Herbert Knaup Prefers Italy to the Allgäu

Actor Herbert Knaup, known for his role as lawyer Markus Gellert in the ARD series “The Law Firm,” has expressed a preference for Italy and Spain over his native Allgäu region of Germany. Born on March 23, 1956, in Sonthofen, the 70-year-ancient actor describes the Allgäu valley as feeling “too narrow,” like “a stone womb.”

A Complicated Relationship with Home

Knaup, who has lived in Berlin for 26 years, shared his feelings about the Allgäu in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung. He likened the valley to “a tooth with three roots, the rivers Iller, Breitach, Brettach.” He recalled as a child imagining paradise lay beyond the mountains, only to discover it was Austria.

Despite his long residence in Berlin, Knaup acknowledges a certain energy in the Allgäu, noting that he appreciates it more now than he did as a teenager. He described the region as having a “crazy energy” and said that when the sun shines just right, “it blows you away.” Though, he still doesn’t sense a strong pull to return, comparing the feeling to a “gas station.”

Shifting Connections

Knaup no longer has family in the Allgäu, and many of his childhood friends have passed away. While he could visit remaining acquaintances, he feels that connection has diminished.

Career Highlights

Herbert Knaup began his acting career with his first main role in Dominik Graf’s 1994 thriller, “Die Sieger.” He has since become a prominent figure in German film, and television. Since 2015, he has played the role of lawyer Markus Gellert in “Die Kanzlei.” He previously starred in the “Kluftinger-Krimis,” a series set in the Allgäu, which was cancelled in 2018.

If I went there, I could visit a few more, but it’s kind of stopped there. Although there is crazy energy there! “I notice them much more now than I did when I was a teenager,” said Knaup. «When the sun is right there and the air shines with its splendor, then it blows you away. It’s like a gas station. But I’m not necessarily drawn to it. I’d rather go to Spain or Italy.”