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A bad stroke of fate changed his life
All of Germany laughs about him - but he himself did not always laugh ...
All of Germany laughs about him - but he himself did not always laugh ... Mustache, bad teeth and man's handbag - these are the hallmarks of Horst Schlämmer. Invented the quirky Horst Hape Kerkeling (44), a man we've loved for years for his witty wit. Hard to believe that Hape Kerkeling really keeps a sad secret!
A bad stroke of fate changed the life of the man who gives us so much joy! He is only eight years old, a fair-haired boy from Recklinghausen, when his mother suddenly dies. Little Hans-Peter stays alone with his father. From now on, grandma Bertha († 2000), who lives in the same house, raises the boy, listening to his worries. "She was my comforter in all circumstances, " says Hape. Nevertheless, the boy suffered greatly from the loss of his beloved mom. "The three years from eight to eleven are missing in my memory. A very dark time when I was just lost. Suddenly I had to be self-employed overnight. That made me incredibly strong, "recalls Hape. Only once did he talk about his sad childhood.
Otherwise, he is silent about his feelings, making this experience with himself. Til today. The comedian and his sadness, the clown who makes everyone laugh and cries himself. This wisdom applies to Hape Kerkeling. For the true Hape, who loves silence, makes the search for God and relaxes with music by George Frideric Handel, hardly anyone knows. From his environment one hears that he was a good, quiet child. Neighbors from Recklinghausen tell in conversation with THE NEW: "Hans-Peter played with girls and dolls." Only later he discovered his comic vein: "When Hape was older, then the scandal was sitting on his neck. He often staged theatrical performances with the other children. When asked what he wanted to be, he said, 'Politician!' "A life in the limelight, having something to say, that's what the young Hape dreamed. He became a comedian and reinvents himself in his roles ever since.
At the same time, Horst Schlämmer seems so different from himself. One who has no secrets, who carries everything outward. The Hamburg psychologist Michael Thiel (49) explains: "In the protection of the mask, one dares to say things that one would never dare." And Hape Kerkeling himself admits: "In me must be a sludge, otherwise I never came to him. "True enough. He is in his soul - as well as the sad secret of his childhood.
