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Loriot

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Vicco von Bülow was a famous German artist who loved to make people laugh.

Loriot by Philipp von Ostau
Loriot by Philipp von Ostau

Most people knew him by his pen name, Loriot. This name comes from the French word for an oriole, which is a type of bird.

Buelow-Wappen
Buelow-Wappen

The bird was part of his family's coat of arms. He was a comedian, a writer, and a cartoonist. He also directed movies and even operas. His work was so special that he was ranked as the most famous German comedian ever in a special comedy episode.

Vicco von buelow loriot 08 2005
Vicco von buelow loriot 08 2005

Loriot had a very specific way of making things funny. He often drew characters with large, bulbous noses. These characters usually acted very serious and dignified. However, they were often stuck in silly or absurd situations. One famous sketch shows a man trying to fix a crooked painting. His attempt to help causes a huge chain reaction of accidents. He knocks over tables and breaks shelves until the room is a mess. Even during this disaster, the man stays calm and only worries about the crooked painting.

Loriot sofa replik bronze
Loriot sofa replik bronze

His career began with drawing and painting after the war. He studied graphic design at the Landeskunstschule in Hamburg. In 1950, he started using his pen name for his cartoons. He also created a famous cartoon dog named Wum. Wum became a mascot for a charity called Aktion Sorgenkind. Wum even had a popular song that stayed at the top of the music charts for nine weeks in 1972. Loriot did many things himself, like writing, drawing, and providing the voices for his characters.

Loriot was born in 1923 in Brandenburg an der Havel. He grew up in a family of German aristocracy. During World War II, he served as a military officer. He later expressed deep shame for the part Germany played in that history. After the war, he married Romi Schlumbom in 1951, and they had two daughters. He spent much of his life working in the arts. He received many honors, like the Bavarian Film Award and an honorary doctorate.

His work changed the way people in Germany speak. Many phrases from his TV sketches became part of everyday language. People still use his funny sayings in their own lives. He was a very important part of German culture. He was even given a star on the Boulevard der Stars in Berlin.

Boulevard-der-stars-IMG 1465x
Boulevard-der-stars-IMG 1465x

Even today, people remember him by leaving rubber ducks at his grave. This is a tribute to one of his most famous comedy sketches.

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🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:Loriot by Philipp von Ostau.jpg
Loriot by Philipp von Ostau.jpg
File:Buelow-Wappen.png
Buelow-Wappen.png
File:Loriot sofa replik bronze.jpg
Loriot sofa replik bronze.jpg
File:Grabstätte Trakehner Allee 1 (Westend) Bernhard-Viktor Christoph Carl von Bülow2.jpg
Grabstätte Trakehner Allee 1 (Westend)...
File:Vicco von buelow loriot 08 2005.JPG
Vicco von buelow loriot 08 2005.JPG
File:Traueranzeige Loriot Lieber Gott viel Spass.jpg
Traueranzeige Loriot Lieber Gott viel Spass.jpg
File:Boulevard-der-stars-IMG 1465x.JPG
Boulevard-der-stars-IMG 1465x.JPG
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