Barbara Auer

Barbara Auer (born 1 February 1959 in Konstanz, then part of West Germany) is a celebrated German actress whose career spans over three decades, marked by critically acclaimed performances on both television and film. She first emerged on the German screen in the late 1980s, quickly gaining notice for her nuanced portrayals in TV movies such as The Boss from the West (1988) and the series Mit Leib und Seele (1989‑1990). Auer’s breakthrough came with Vivian Naefe’s My Daughter Belongs to Me (1991), a powerful drama that earned her the German Film Award for Best Actress, cementing her reputation as one of Germany’s most compelling talents.\n\nThroughout the 1990s and 2000s, Auer continued to diversify her roles, appearing in a range of genres from the historical drama Nikolaikirche (1995) to the literary adaptation Effi Briest (2009). Her performance as Ilsa Hermann in the internationally‑released The Book Thief (2013) introduced her to a global audience, while her recurring role as Lisa Brenner in the long‑running series Nachtschicht (since 2006) showcases her enduring appeal on German television. Auer’s accolades extend beyond her debut award; she received the Goldene Kamera (1989) for The Boss from the West, a Telestar prize (1995) for Der große Abgang, and the Hannelore‑Elsner‑Award at the Fünf‑Seen‑Filmfestival (2019) for her outstanding artistry. Known for her ability to embody both strength and vulnerability, Barbara Auer remains a pivotal figure in contemporary German acting, continuously shaping and enriching the cultural landscape with each new project she embraces.