Personal Info

Known For

Directing

Born

November 25, 1942

Died

December 17, 2025 (age 83)

Place of Birth

Riga, Latvia

Also Known As

Holger Bernhard Bruno Waldemar Mischwitzky

IMDb

Rosa von Praunheim

Biography

Rosa von Praunheim, born Holger Bernhard Bruno Waldemar Mischwitzky, was a German film director, author, painter and the most famous gay rights activist in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A prolific director, he has made over seventy feature films. He began his career associated to the New German Cinema as a senior member of the Berlin school of underground filmmaking. He took the artistic female name Rosa von Praunheim to remind people of the pink triangle that homosexuals had to wear in Nazi concentration camps.

Filmography

2026TVMein liebster Dokumentarfilmas Self 2025FilmLast Exit Gran Canariaas Self 2025FilmRosa <3as Self (archive footage)2024FilmHape Kerkeling – Total Normalas Self 2022FilmGlückskind: Der schwule Filmemacher Rosa von Praunheim ist 80 2022FilmCome With Me to the Cinema – The Gregorsas Self 2022FilmRex Gildo: The Last Danceas Erzähler 2021FilmIsolationas Self 2021TVLegendär!as Self 2021FilmQueer Cinemaas Himself 2021FilmMeine Väteras Self 2020FilmSmart Berlin – Der „Stutti“2019TVChez Krömeras Self 2019FilmDarkroom 2018FilmFriendship of Menas Himself 2017TVAbendshowas Self 2017FilmMy Wonderful West Berlin 2015FilmDesire Will Set You Freeas Ezra's Agent 2015FilmPraunheim Memoiresas Self 2015FilmVateras Man in Berlin 2014FilmHow I Learned to Love the Numbersas Self 2014FilmMario Wirzas Self 2013FilmI Feel Like Discoas Rosa von Praunheim 2013TVPantoffelkinoas Self - Guest 2012FilmRosas Welt – 70 neue Filme von Rosa von Praunheim 2012FilmRosakinderas Self 2012FilmKing of Comics 2011FilmRent Boysas Self 2011FilmMondo Lux: The Visual Worlds of Werner Schroeteras Self 2009FilmOn the Other Side of the Screen: 100 Years of Moviemento Cinema 2008TVMarkus Lanzas Self 2008TVParis-Berlin, le débatas Self 2007FilmTwo Mothers 2007TVANNE WILL 2007TV0511 TV Lokalas Self 2007FilmHere’s Looking at You, Boyas Self 2006TVDas perfekte Promi-Dinneras Self 2005FilmMen, Heroes and Gay Nazisas Self 2004FilmEin bisschen Luft unter die Flügelas Self 2004TVIm Palaisas Self 2003TVZIBBas Self 2003TVMenschen bei Maischbergeras Self 2003FilmCharlotte in Swedenas Self 2002FilmPfui, Rosa!as Self 2002TVThrough the Night with...as Self 1997TVNachtstudioas Self 1997FilmBirth of a Nationas Self 1997TVTietjen und Bommesas Self 1996FilmI Was a Jewish Sex Worker 1996TVZimmer frei!as Self 1996FilmTransexual Menaceas Self - Interviewer 1995TVDie Harald Schmidt Showas Self 1991TVDAS!1990FilmFire Under Your Ass 1990FilmPositiveas Self 1990FilmSilence = Deathas Self 1989FilmSurvival in New York 1988FilmAnita – Dances of Vice 1987TVlive - die ZDF-talkshowas Self 1987FilmDolly, Lotte and Mariaas Interviewer 1986FilmA Virus Knows No Moralsas Rüdiger Kackinski 1986FilmSeptember Septemberas Self (archive footage)1984FilmThe Bite 1979FilmTally Brown, New York 1979TVNDR Talk Showas Self 1978TVBio’s Bahnhofas Self 1977FilmGeorge and Mike Kucharas Self 1976FilmUnderground and Emigrantsas Self 1976TVKölner Treffas Self 1975FilmThe Enchantment of the Blue Sailorsas Matrose 1974TV3 nach 9as Self 1974FilmMonolog eines Stars 1973TVJe später der Abendas Self 1972FilmGrotesk – Burlesk – Pittoresk 1972FilmFootage from Q&As with Rosa von Praunheim, including MoMA’s Cineprobe Screening, 1972 1968FilmCarla 1968FilmVon Rosa von Praunheim 1967FilmSilvoas Self 1964TVGrimme Awardas Self