Mourning for Karin Lesch: Queen from cult film "Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella" dies

Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Mourning for Karin Lesch: Queen from cult film "Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella" dies Jan Gebauer • 13 hours • 1 minute read Karin Lesch played the queen in the Christmas classic "Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella." Cinderella's mother-in-law has died. As confirmed by her daughter, actress Karin Lesch died on March 12, 2025, at the age of 89. Lesch passed away peacefully in a retirement home in Wernsdorf, Brandenburg, Anja Mathilde Wallocha told "Bild." Cinderella Prince Pavel Travnicek mourns his film mother Pavel Travnicek (74), the prince from the classic fairy tale, expressed his shock. The now 74-year-old maintained a close relationship with his film mother even after filming ended: "Karin was an extremely elegant lady," he told the Czech newspaper "Blesk." He had been personally informed by Lesch's daughter. Karin Lesch was married to East German director Hans-Dieter Mäde. The couple had two children, daughter Anja and son Michael, who died last year at the age of 61. In addition to her role as the queen in "Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella," Lesch also appeared in numerous other DEFA productions, including films such as "The Magic Man" (1960), "The Dead Remain Young" (1968), and "The Red Orchestra" (1971). She was also successful on the stage. At the end of the 1970s, Karin Lesch withdrew from public life and, according to her daughter, led a secluded life.