Hans Rössling

Rössling grew up in Mannheim-Sandhofen, trained as a municipal civil servant and took singing lessons with Heinrich Hölzlin. In 1950, he appeared for the first time in a small role in the Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg as a guest at the Mannheim National Theatre. After participating in the Nuremberg singing competition "Meistersinger-Wettstreit" in 1952, he was engaged at the Staatsoper Stuttgart.^[1] In 1953, he moved to the Mannheim National Theatre. The then artistic director Hans Schüler [de] had noted at the audition: "Nice guy with a sense of humour, tall, slim, even bigger voice as he matured".^[2] He was a member of the ensemble of the National Theatre for almost four decades until his retirement in 1990. In 1979, Herbert Meyer described him as "always a reliable support in the second row of basses, occasionally in leading roles".^[3] After 1990, numerous guest appearances in Mannheim followed, but in 1995 he made his final stage farewell. Rössling last lived in Heddesheim.^[1] At his death in Mannheim aged 85, he left behind his wife and two children.^[4][5]