Jürgen Roland: Movies & Filmography

Jürgen Roland, born Jürgen Schellack on 25 December 1925 in Hamburg, Germany, was a renowned German film director, screenwriter, and producer who earned the distinguished title of the father of German TV crime shows. Roland began his career in broadcasting in 1945 as a radio host for the North Western German Radio Station (NWDR), and by 1951, he had become one of the first television presenters for the TV station of the NWDR. Norddeutscher Rundfunk Station Manager Jobst Plog remarked that Roland "belonged to the ranks of young radio reporters who contributed after the war to the legendary reputation of the then NWDR." His early TV series Der Polizeibericht meldet... (the police reports) was a groundbreaking show that provided detailed and faithful portrayals of real crimes, setting a new standard for the genre. Roland also worked as a documentary filmmaker, with his 1955 documentary Netz über Bord – Heringsfang auf der Nordsee demonstrating his versatility behind the camera. Roland's fame was cemented by the 1958 crime series Stahlnetz (steel net, also known as Dragnet), which he co-created with screenwriter Wolfgang Menge and which was based on real criminal cases. The black-and-white series featured actors like Hellmut Lange and Helmut Peine, and Roland directed 22 episodes while also contributing as a screenwriter for two episodes. The series became a blockbuster in Germany and established Roland as a master of the crime drama format. Throughout his prolific career, Roland directed approximately 80 TV productions and 30 movies, including several Edgar Wallace adaptations such as The Crimson Circle (1960), The Green Archer (1961), and The Strange Countess (1961), the latter starring the iconic Gert Fröbe. He also directed numerous episodes of the long-running crime series Tatort (crime scene) between 1976 and 1997, collaborating with notable actors including Manfred Krug, Klaus Löwitsch, and Heinz Drache. Roland was also responsible for 46 episodes of Großstadtrevier (metropolitan precinct), which continued to air on German television for over 21 years. Roland passed away on 21 September 2007 in Hamburg at the age of 81, leaving behind an indelible legacy in German television history.