Overview

• His death on Saturday morning, September 27, was confirmed in Paris by his family, with daughter Fenn Troller cited by multiple outlets.
• The Viennese-born exile became a defining voice on German TV with WDR's Pariser Journal (1962–1971) and ZDF's Personenbeschreibung (1972–1993).
• Across a prolific career, he conducted roughly 2,000 interviews and made more than 170 films, introducing a widely emulated “human touch.”
• After fleeing the Nazis, he returned to Europe in 1945 as a U.S. soldier, serving as an interpreter during the liberation of Dachau and the capture of Munich.
• In later years he made Paris his home, was honored with a 2021 documentary for his 100th birthday, and wrote a monthly column for the Literarische Welt until shortly before his death.