Rudolf Asmus

Rudolf Asmus was a Czech opera singer and actor who was born in 1921 in Zlín. He began his career in 1942 at the theater in Ostrava and later performed at the Prague National Theatre between 1953 and 1956. Asmus achieved international fame after joining the Komische Oper in Berlin in 1956 at the invitation of Walter Felsenstein. He performed 37 different roles at the house and is famous for his portrayal of the night watchman in the 1981 production of the opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. His discography includes televised adaptations of operas such as Das schlaue Füchslein (1965), Don Giovanni (1966), and Hoffmanns Erzählungen (1970). Asmus was named an honorary member of the Komische Oper in 1988 and received the Wolfgang-Heinz-Ring in 1990. He retired from the stage in 1996 and died in 2000.