Hans Rosenthal: A life between entertainment and commemoration

Hans Rosenthal: A life between entertainment and commemoration

On April 2, 2025, Hans Rosenthal, the legendary German moderator and survivor of the Holocaust, would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Rosenthal was not only known as a moderator of the popular quiz show "Dalli Dalli", but also for his impressive life story, which is characterized by persecution and resilience. In a memory report, relatives and fans address his influence on the German television landscape and its important role as a Jewish speaker.

Already on April 15, the Bad Nauheim region in the Wetteraukreis in memory of Rosenthal is active. A councilor from the Elisabethhaus took part in a WDR show in 1970, with the idea for participating by an employee of the retirement home. Edith van Zütphen, the then home manager, contacted the WDR, and Rosenthal finally selected six participants. Stefan Fuchs, head of the Diakoniewerk Elisabethhaus, was not informed during this appearance.

The connection to the history

A memorable meeting between Rosenthal and the former mayor of Grünberg, Siegbert Damaschke, took place in 1986 as part of the program "asked, knew, won". Damaschke remembers the event in his city as a great event, while Thomas Brückner, a prospective editor, described Rosenthal as sympathetic and open. This was one of the last public appearances of the moderator, who died just six months later.

The ZDF feature film production "Rosenthal" also illuminates an important chapter in Rosenthal's career: on November 9, 1978, the 40th anniversary of the Reichspogromnacht, he moderated the 75th program of "Dalli Dalli". He asked the ZDF to shift the broadcast date because the day was a commemoration day for the victims of the Holocaust. However, this request was rejected.

The silent protest

In the show, Rosenthal wore a black suit and a dark tie, as a sign of silent protest. On this day, the first central memorial event for the Reichspogromnacht in the Federal Republic of Germany, organized by the Central Council of Jews, also took place with a speech by Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

Rosenthal's biographical background are also formative. He was born in a Jewish family in Berlin in 1925. During the Second World War, he hid two years to escape the persecution. His young brother was murdered by the Nazis. After the war, Rosenthal was involved in the Jewish community in Berlin and was deputy chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

Despite the challenges he had to survive, Rosenthal made a lasting impression on German television entertainment, not least because of his presentations, which often addressed an audience segment that once cheered Hitler. Until his death in 1987, he moderated a total of 83 further editions of "Dalli Dalli", but never again on November 9th.

His life story is recorded in his book "Two Life in Germany", which is to be reissued in 2025 and is a plea for tolerance and racism. The online sections of the RATTETE team from Bad Nauheim can be found on the ZDF program "Welke and Pastewka-reunion is joy" and on YouTube.

Rosenthal's remarkable career and his commitment to the culture of remembrance remain unforgettable, as well as the teachings that his life has for society.