Johannes Heesters

about

Johan Marius Nicolaas "Johannes" Heesters (5 December 1903 – 24 December 2011) was a Dutch actor, singer, and entertainer with a career dating back to 1921. Active almost exclusively in the German-speaking world from the mid-1930s, he was a controversial figure for his actions during the Second World War and alleged support for the Nazi Party. Heesters was born in Amersfoort, Netherlands, the youngest of four sons. His father Jacobus Heesters (1865–1946) was a salesman and his mother Geertruida Jacoba van den Heuvel (1866–1951), a homemaker. Heesters was fluent in German from a very early age having lived for several years in the household of a German great uncle from Bavaria. Heesters decided to become an actor and a singer at the age of sixteen and began vocal training. Heesters specialized in Viennese operetta very early in his career, and made his Viennese stage debut in 1934 in Carl Millöcker's Der Bettelstudent (The Beggar Student). Aged 31, Heesters permanently moved to Germany with his wife and daughters in 1935. During his time there, he performed for Adolf Hitler and visited the Dachau concentration camp which made him a controversial figure for many Dutch. Joseph Goebbels placed Heesters on the Gottbegnadeten list as an artist considered crucial to Nazi culture. Heesters is known to have funded the German war machine by donating money to the weapons industry. While he became a very controversial figure in the late 1970s, Heesters always denied these accusations

top songs

albums

Das Lebenswerk

Die schönsten Lieder

Da geh' Ich ins Maxim

Ich werde 100 Jahre alt

Weihnachten Mit Johannes Heesters

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Unvergessliche Melodien

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Johannes Heesters

Schlager Oldies: Die goldenen Hits

Ich Brauche Keine Millionen

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Die Schönsten Schlager aller Zeiten 8

Johannes Heesters - Man müsste Klavier spielen können

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Danke Jopie

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