1904 - 1941

His engagement concentrated on the theater for the time being. When he received a first film offer in 1937 he refused for fear. He didn't want to attract unnecessary attention, especially because he was married with the actress Meta Wolff (with Jewish origin).

Gottschalk's talent prevailed against his fear and in 1938 he acted for the first time in a film production. His character - a quiet appearance and an undercooled performance - fascinated.

Although he took part in only seven movies he acted in no less than four times with the bewitching actress Brigitte Horney - "Du und ich" (38), "Aufruhr in Damaskus" (39), "Eine Frau wie Du" (39) and "Das Mädchen von Fanö" (41). If the political circumstances had been differently, a new film dream pair had been come into being.

But the destiny adopted a different method. When the Nazi-Propaganda ministry discovered that Gottschalk's wife Meta was a Jew, he was faced with the choice to separate with his wife immediately or to be called up for the Wehrmacht and to be sent to the front. But Gottschalk feared: However he would decide, wife and son would come into a concentration camp ianyway. Therefore he refused the judicial separation. After that his wife and their son got the information that they will be deported to Theresienstadt. Joachim Gottschalk applied for the permission to accompany his family, but the entreaty was rejected. 

Imposed with a working prohibition Gottschalk found work once more in 1941 in the new medium television (since 1935, but with a very restricted number of recipients) for the play "Karl und Anna. The program was played live every time and televised directly. For the ninth telecast Gottschalk didn't appear in the studio.
Pushed into a corner Joachim Gottschalk and his relatives committed suicide in the night before the deportation. Their death wasn't published in the newspapers, Gottschalk's movies weren't forbidden..

A late honour was given to the family Gottschalk in 1999. Their last resting place was announced to a grave of honour of Berlin.
With that they erected a dignified monument to an actor who almost fall into oblivion.
 

Other movies with Joachim Gottschalk:
Flucht ins Dunkel (39) Ein Leben lang (40) Die schwedische Nachtigall (41)