Biography of Petra Schürmann

Petra Schürmann (born 15 September 1933 in Mönchengladbach; died 14 January 2010 in Munich) was a German television presenter, announcer, actress, author and Miss World 1956. For decades she worked especially for Bayerischer Rundfunk and presented programmes on ARD, ZDF and 3sat.

Background and studies

Schürmann was born in Mönchengladbach and grew up in Wuppertal. After school she studied philosophy, American studies and art history. Her path into television began through a beauty contest she entered during her student years.

Miss World 1956

On 15 October 1956, Petra Schürmann was crowned Miss World at the Lyceum Ballroom in London. She represented West Germany and became the first German winner of the competition. The title opened the way to radio, television and public appearances and led into a long media career.

Bayerischer Rundfunk

From 1963 onward, Schürmann worked for Bayerischer Rundfunk, first in radio and as a television announcer. She presented Abendschau, hosted Bayern im Ersten and later shaped formats such as Samstagsclub, Der direkte Draht and Wir in Bayern. BR remained her home broadcaster, even as she appeared nationally.

ARD and ZDF

By 2000, Schürmann had appeared in around 600 programmes for ARD and ZDF. They included MM-Montags-Markt, Das Verkehrsgericht tagt, Essen wie Gott in Deutschland, Schlüsselloch and various gala broadcasts. She also acted in film, television and theatre and published several books.

Later years

In June 2001, her daughter Alexandra Freund died in a road accident. Petra Schürmann gradually withdrew from public life afterward. In 2006 she lived with her husband Gerhard Freund by Lake Starnberg; he died in 2008. Petra Schürmann died on 14 January 2010 in Munich.