The spokesman for Robert Gallinowski, a German actor aged fifty-three, confirmed that he died suddenly. The news came as a shock to colleagues and fans, and a message from Gallinowski’s agency read plainly, “Robert, we will miss you.” The cause of death has not been disclosed, leaving room for speculation but clearly honoring the need for privacy during a difficult time. In the wake of the announcement, the public memorial remains to be announced, and those who knew him are sharing memories of his warm presence on screen and stage, as well as his quiet dedication to his craft.
Throughout his varied career, Gallinowski built a reputation in crime dramas and police procedurals that resonated with audiences. He appeared in productions such as Wolf’s Law, In the Name of the Law, Cobra Special Squad, Szymanski, Crime Crossword, Crime Department, and Criminologist, alongside memorable portrayals in Berlin police-themed narratives. Beyond television, he worked as a radio play announcer, lending his voice to radio dramas, and he also pursued poetry, showing a sensitivity to language that enriched his performances. His range extended from intense investigative roles to more reflective, lyrical expressions on the airwaves and on the page.
Gallinowski studied at the Ernst Busch Higher School of Theater Arts in Berlin, an institution known for producing strong stage talent. After completing his studies, he stepped onto the stage at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, where he gained early-stage experience and honed a presence that would inform his later work on screen and in other media. His early stage work helped him develop a disciplined approach to character and a keen sense of timing that served him well in procedural dramas and crime stories that demanded precision and nuance.
Around the same period, Gallinowski explored painting as another form of expression. His canvases first drew attention in 1988, during an exhibition in his birthplace of Aachen, where local audiences encountered a new dimension to the actor’s creative voice. Over the years, his visual art found wider audiences through exhibitions in Berlin, Wolfsburg, and Weimar, reflecting a painterly sensibility that complemented his storytelling skills. The dual identity as actor and painter offered him a broad platform to explore human experience from both dramatic and visual angles, enriching his artistic footprint and the ways fans could engage with his work.