Mainz – November 01, 2026 -- Regina Ziegler, who built a catalogue of more than 500 national and international film and television productions over five decades, has died at the age of 82, ZDF announced.
Ziegler founded her own production company in Germany in the early 1970s
Born on March 8, 1944, Ziegler was the first woman in Germany to launch her own production company, in a male-dominated industry. Since 2000 she ran the company jointly with her daughter, Tanja Ziegler.
ZDF worked with Ziegler from 1979/80 onward
Ziegler first produced for the broadcaster in 1979/80 with the feature film "Fabian," based on a novel by Erich Kästner and directed by her husband, Wolf Gremm. Recent ZDF productions include "Die Wölfe" (2009), "Flaschenpost an meinen Mann" (2013), "Die Holzbaronin" (2013) and "Die Toten von Hameln" (2014).
Series produced for ZDF include "Kommissarin Heller" (2014-2021), "Lena Lorenz" (since 2015) and "Familie Bundschuh" (since 2015). Her latest project, "Heimsuchung – eine Jahrhundertgeschichte," is currently showing in cinemas.
ZDF leadership credits Ziegler as a trailblazer for women in the industry
ZDF Director General Norbert Himmler described Ziegler as a close, long-standing partner who wrote German film and television history. Programming Director Nadine Bilke said Ziegler cleared the path for women in the industry as Germany's first female film producer.
ZDF reshuffles its schedule to honor the producer
On Monday, ZDF will air "Familie Bundschuh – Bundschuh gegen Bundschuh" at 8:15 p.m. and "Fabian" at 12:15 a.m. Repeats of "Kommissarin Heller" and "Die Holzbaronin" will run later in the week.