The news of Dirk Bach's death left people partially frozen in 2012. After all, the lively artist was considered an icon. He seemed to be made for showbiz. Funny, likeable and empathetic, he became known to an ever larger TV audience.
In 2021, he would actually celebrate his 60th birthday. An occasion to look back once again at the special stations of a colorful but far too short life.
Dirk Bach - a special artist with an incredibly high likeability factor
Dirk Bach was neither "only" Moderator, still "only" actor. Rather, he was a special total package that did not fear comparison with others in show business.
He was born in 1961 and grew up in Cologne. Even then, it was very important to his parents that their son had contact with the arts. Visits to the theater were part of the daily routine for little Bach from an early age.
At some point he was drawn to the "boards that mean the world". In the course of time, he played in a wide variety of plays before he made his final breakthrough with his appearance in "Geierwally". The jump into the TV business was finally the "icing on thecake". He even got his own show on RTL.
However, most people probably remember Bach as Sonja Zietlow's partner in the jungle camp. Here, he always seemed like the soft, contestant-friendly counterpart to Sonja, whose tips sometimes came across as a little "meaner". Both got along brilliantly - both in front of and behind the camera. And that's exactly what the audience liked about them.
Dirk Bach as a member of the LGBTQ scene
Dirk Bach she made a secret of being gay. On the contrary! While others were still struggling with their coming out, he already married his boyfriend at the end of the 1990s... even if the marriage was not recognized at that time.
In parallel with his publicized relationship with a man, the barely 5'7" man fought for queer rights and championed the fight against AIDS.
What may sound "self-evident" today was far more courageous back then. After all, the rights of homosexuals were still far more clearly curtailed back then than they are today. Same-sex marriages were not yet a possibility.
Sometimes, however, it almost seemed as if Bach had a kind of "premonition" - as if he were sure that the efforts of the entire community would eventually be rewarded. Unfortunately, however, Dirk Bach was no longer able to personally witness much of the progress that has been made for the scene in recent years.
The legacy of Bach - a very special role model
In connection with conversations about the entertainer, the word "unforgotten" comes up comparatively often. And indeed: just about every longtime Dschungelcamp fan surely imagines now and then how "Dicki," as he was affectionately called by Sonja Zietlow, walks across the famous suspension bridge.
Hardly any other public figure is as strongly associated with the LGBTQ scene as he was - even years after his death. However, this is probably due not only to his commitment in various areas, but also to the fact that he already stood by his homosexuality when many still loved their partners behind closed doors and were afraid of an official outing. Bach's homosexuality was comparatively rarely addressed. He loved a man, it was known - and it was "normal". This was also because the artist felt comfortable as a gay man and radiated exactly that to the outside world.
Bach - in many ways - had no problem being a bird of paradise. Therefore, it is encouraging and inspiring - not only on his 60th birthday, but in general - to remember a very special person and an icon of the LGBTQ scene.
What do you think about Innsbruck setting a sign with rainbow crosswalks?