from 1969 to 1977. “I didn’t really like doing it,” he said in 2008. He’d rather be remembered as a serious actor.
Before Stankovski first proved himself on numerous theater stages in Vienna, he did an apprenticeship as a hairdresser. In 1945 he took regular singing lessons and also completed training in dance and acting. From 1946 the native of Vienna belonged to the ensemble of the Theater in der Josefstadt. Later he was engaged at several German theaters, for example in Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hanover and Hamburg.
Ernst Stankovski also performed in Tatort
In addition to his theater projects, Stankovski also made a name for himself as a cabaret artist, singer and film actor. In his long career he had appearances in “Das Traumschiff”, “Tatort” or “Der Bulle von Tölz”.
At the age of 79 he brought out his last program entitled “You can’t even die in Vienna”. He was an actor until he had a heart operation about 10 years ago.
Stankovski’s first marriage was to actress Ida Krottendorf. In 1961 he married the dancer and actress Anna Luise Schubert.